The themes are universal (if a touch corny), the rugged Chinese scenery is stupendous, and the performances are touching.
Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles
2005 · 1h 49m · PG
Drama
Directed by
Zhang Yimou
,
Yasuo Furuhata
Overview
Takada, a Japanese fisherman has been estranged from his son for many years, but when the son is diagnosed with terminal cancer his daughter-in-law, Rie, summons him to the hospital. Through a series of obstacles and relationships, he is brought unexpectedly closer to both an understanding of himself and of his son.
Director and cast
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
What remains most vividly after Riding Alone For Thousands of Miles, however, is not its story but its world--the immersion in that world of a foreigner, not a polo-shirted Yank but a stiff-necked Japanese. And it is all overseen by a Chinese director.
It sounds like a slight plot, and it is, but it is rich in detail that makes up for the simplicity of the story.
It's a masterful little film, and, thanks to Zhang's seasoned hands, it's subtly heartfelt but never manipulative.
A father takes a spiritual journey from Japan to China to help mend a decades-long rift between himself and his dying son. The lessons learned en route are as profound as they are simple.
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