Labyrinth of Dreams

The location is a barren landscape near the big city, an area where being a bus conductress used to be one of the most popular careers for young women dozens of years ago. Tomiko however thinks her life as bus conductress is boring and monotonous. One day Niitaka reports for duty as a new bus driver for the company. Tomiko's female colleagues all fall for this amiable young man, but Tomiko has her reservations. Her best friend once worked as a conductress with Niitaka, and got engaged to him. But she died in a mysterious car crash - and Niitaka was at the wheel. Tomiko has sworn to avenge her best friend's death. So she also starts to take an interest in the mysterious Niitaka...Labyrinth of Dreams is one of those rare films in which form and substance are happily wedded. The pictures were shot in flawless black & white, the subtle music remains in the background but sets the stern tone. The film is not easy to understand: it takes a while before the characters take shape and the motives of the young adventurous Tomiko become clear. The streets, the buses, the uniforms and even the weather are just as important as the characters. The film gains an undoubted element of suspense towards the end, but is above all a fantastic 'labyrinth of dreams'.