Woman in the Dunes (1964)

Kyôko Kishida: Woman

Photos 

Quotes 

• Entomologist Niki Jumpei : Living here is like building a house on water when a boat would make more sense. Such rigid thinking. It has to be a house or nothing at all.

  Woman : But don't you want to go home too?

  Entomologist Niki Jumpei : That's different.

• Entomologist Niki Jumpei : I don't get it. Doesn't all this seem pointless to you? Are you shoveling sand to live or living to shovel sand?

  Woman : I know it's not as fun as Tokyo.

  Entomologist Niki Jumpei : I'm not talking about Tokyo!

• Woman : There's nothing for me to do on the outside.

  Entomologist Niki Jumpei : You could walk around.

  Woman : Walk around?

  Entomologist Niki Jumpei : Yes! It's great to walk around freely!

  Woman : Isn't it exhausting, just walking around aimlessly?

• Entomologist Niki Jumpei : Shall I - brush off the sand?

  Woman : But, aren't all the city girls prettier than me?

  Entomologist Niki Jumpei : Nonsense! Give me the cloth.

• Woman : I'm so frightened every morning when I go to sleep that I'll wake up alone again. That really frightens me.

• Entomologist Niki Jumpei : How can you stand being trapped like this?

  Woman : This is my home.

  Entomologist Niki Jumpei : Then demand your rights.

• Entomologist Niki Jumpei : This isn't funny! Even dogs go crazy chained up all day! And we're human beings!

  Woman : But you see, if it wasn't for the sand, no one would bother about me. Isn't that right?

• Entomologist Niki Jumpei : I failed.

  Woman : Shall I wipe you off?

  Entomologist Niki Jumpei : I didn't know the geography, that's why.

• Woman : What? We're not perverts!

• Woman : This village has real local spirit.

  Entomologist Niki Jumpei : What kind of spirit?

  Woman : Love of our birthplace.

  Entomologist Niki Jumpei : I see, a good thing, indeed!

• Woman : But you do understand, don't you?

  Entomologist Niki Jumpei : Understand? What's there to understand?

  Woman : But you know...

• Entomologist Niki Jumpei : Where is everyone? Your family?

  Woman : I live alone. Last year a storm swallowed up my husband and daughter.

  Entomologist Niki Jumpei : Swallowed up?

  Woman : The sand roared down like a waterfall. He went out to save the chicken coop.

  Entomologist Niki Jumpei : And got buried?

  Woman : It was a horrible gale.

  Entomologist Niki Jumpei : That's awful. That's really awful.

• Entomologist Niki Jumpei : Isn't my underwear dry yet?

  Woman : You shouldn't wear anything in bed.

  Entomologist Niki Jumpei : Why not?

  Woman : You'll get rashes from the sand.

  Entomologist Niki Jumpei : Rashes?

  Woman : The sand draws moisture.