Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles

PG

2005

1h 47m

Drama

List

80%

Tomatometer

74 Reviews

81%

Audience Score

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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Premiered Jul 11

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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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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

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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

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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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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
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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