kristbauer

This movie is like a little man wearing too big clothes: too many special effects for the thin story, which has been conveyed many times before in simpler - real world-settings. What can computer animation add to it besides a little bit of extra entertainment? The creation of a virtual world would be more appropriate for a truly imaginary story (eg, like in Howl's moving castle). Apparently, this movie wants us to reflect on our cultural behaviors, so why placing the action on another planet, if you would be able to find a suitable setting for it on earth ? A little bit less good guy/bad guy cliché and more development and complexity in the characters would have given the movie more sophistication and credibility. People who are into "story-telling" will like the movie, but viewers who expect some artistry and originality will be disappointed.

In my interpretation this movie is a reflection on Zen philosophy: Just like Zen monks that sweep the courtyards of monasteries and devote themselves to the most humble tasks to find inner harmony, Niki finds inner rest in the daily work of removing the sand, solving water supply problems and living a confined live. The movie suggests the modern lives we live in the big cities isolate us from our needs and ourselves. Just like a Zen garden, that is designed to mirror nature and men, the people in the dunes reflect our daily struggles and confinements. The surreal setting is a necessity to convey the message of the film. There is nothing goofy about the pits and how people behave in there. It is just hard for us western people to see the transcendence there.

I watched this movie on a Japanese Film Festival in Berlin in 1993. I can't remember all the details but the movie really mesmerized me. It is a very unique work and I wonder why it doesn't have the cult status of other movies.