Genre: Drama

Director: Hiroshi Teshigahara

One of those films that I'd heard about but never been able to track down - and I'm very glad I did.  It’s a strange haunting Japanese film from 1964 that concerns the fate of an entemologist (Eiji Okada) who is befriended by some local villagers and offered to stay the night with a local widow (Kyoka Kishida).  This involves him climbing down a rope ladder to her house that exists at the bottom of a sand pit. 

All seems well until the next morning when the ladder has gone and he begins to understand that he is her late husband’s replacement.  He attempts to escape but the sand is too loose and he has no way out – it is explained that he must help shovel sand that is lifted out on a hoist to be sold as cheap building material and also to try and find a water supply. 

At first he refuses and ties the girl up but when all supplies (that are lowered on the same hoist) are cut off he has no choice but to succumb.  At first he blames her for his predicament but begins to realise she is as trapped as he is and an understanding that leads to a full sexual relationship develops.  He does manage to escape at one point but is captured and returned and slowly begins to accept his situation and even begins to experiment with ways of collecting water that will benefit the whole village. 

It’s just under 2 and half hours long but is engrossing throughout - the way his viewpoint changes over time is very well done and the use of the endless vista of sand is almost another character in its own right - there are images that will easily live in my memory for a very long time...

Remarkable.

Reviewed by George Kaplan, Premier Movie Reviews 2007

Eiji Okada

Kyoko Kishida

Hirokolto

Koji Mitsui

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