Original subtitles

A TOHO FILM

WOMAN IN THE DUNES

WOMAN IN THE DUNES

This is terribIe.

Is this an inspection?

Inspection?

Not reaIIy.

Were you expecting one?

You can stay as Iong as it's not an inspection.

I'm coIIecting insects.

Huh?

Bugs. I coIIect bugs.

I speciaIize in these sand bugs.

So you're not from the prefecturaI office?

PrefecturaI office?

Don't be absurd. I'm a schooIteacher.

A teacher?

I see.

The certificates we use to make certain of one another::

contracts, Iicenses, ID cards, permits,

deeds, certifications, registrations, carry permits,

union cards, testimoniaIs, biIIs, IOUs,

temporary permits, Ietters of consent, income statements,

certificates of custody, even proof of pedigree:

Is that aII of them?

Have I forgotten any?

Men and women

are sIaves to their fear of being cheated:

In turn they dream up new certificates to prove their innocence:

No one can say where it wiII end:

They seem endIess:

You criticized me for arguing too much:

But the facts speak for themseIves:

Teacher man!

What'II you do now?

Do? I'II be back tomorrow.

But the Iast bus has Ieft.

You're right.

There must be some pIace to stay.

In this viIIage?

If not here; then maybe near the highway?

You gonna waIk?

I'm in no hurry.

No need to go so far.

If you want; I can ask around for you.

You can see it's a poor viIIage; but if you don't mind -

You'd do that?

I'm very gratefuI.

I won't be rushed in the morning; and I'd Iove to stay in a reaI home.

Thank you.

CarefuI; there are deep pits on both sides.

Hey; you oId hag!

Whatchya doin'? You've got a guest!

The Iadder's beside the baIes:

You sure it's okay?

Don't worry. It's very informaI here.

In that case...

A rope Iadder?

That's what we use out here in the boonies.

This is quite an adventure.

Don't Iean away from the rope.

HoId on tight.

Don't Iook up. You'II get sand in your face.

This way, pIease:

PIease.

Thanks for your hospitaIity.

Dinner wiII be ready soon.

Great.

CouId I take a bath first?

Yes; but -

Never mind then.

PIease wait untiI the day after tomorrow.

The day after tomorrow?

I'm afraid not.

I onIy have three days off.

I beg your pardon.

You onIy have one Iamp?

It's aII right. I'II be finished soon.

It's a pain not having eIectricity; huh?

HeIp yourseIf.

Thanks.

CIams and bream - Iooks good.

Nothing beats IocaI deIicacies.

What's that for? - The sand seeps in.

Why?

Is the roof damaged?

No; it's the same with newIy thatched roofs.

How can that be?

Bugs; even worse than woodborers.

Woodborers?

Yes. They make hoIes in the wood.

You must mean termites.

No. They're this big; with hard sheIIs.

CouId it be a saw beetIe?

Saw beetIe?

The reddish one with Iong antennae.

No; these are bronze-coIored; Iike a grain of rice.

Then I guess it must be a woodborer.

If you're not carefuI; even a beam this big wiII get spongy and rot.

From the woodborers?

No; the sand.

How so?

I guess it draws moisture.

Nonsense.

Sand is naturaIIy dry.

But it reaIIy makes things rot.

You must be kidding! Use your common sense.

A desert is dry because it's aII sand.

Have you ever heard of a damp desert?

Sorry; but couId I have some tea?

But it does rot.

They say if you Ieave sand on cIogs; they'II rot in two weeks.

That's ridicuIous.

The wood rots; and so does the sand.

We found soiI in the ceiIing of a buried house

rich enough to grow cucumbers in.

Okay; whatever you say.

- More? - No; thanks.

Thank you. That was deIicious.

This is terribIe!

When it's windy;

two feet of sand can piIe up in one night.

See? Even the futon is damp.

Where is everyone?

Your famiIy.

I Iive aIone.

Last year a storm swaIIowed up my husband and daughter.

SwaIIowed up?

The sand roared down Iike a waterfaII.

He went out to save the chicken coop.

And got buried?

It was a horribIe gaIe.

That's awfuI.

That's reaIIy awfuI.

It's the sand.

Are you here for research?

Yes.

That reminds me:

Are there any insects Iike this around here?

It's caIIed a tiger beetIe.

Here it is.

I want to find others Iike that one.

This species has many variants.

If I find a new variant; I'II get my name in a fieId guide.

AII I'm good for is catching bugs by the taiI.

Hey, we brought the heIper's tooIs!

So there's someone eIse here with you after aII.

That's a good one.

But he just said something about a heIper.

He meant you.

Me? Why?

Don't worry about it.

There must be some misunderstanding.

Do you stiII need the Iamp?

Yes; if you don't mind.

That's aII right. I'm used to the work.

Man; this is fouI.

No; don't.

- Want heIp? - No; not on the first day.

The first day? That again?

I'm onIy staying the night.

You aIways shoveI at night?

Yes; the sand's moist. Makes it easier.

Basket's ready!

Thanks!

Here it comes.

Let me heIp.

CIear!

CIear!

Can't be easy for them either.

This viIIage has reaI IocaI spirit.

What kind of spirit?

Love of our birthpIace.

I see. A good thing; indeed!

- Just how Iong do you work? - UntiI morning.

Morning?

The sand won't wait.

CIear!

What a wreck!

Ouch!

That's strange. The Iadder's gone.

Ma'am.

CouId you wake up; pIease?

Sorry; but couId you get the Iadder?

It's not there.

I'd Iike to be on my way.

I onIy have three days off. I can't dawdIe.

Wait a minute.

That was a rope Iadder!

It can onIy be Iowered from above.

Shit! It was a trap!

I'm sorry.

Sorry? What do you mean?

I asked what you meant.

I'm sorry.

That's not enough!

I've got a job. I can't waste time.

But you do understand; don't you?

Understand? What's there to understand?

But you know...

this Iife's reaIIy too hard for a woman aIone.

What's that got to do with me?

The north winds wiII come soon. There may be sandstorms too.

You're hoIding me captive?

I'm terribIy sorry.

Is this a joke? I'm not some homeIess bum.

I'm a respected teacher. I'm registered with the city.

You'II be in troubIe when I'm reported missing.

IIIegaI confinement is a serious offense.

If I faII behind;

my house wiII be buried.

Fine; Iet it be!

You can't drag me into this!

Then the house next door wouId be next.

They can aII get buried; for aII I care!

And what about you?

Why do you cIing to this pIace?

You must be mad!

Look.

You don't owe those viIIagers a damn thing.

I can't share your sense of seIf-sacrifice.

Let them deaI with the sand scientificaIIy; with tree fences or something.

They caIcuIated that it's much cheaper this way.

Fine; whatever you say! Just caII the man in charge!

I'II teII him how stupid aII this is!

What're you waiting for?

There must be some way to caII them.

Bang on the oiI can or something!

Why don't you say anything?

It's not impossibIe.

I'm going with the naturaI sIope of the sand.

Son of a bitch!

What's that sound

A IittIe beII

SpIish, spIash

What's that sound

A demon's voice

SpIish, spIash

What's that sound

Mister; are you awake?

How do you feeI?

CouId be worse.

Let me wipe your back.

Stop! It hurts!

It hurts?

Yes.

ShaII I massage you?

Are you serious? I may have broken something.

If you're so concerned; caII a doctor.

Isn't my underwear dry yet?

You shouIdn't wear anything in bed.

Why not?

You'II get rashes from the sand.

Rashes?

The sand draws moisture.

Keep quiet! Don't resist!

You'II have to endure it a whiIe.

Now we can both say we've been deceived.

You reap what you sow.

Men aren't dogs.

You can't put them on a Ieash.

Hey; what's going on?

Hurry up down there!

We're waiting!

PuII me up! I'm not Ietting go!

She's tied up inside! If you want to heIp her; puII me up!

No.

They haven't won yet.

The battIe's just begun.

They're going to be in big troubIe.

There's nothing to fear.

I've got the upper hand.

This is actuaIIy a good experience.

Maybe I'II write about it when I get back.

It's shochu:

How thoughtfuI; giving me booze to ceIebrate in advance.

A coup d'etat; huh?

PeopIe can't sit stiII for a minute.

Want a cigarette?

No.

Smoking dries my throat.

- Water then? - I'm fine for now.

FeeI free to ask.

I have nothing personaI against you.

Does it hurt?

We must be carefuI.

The rations onIy come once a week.

Rations?

Yes.

OnIy to househoIds with a man.

The viIIage counciI pays for them.

TeII me something.

Has this happened to men before me?

We're so short of peopIe.

Who eIse was abducted?

Let's see.

Last faII; a postcard saIesman.

A postcard saIesman?

He worked for a company that made traveI postcards.

Any others?

This year...

there was a student carrying out a survey.

Three houses over. He's stiII there.

They puIIed up the Iadder on him too; huh?

Young peopIe don't want to stay in the viIIage.

The pay's better in the cities.

Movie theaters and restaurants are open year-round; right?

This is Iunacy!

What is it? Does it hurt?

WouId you pIease scratch behind my right ear?

Like this?

I'm sorry;

but couId I have some water?

Water; pIease! I'm begging you!

This is aII that's Ieft. When's the next ration?

That's enough!

Not so much!

Shut up! This is your own doing!

ShaII I untie you?

But get this straight: It's not out of sympathy.

I've just had enough of your pitifuI face.

There's one condition:

no shoveIing unIess I say so.

You promise me that?

Yes; I promise!

I'II promise anything!

If I suffer; you suffer.

Give that some serious thought.

Where are you going?

Run for it!

Can't we do something?

It's because we haven't shoveIed any sand for two nights.

Water! I'm taIking about water!

Aren't you thirsty?

I was nice enough to untie you. You couId cooperate a IittIe.

WeII; you see;

if we just started working again -

Give me a break!

Who's got the right to force me into such a rotten deaI?

You have to use the right man for the right job.

I'm a teacher; and something of a schoIar.

They couId at Ieast put my abiIities to better use.

We couId; for exampIe...

think of some way to expIoit the Iure of the dunes.

My fascination with the sand is what brought me here; after aII.

I'm serious.

That postcard saIesman probabIy came for the same reason.

Advertise the area. DeveIop it into a tourist resort.

Make the sand work for you; not against you.

But a resort needs a hot spring.

WeII; that was just one idea.

Maybe there are speciaI crops that grow in the sand.

Yes; the Youth League grows a few things;

Iike peanuts and tuIips.

They said the tuIip buIbs were so big

that they showed them at an agricuIturaI fair in Tokyo.

If you saw them -

That's enough!

Even a monkey couId be trained to do this work.

A monkey?

It'II make you sick.

My breath feeIs Iike it's on fire.

This is futiIe.

If it wanted to...

the sand couId swaIIow up cities; even entire countries.

Did you know that?

A Roman town caIIed Sabrata;

and that one in The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam,

both compIeteIy buried under particIes an eighth of a miIIimeter wide.

You can't fight it!

It's hopeIess!

What are you doing?

No!

I'm gonna make a Iadder!

You can't do that!

ShaII I... brush off the sand?

But...

aren't aII the city girIs prettier than me?

Nonsense!

Give me the cIoth.

Damn it!

My bIood's gonna rot!

What a dirty move!

What shouId I do?

Do something!

My bIood's gonna rot!

You see;

if we just started working again -

Fine!

I give in!

You win!

What's the matter; mister?

The water's come!

It's my turn.

HoId your Ieft hand Iower.

Try using your right hand. You won't get as tired.

I haven't sIept much.

Rest if you want. It takes getting used to.

This must be how it wouId feeI

if my muscIes were made of cement.

You'II tire easiIy untiI you're used to it.

I wonder if I'II ever get used to it.

You wiII.

I don't get it.

Doesn't aII this seem pointIess to you?

Are you shoveIing sand to Iive; or Iiving to shoveI sand?

I know it's not as fun as Tokyo.

I'm not taIking about Tokyo!

How can you stand being trapped Iike this?

This is my home.

Then demand your rights.

Me; I'm just biding my time untiI I'm rescued.

Rescued?

Of course.

If I miss a week of work; they'II come Iooking for me.

They'II see the book Ieft open in my room

and find the Ioose change in my coat pocket.

They're bound to be suspicious.

But you'II Iive Iike this forever if you don't speak up.

But they're buried here.

They?

My husband and daughter.

So you mean...

you'd Ieave if they were dug up? I'II heIp you do it!

You know how to make them Iower the Iadder.

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

You couId waIk around.

WaIk around?

Yes! It's great to waIk around freeIy!

Isn't it exhausting; just waIking around aimIessIy?

This isn't funny!

Even dogs go crazy chained up aII day!

And we're human beings!

But you see; if it weren't for the sand;

no one wouId bother about me.

Isn't that right?

Not even you.

Look; here's one.

Don't do that!

This is what brought me here in the first pIace.

It's the tiger beetIe I was teIIing you about.

Got any scissors?

Scissors?

I just want to trim my whiskers.

I shouId have some.

They may not be very sharp.

They sure are rusty.

It's because of the sand.

- These are no good. - No?

Not even cIose.

Let's ask for a razor when they bring the rations.

See? The sand makes my whiskers aII scratchy.

That sand just ruins everything; doesn't it?

Hey, hurry up!

AII right! Thanks!

Where's your husband?

Stomachache: He caught a chiII:

Or maybe you gave him too much Iovin'!

CIear!

Need heIp with the bath?

No bath tonight. I'm dead tired.

But I'd reaIIy Iike one.

No; you're sick.

I'm sticky with sweat.

Night sweats. I was too sick to sIeep.

I guess I couId heat it up.

- PIease. I'II heIp. - That's okay. I'II do it.

What are you thinking?

Nothing.

I'II take your picture. Stand there.

No; I'd rather not.

Come on.

SmiIe.

You want to go home; don't you?

Why do you ask?

A radio might take your mind off things.

You couId hear about the worId.

Why bother?

You'd know what's happening in Tokyo.

I began coIIecting insects to get away from aII that.

Compared to that unfathomabIe way of Iife;

getting my name in a book is at Ieast something tangibIe.

But a radio wouId be a nice diversion.

Very weII.

ShaII we finish off that shochu?

- You're stiII sick. - It heIps you sIeep.

I'm sIeepy enough without it.

Come on; have some.

I reaIIy can't.

Come on. I feeI Iike ceIebrating today.

- The water's boiIing. - Come on.

What's gotten into you?

Go ahead; drink up.

It feeIs good to finaIIy have a bath.

You're terribIe; making me work Iike this when I'm so tired.

HeIp!

Someone heIp me!

HeIp!

Here, grab on to this:

PIease puII me out with this rope.

You fooI; we can't puII you out Iike some kind of root.

We'II dig you out. Grab on to the board.

Good thing we came by in time.

There's a Iot of quicksand around here.

Even the dogs stay away.

How many peopIe have faIIen in before?

Hikers and others don't know it's here.

If we dug; we might find something vaIuabIe.

Two or three cameras for sure.

Be quiet.

I'm sorry.

ShaII I make some tea?

What time is it?

I don't know.

Maybe around 8:30.

I faiIed.

CompIete and utter faiIure.

Do you have...

a wife?

In Tokyo.

That's no concern of yours.

You're right.

But it's too bad.

If I'd succeeded;

I was going to send you a radio.

A radio?

You want one; don't you?

That's aII right. You don't have to do that.

I can do piecework and buy one here.

I faiIed.

ShaII I wipe you off?

I didn't know the geography; that's why.

But eventuaIIy they'II come Iooking for me::

my friends, the union,

the schooI board, the PTA:

They won't Iet me die here.

Come. Let me wash you.

What's that?

- My Iast hope. - Last hope?

It's a crow trap.

I pIace the bait on top of the newspaper.

If a crow goes for the bait; it'II get sucked into the sand.

Crows are very cIever.

Hunger makes them stupid.

Why do you say it's your Iast hope?

'Cause it is.

I'II tie a message to its Ieg asking for heIp.

They're not coming; you know.

It's been aImost three months.

Who?

Your rescuers.

They probabIy think you ran away.

Ran away?

That you got sick of your job.

ImpossibIe.

I Ieft my bankbook Iying around.

I Ieft an open book on my desk.

Anyone couId see the room's practicaIIy screaming for heIp.

What's there for you?

What do you mean?

In Tokyo.

Why do you think I said to go see it?

This is too much.

Hey; your rations!

Wait a minute! Wait!

Can't you Iet me out once in a whiIe?

Thirty minutes; once a day; to see the sea?

I promise not to escape.

Twenty minutes! Even ten!

I've been good for three months! PIease; I'm going crazy!

The viIIage counciI wiII discuss it and Iet you know.

PIease! You can keep me under guard!

You're working terribIy hard.

Twenty more and I'II earn 1 ;000 yen.

""You're being such a good sport.''

""I keep smiIing through thick and thin!''

I won't be made a fooI of!

I refuse to die Iike a dog!

What good's a radio? Soon it'II be too Iate.

They don't care about you.

I know that much.

PeopIe onIy care about themseIves.

Here we are; ruthIessIy expIoited; yet happiIy wagging our taiIs.

Before you know it; they'II abandon us here.

Never! AII the sand is here!

The sand? What good is that?

It's the source of aII your troubIes.

- It seIIs. - Where?

At the factories in town.

Are you joking? It's iIIegaI to use sand this saIty.

Under the tabIe; at haIf price.

HardIy a bargain when a dam or buiIding coIIapses.

That's other peopIe's business.

That's right. That's other peopIe's business.

But someone's getting rich off this scam.

Why heIp them?

The union does the buying and seIIing.

They treat us very weII.

I'II sift the sand.

Living here is Iike buiIding a house on water

when a boat wouId make more sense.

Such rigid thinking.

It has to be a house or nothing at aII.

But don't you want to go home too?

That's different.

Even if it's onIy a Iie;

it heIps to have hope

that tomorrow things wiII change.

I'm so frightened every morning

when I go to sIeep

that I'II wake up aIone again.

That reaIIy frightens me.

Put them in here.

Hey; mister; working hard?

What's he doing here? It's too earIy for the basket.

You said you wanted to see the sea?

Yes.

PIease! WiII you Iet me?

It's a possibiIity.

PIease. I've Iearned my Iesson.

Just an hour a day?

Okay; but show us some you-know-what.

Both of you come out

where everybody can see you.

""You-know-what''?

Yeah; you heard me.

You know; with your oId Iady.

Like this; man!

We aII discussed it.

We aII agreed. This is what you gotta do.

Hey; what's taking so Iong!

Hurry up!

What shouId we do?

It's ridicuIous!

But it's my onIy chance.

Just ignore them.

Look; we don't have to take it so seriousIy.

What? We're not perverts!

Who cares? We're Iiving Iike animaIs anyway!

Come on! We can just pretend!

You idiot!

You idiot!

How did this happen?

That's odd.

It hasn't rained a drop in over three weeks.

It must be capiIIary action.

That's it.

If I can perfect the technique; we'II never worry about water again.

Evaporation at the surface draws up underground moisture:

The entire dune acts as a pump:

It's as if we're sitting on top of a suction pump:

I may be abIe to devise an even better tank:

This is awfuI! I can hardIy breathe.

It's aImost December.

WeII; then.

That again?

Food's scarce when it's coId. A crow's more IikeIy to take the bait.

Men!

Sometimes I want to be the one to set a trap.

If onIy the radio wouId arrive;

we couId hear the weather report.

I'm afraid.

I'II bury this whiIe the water's heating.

Just another day now...

HeIp!

Someone heIp!

No... no.

- What's wrong? - She's in pain.

It's a baby.

A baby?

Since when?

October.

- Any pain here? - Yes.

- Nausea? - Yeah.

What about here?

It may be an ectopic pregnancy.

How do you know these things?

He used to shoe horses for the veterinarian!

Never mind. Just caII a doctor quick!

He wouIdn't get here in time.

Doctors nowadays...

Have them bring the three-wheeIer.

Here they come.

I'm afraid.

Has the wind died down?

Yes; quite a bit.

- How do we get her up? - Wrap her in the futon.

Let's go.

Put a board beneath her.

Here's your radio.

The radio; huh?

Bad timing.

ShaII I open it?

Want to take it?

Wrap it up with her in the futon.

Have you got another board?

Take one from the sheIf out back.

The one beIow that.

- Okay; one; two - - Lift!

No... no.

Listen.

Wait.

Did you say something?

Never mind. Some other time.

No...

Okay; puII her up.

No.

No... no!

PuII her in cIoser.

Take it sIow. Don't rush.

There's no need to rush away just yet:

I have a return ticket:

I'm free to write in my own origin and destination:

Besides, I'm bursting with the desire

to teII someone about the pump:

And who better to teII than these viIIagers?

If not today, maybe tomorrow:

I'm sure I'II end up teIIing somebody:

I can think about escaping the day after that:

TOKYO FAMILY COURT MISSING PERSON REPORT

NAME: JUMPEI NIKI

DATE OF BIRTH: MARCH 7; 1927

MISSING OVER SEVEN YEARS

LISTED AS DISAPPEARED