Dindonaute

A long and tense chamber drama, with sand and society as antagonists, masterfully cinematographed. There is both little and much to say; while the film takes its time, it also makes sense once that time has been taken.

We are torn between the tragic attempts to escape the hole and combat the sand, the complex and atmospheric relationship between the protagonist and the woman, and the inhumane subjugation undertaken by the societal microcosm of this desolate place.

What emerges is a brutal and profound poetry, between realistic nihilism and disillusioned optimism, streaked with a certain political denunciation in the background.

The female lead is very interesting, and what emerges from her discussions with the professor is quite dramatic in terms of life prospects. Her relationship with him is intriguing, and the more sensual scenes are particularly striking, to say the least. They are brilliantly filmed, but always imbued with the ambiguity and precariousness of their situation; this casts a veil over the truth, which thematically reinforces the professor's questioning of relationships between men and women at the beginning of the film. The truth is as impenetrable as it is ubiquitous, much like the sand that seeps into all things.

In general, she lights up the screen and her performance is masterful, balanced between the resignation of a woman hardened by her desperate "country" life and a faint glimmer of desire for the outside world (the radio and her questions about Tokyo). A tormented and tormenting character, not entirely in spite of herself, with an unknown name and an uncertain past.

The protagonist ends up alleviating his anxiety by finding "hobbies," and it's quite chilling to watch, especially since, as viewers, we are happy for him that he manages to escape his Sisyphean daily life and we ourselves forget the reality of his existence, caught up in the novelty of his activities.

The ending is superb, one of those that ties up and magnifies the overall story, a masterpiece.