Reivew: Riding Alone For Thousands of Miles (*** 1/2)

RIDING ALONE FOR THOUSANDS OF MILES
A film review by Steve Rhodes

Copyright 2006 Steve Rhodes



RATING (0 TO ****): *** 1/2



Any filmmaker with enough cash for flashy special effects can make a
passable blockbuster. But films are never better than in tiny tales told by
skillful directors such as Zhang Yimou (HERO).



In RIDING ALONE FOR THOUSANDS OF MILES (QIAN LI ZOU DAN QI), Yimou sets a
small story against a vast and magnificent landscape, but it is the
heartfelt and genuine performances and not the breathtaking scenery that
capture our hearts.



Mr. Takada (Ken Takakura), the central character, is a taciturn man with a
grown son who is rapidly dying of liver cancer. In a brilliant performance
of grace and efficiency, Takakura perfectly captures Mr. Takada's
constricted emotions. A man constitutionally unable to express his
feelings, Mr. Takada hates himself for that, and he hates himself for having
become estranged from his terminal son. He also laments the way that his
son is so much like his father in his inability to express his feelings.



Although Mr. Takada isn't able to cure his son, he decides, on something of
a lark, to leave Tokyo and travel to China in order to film Li Jiamin
singing in a Chinese opera called "Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles."
The son is a big fan of Chinese operas and wasn't able to film Li Jiamin as
originally planned on the son's last trip to China. The story of this
particular opera concerns a man who traveled a thousand miles for a friend,
which is similar to what Mr. Takada does for his son. The irony, as the
audience figures out but Mr. Takada never thinks about, is that his son may
not be all that interested in his father's gift. But the journey, of
course, turns out to be the reward for everyone, most especially Mr. Takada
and the audience.



Along the way, Mr. Takada encounters one difficulty after another, starting
with the inconvenient fact that Li Jiamin is currently imprisoned for the
next three years. Facing an endless group of polite bureaucrats, Mr. Takada
persists even though his translator and everyone else keeps advising him to
give up and go home. They also suggest filming the opera with another
actor, since they all wear masks after all; hence his son will never know
the difference.



Mr. Takada does succeed but not in the way that he originally intended. He
certainly succeeds in working his way into our hearts. The movie could have
been titled LOST IN TRANSLATION, were that title not already taken, as he
keeps having to go through layers of translators who cause him much
frustration.



When the villagers in the remote area of China bid Mr. Takada adieu with
enthusiastic waves, it is almost impossible not to raise your hands and wave
back at them. By the end, they've come to be your friends just as they've
come to be Mr. Takada's.



RIDING ALONE FOR THOUSANDS OF MILES runs 1:47. The film is in Mandarin and
Japanese, both with English subtitles. It is rated PG for "mild thematic
elements" and would be acceptable for all ages.



The film opens in limited release in the United States on Friday, September
1, 2006.



Web: http://www.InternetReviews.com

Email:



************************************************** *********************



Want free reviews and weekly movie and video recommendations via Email?

Just send me a letter with the word "subscribe" in the subject line.