list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/Riding_Alone_for_Thousands_of_Miles/267782/default.aspx Title: Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles
Year: 2006
Director: Zhang Yimou
Plot: On the heels of such extravagant historical swordplay epics as Hero and House of Flying Daggers, Mainland Chinese director Zhang Yimou returns to the reins to tell this intimate tale of an aging father who attempts to remedy a longstanding rift with his grown son. Summoned to Tokyo by his daughter-in-law, Rie (Shinobu Terajima), village fisherman Gou-ichi Takata (Ken Takakura), arrives at a city hospital to find his son, Ken-ichi (Kiichi Nakai), bedridden by liver cancer. Though Gou-ichi attempts to use the visit as a catalyst to heal a decade-long dispute between the pair, stubborn Ken-ichi rejects his father's attempt at reconciliation outright. Subsequently handed a videotape by Rie before departing back to the countryside, Gou-ichi returns home unsuccessful in his efforts to build a bridge of peace between himself and his ailing son. Upon watching the videotape, a research project exploring the Chinese folk arts that was shot by Ken-ichi in the Southern province of Yunnan, Gou-ichi is oddly affected by the onscreen failure of his son in convincing well-known opera singer Li Jiamin (playing himself) to perform the titular song, a classic operatic piece espousing the values of friendship. Now determined to travel to Yunnan and videotape the performance that his son could not, Gou-ichi embarks on a life-changing quest that will not only give him a greater understanding of the relationship between himself and his own son, but set into motion a healing process that will also have a profound impact on the troubled opera singer and the man's long-lost illegitimate son as well. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 4
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SpoutRating: 4
]]>Mon, 12 May 2008 14:41:04 GMTRiding Alone for Thousands of Miles2006Zhang YimouOn the heels of such extravagant historical swordplay epics as <a href=/films/211302/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>Hero</a> and <a href=/films/236132/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>House of Flying Daggers</a>, Mainland Chinese director <a href="/players/P___117624/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Zhang Yimou</a> returns to the reins to tell this intimate tale of an aging father who attempts to remedy a longstanding rift with his grown son. Summoned to Tokyo by his daughter-in-law, Rie (Shinobu Terajima), village fisherman Gou-ichi Takata (<a href="/players/P____69627/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Ken Takakura</a>), arrives at a city hospital to find his son, Ken-ichi (Kiichi Nakai), bedridden by liver cancer. Though Gou-ichi attempts to use the visit as a catalyst to heal a decade-long dispute between the pair, stubborn Ken-ichi rejects his father's attempt at reconciliation outright. Subsequently handed a videotape by Rie before departing back to the countryside, Gou-ichi returns home unsuccessful in his efforts to build a bridge of peace between himself and his ailing son. Upon watching the videotape, a research project exploring the Chinese folk arts that was shot by Ken-ichi in the Southern province of Yunnan, Gou-ichi is oddly affected by the onscreen failure of his son in convincing well-known opera singer Li Jiamin (playing himself) to perform the titular song, a classic operatic piece espousing the values of friendship. Now determined to travel to Yunnan and videotape the performance that his son could not, Gou-ichi embarks on a life-changing quest that will not only give him a greater understanding of the relationship between himself and his own son, but set into motion a healing process that will also have a profound impact on the troubled opera singer and the man's long-lost illegitimate son as well. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide4Slightly Tagged (1-5)734http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t91010n7bt7.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Riding_Alone_for_Thousands_of_Miles/267782/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/cinemarian/archive/2008/5/12/28539.aspx Post By: CinemaRian
Post To: CinemaRian Blog
Post Date: 5/12/2008 10:41:04 AM
Body: If Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles were an American film, we would probably think of it as an indie, Sundance picture. Broadly, it's about an eccentric man trying to solve a family problem, and eccentric family problems are for whatever reason the subject that indie filmmakers are obsessed with. But it is not an American film, and frankly watching an old idea played out among two cultures I was unfamiliar with is more interesting than seeing the fifth millionth remake of Five Easy Pieces and waiting for the inevitable supporting role from Parker Posey. The eccentric at the center is a middle aged Japanese man named Takata (Ken Takakura). A widower, he lives by himself on a remote island until he gets a call from his daughter in law Rie (Shinobu Terajima) informing him that his estranged son Kenichi (Kiichi Naki) is dying of liver cancer. Takata immediately rushes to see his son, but Kenichi refuses to see him. Rie gives the father a video of the son's appearance on a Japanese TV show, where he reveals his love of Chinese folk opera. In the clip, Kenichi seems in awe of a regional singer named Li Jaimin (himself), and wants to film the opera Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles, but Jaimin tells him to return another time. Takata sets out on a quest to film the opera in a crazed attempt to bond with his dying son, but discovers that Jaimin is in prison for a bar fight, but that does not stop him. Aided by a translator named Lingo (Lin Qui) who really barely speaks Japanese and phone assistance from a long suffering real translator named Jasmine (Jiang Wen in the Parker Posey role), Takata continues quest to bond with his son, and in doing so tries to help Jaimin be reunited with his. I have no way of knowing how a Japanese or Chinese audience would respond to this film. I found watching the interaction between Takata and the Chinese fascinating, particularly as the ever polite Jasmine tries in vain to convince him that, really, his plan is nuts. The ridiculous lengths that Takata goes to film the opera are quite funny, because like the best comedy, it is based on a logical response to an illogical situation. Where I felt the movie wasn't really successful was in the dramatic concerns between the fathers and there sons. Part of the problem is that Takata is such an introverted character, unable due to both his nature and unfamiliarity with the language to express himself, that's its hard to get involved with his plight. Director Zhang also makes an interesting but ultimately unsuccessful choice of only letting us hear Kenichi's voice as opposed to seeing him, which further distances us from the duo. The movie slows way down when Tataka travels to rural China to fetch Jaimin's son, and this point of the movie is a little hard to believe. Nevertheless, I am recommending this movie for dark, subtle humor and its fascinating look at Chinese culture, and perhaps the greatest compliment I can give it is that it made me genuinely interested in hearing more Chinese folk opera. No kidding. Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles (2005)
]]>Mon, 12 May 2008 14:41:04 GMTCinemaRianCinemaRian Blog5/12/2008 10:41:04 AMIf Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles were an American film, we would probably think of it as an indie, Sundance picture. Broadly, it's about an eccentric man trying to solve a family problem, and eccentric family problems are for whatever reason the subject that indie filmmakers are obsessed with. But it is not an American film, and frankly watching an old idea played out among two cultures I was unfamiliar with is more interesting than seeing the fifth millionth remake of Five Easy Pieces and waiting for the inevitable supporting role from Parker Posey. The eccentric at the center is a middle aged Japanese man named Takata (Ken Takakura). A widower, he lives by himself on a remote island until he gets a call from his daughter in law Rie (Shinobu Terajima) informing him that his estranged son Kenichi (Kiichi Naki) is dying of liver cancer. Takata immediately rushes to see his son, but Kenichi refuses to see him. Rie gives the father a video of the son's appearance on a Japanese TV show, where he reveals his love of Chinese folk opera. In the clip, Kenichi seems in awe of a regional singer named Li Jaimin (himself), and wants to film the opera Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles, but Jaimin tells him to return another time. Takata sets out on a quest to film the opera in a crazed attempt to bond with his dying son, but discovers that Jaimin is in prison for a bar fight, but that does not stop him. Aided by a translator named Lingo (Lin Qui) who really barely speaks Japanese and phone assistance from a long suffering real translator named Jasmine (Jiang Wen in the Parker Posey role), Takata continues quest to bond with his son, and in doing so tries to help Jaimin be reunited with his. I have no way of knowing how a Japanese or Chinese audience would respond to this film. I found watching the interaction between Takata and the Chinese fascinating, particularly as the ever polite Jasmine tries in vain to convince him that, really, his plan is nuts. The ridiculous lengths that Takata goes to film the opera are quite funny, because like the best comedy, it is based on a logical response to an illogical situation. Where I felt the movie wasn't really successful was in the dramatic concerns between the fathers and there sons. Part of the problem is that Takata is such an introverted character, unable due to both his nature and unfamiliarity with the language to express himself, that's its hard to get involved with his plight. Director Zhang also makes an interesting but ultimately unsuccessful choice of only letting us hear Kenichi's voice as opposed to seeing him, which further distances us from the duo. The movie slows way down when Tataka travels to rural China to fetch Jaimin's son, and this point of the movie is a little hard to believe. Nevertheless, I am recommending this movie for dark, subtle humor and its fascinating look at Chinese culture, and perhaps the greatest compliment I can give it is that it made me genuinely interested in hearing more Chinese folk opera. No kidding. Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles (2005) http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/3/19/26397.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 3/19/2008 2:00:37 PM
Body: Don’t be fooled, now. This film may look like a beautiful, epic piece of cinema, but that’s likely only because it was shot by Xiaoding Zhao, whose relatively short cinematography resume includes Zhang Yimou’s House of Flying Daggers (for which Xiaoding received an Oscar nomination), Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles and Curse of the Golden Flower (he was also a cameraman for Yimou’s Hero). So yeah, The Children of Huang Shi will certainly be a good looking film, but notice who the director is. That’s right, Roger Spottiswoode, a guy whose worst film is difficult to decide upon. I’d say it’s a toss up between The 6th Day and Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot. I’ve never seen Terror Train, though. That one sounds like a contender. Another thing this film does have going for it is the Oscar-winning producing skills of now-81-year-old Arthur Cohn. He’s had a pretty great career, having partnered with De Sica on his later films, including the The Garden of the Finzi-Continis, and having had the honor of seeing that film and Jean-Jacques Annaud’s Black and White in Color and Richard Dembo’s Dangerous Moves all win the Academy Award for best foreign-language film (other of his productions that were nominated in the category include Walter Salles’ Central Station and Christophe Barratier’s The Chorus). As for his own, recognized and credited Oscar glory, he’s won three out of his four nominations in the documentary category (for Pierre-Dominique Gaisseau’s Le Ciel et la Boue, Barbara Kopple’s American Dream and Kevin McDonald’s One Day in September; he lost with Dieter Hildebrandt’s The Yellow Star). (more…) Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Wed, 19 Mar 2008 18:00:37 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com3/19/2008 2:00:37 PM Don’t be fooled, now. This film may look like a beautiful, epic piece of cinema, but that’s likely only because it was shot by Xiaoding Zhao, whose relatively short cinematography resume includes Zhang Yimou’s House of Flying Daggers (for which Xiaoding received an Oscar nomination), Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles and Curse of the Golden Flower (he was also a cameraman for Yimou’s Hero). So yeah, The Children of Huang Shi will certainly be a good looking film, but notice who the director is. That’s right, Roger Spottiswoode, a guy whose worst film is difficult to decide upon. I’d say it’s a toss up between The 6th Day and Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot. I’ve never seen Terror Train, though. That one sounds like a contender. Another thing this film does have going for it is the Oscar-winning producing skills of now-81-year-old Arthur Cohn. He’s had a pretty great career, having partnered with De Sica on his later films, including the The Garden of the Finzi-Continis, and having had the honor of seeing that film and Jean-Jacques Annaud’s Black and White in Color and Richard Dembo’s Dangerous Moves all win the Academy Award for best foreign-language film (other of his productions that were nominated in the category include Walter Salles’ Central Station and Christophe Barratier’s The Chorus). As for his own, recognized and credited Oscar glory, he’s won three out of his four nominations in the documentary category (for Pierre-Dominique Gaisseau’s Le Ciel et la Boue, Barbara Kopple’s American Dream and Kevin McDonald’s One Day in September; he lost with Dieter Hildebrandt’s The Yellow Star). (more…) Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/floatingegg/archive/2007/6/24/11941.aspx Post By: floatingegg
Post To: floatingegg Blog
Post Date: 6/24/2007 11:32:44 AM
Body: Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles (2005) follows Gou-ichi Takata, played by legendary Japanese actor Ken Takakura (The Yakuza), as he embarks on a quest to reconnect with his ill son. He makes his way to China's Yunan Province to record the performance of Li Jiamin, as his son had promised to do a year earlier. Directed by Yimou Zhang, who is perhaps best known in the West for Hero (2003) and House of Flying Daggers (2004), audiences might be surprised by how intimate Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles is compared to his martial art epics, but this is actually a return to form for the Oscar-nominated director. While the film is most easily approached as a conversation about the relationships between fathers and sons, the growth experienced by Takata is far more intriguing, and is perhaps best expressed by his envy of Li Jiamin's public display of emotion over the absence of his son Yang Yang, who is being raised by a small village. Takakura's performance is incredibly subtle, reflecting his character's struggles with emotional isolation. It is not until Takata is stranded in a canyon with Yang Yang that he is able to come to terms with his relationship with his own son and how impoverished his life has been since his wife's death. Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles is a powerful film, resonating much like the beautiful and still landscapes of Yunan Province that feature so prominently.
]]>Sun, 24 Jun 2007 15:32:44 GMTfloatingeggfloatingegg Blog6/24/2007 11:32:44 AMRiding Alone for Thousands of Miles (2005) follows Gou-ichi Takata, played by legendary Japanese actor Ken Takakura (The Yakuza), as he embarks on a quest to reconnect with his ill son. He makes his way to China&#39;s Yunan Province to record the performance of Li Jiamin, as his son had promised to do a year earlier. Directed by Yimou Zhang, who is perhaps best known in the West for Hero (2003) and House of Flying Daggers (2004), audiences might be surprised by how intimate Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles is compared to his martial art epics, but this is actually a return to form for the Oscar-nominated director. While the film is most easily approached as a conversation about the relationships between fathers and sons, the growth experienced by Takata is far more intriguing, and is perhaps best expressed by his envy of Li Jiamin&#39;s public display of emotion over the absence of his son Yang Yang, who is being raised by a small village. Takakura&#39;s performance is incredibly subtle, reflecting his character&#39;s struggles with emotional isolation. It is not until Takata is stranded in a canyon with Yang Yang that he is able to come to terms with his relationship with his own son and how impoverished his life has been since his wife&#39;s death. Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles is a powerful film, resonating much like the beautiful and still landscapes of Yunan Province that feature so prominently. http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/cancer/MemberTagFilms.aspxcancer
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