Alone on the Pacific

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Audience Member The true story of one 23 year old guy from Kobe, decides to sail his yacht and become the first Japanese ever to cross the Atlantic alone. With no passport, no support, and barely any experience, he also did this without much reason. He just wanted to do it because he felt like it, and persona triumph ruled over politics or anything else. Kon Ichikawa masterfully crafted the film together with terrifying scenes against weather, relaxing scenes in the middle of the sea, and flashbacks to him with his family. The ending to me is one of the best pondering moments I've seen in his works. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/18/23 Full Review Audience Member A disappointing film from Ichikawa, especially considering it was made in the same year as the magnificent Revenge of a Kabuki Actor. A young man decides to sail his tiny yacht from Osaka to San Francisco, just for the hell of it. Ichikawa cranked out a lot of movies in his lifetime, and this feels like one of the more half-hearted efforts. The naval cinematography (is that right? seems like there ought to be a better phrase for that) is superb, capturing the enormity of the Pacific, the cramped confines below deck, and a few exciting sequences. There's some nice attention to detail and good use of the ultra-wide frame. But there's just not much heart and soul or depth to it. Star Yûjirô Ishihara is likeable enough in the lead role, but we don't really get too attached to him or get invested in his journey. Because the journey itself is almost entirely geographical; he doesn't evolve much as a character. Perhaps the whole thing is a response to the Japanese "Sun Tribe" films (Ishihara had a small role in Crazed Fruit, and most likely did other work in the genre), some kind of critique on the restlessness of youth. But I didn't really get that from it. Just sort of felt like an average survival/adventure tale. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/17/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Alone on the Pacific

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