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Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles

Play trailer Poster for Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles PG 2005 1h 47m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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80% Tomatometer 74 Reviews 81% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
Upon learning his estranged son (Kiichi Nakai) has cancer, a Japanese fisherman (Ken Takakura) travels to Tokyo to see him. Though his son rejects him, the fisherman decides to finish the dying man's project: capturing a famous Chinese opera star's performance on film. However, the singer cannot perform, for he is too grief-stricken at his separation from his illegitimate son. The fisherman decides to reunite the singer and the child and sets out to find him.
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Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles

Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles

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Critics Consensus

Doesn't reach the heights of Zhang Yimou's best, but this is still a heartwarming tale of love and forgiveness from the acclaimed Chinese director.

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Critics Reviews

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Steven D. Greydanus Decent Films Rated: B+ Oct 29, 2008 Full Review Marjorie Baumgarten Austin Chronicle It's the kind of story that shows more than it tells, a story that's forged in the spaces that exist in between characters and spaces. Rated: 3/5 Oct 30, 2006 Full Review Stanley Kauffmann The New Republic 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. Oct 26, 2006 Full Review Fernando F. Croce CinePassion A profound example of unashamed feeling expanding across cultural barriers Aug 30, 2009 Full Review Amber Wilkinson Eye for Film This may be one man's story but the themes are epic. Rated: 4.5/5 Jun 14, 2008 Full Review Maria Garcia Film Journal International The director fails to overcome a script that ignores the backstory of the characters, and that agonizingly details minor subplots. Mar 1, 2007 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (267) audience reviews
Audience Member Meaning of the family was beautifully portrayed in this touching story. Good watch for the Father's day. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/15/23 Full Review Audience Member And suddenly Mr. Zhang has decided to let me down. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member Kinda manipulative and simplistic, but it did get to me a few times and I ended up enjoying it. That narration needs to go, though. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review Frances H Emotionally touching study of familial love and grief set against the breath-taking beauty of rural China. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 05/04/13 Full Review Audience Member A film about a person making a film?? Filmception? Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/11/23 Full Review Audience Member GREAT GREAT MOvie !!! Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles

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Cast & Crew

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Yimou Zhang

Director

Ken Takakura

Gou-ichi Takata

Shinobu Terajima

Rie Takata

Kiichi Nakai

Ken-ichi Takata

Qiu Lin

Lingo

Yang Zhenbo

Yang-Yang

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Movie Info

Synopsis Upon learning his estranged son (Kiichi Nakai) has cancer, a Japanese fisherman (Ken Takakura) travels to Tokyo to see him. Though his son rejects him, the fisherman decides to finish the dying man's project: capturing a famous Chinese opera star's performance on film. However, the singer cannot perform, for he is too grief-stricken at his separation from his illegitimate son. The fisherman decides to reunite the singer and the child and sets out to find him.
Director
Yimou Zhang
Producer
Xiu Jian, Weiping Zhang, William Kong
Screenwriter
Zou Jingzhi
Production Co
Edko Films, Zhang Yimou Studio
Rating
PG (Mild Thematic Elements)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Japanese
Rerelease Date (Theaters)
Sep 1, 2006
Release Date (Streaming)
Jun 11, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA)
$251.6K
Runtime
1h 47m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital
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