not horrible nor great

Best movie ever!

I saw this movie before reading any reviews, and I thought it was very funny. I was very surprised to see the overwhelmingly negative reviews this film received from critics.

There is just so much movie here. For some it may be too much. But in the same secretly sarcastic way most telemarketers say the phrase, the title of this one is particularly apt.

Viewed on DVD. Subtitles/translations =ten (10) stars; production values = nine (9) stars; Action Director Yimou Zhang takes his hand off the throttle to deliver a change of pace drama with essentially two stars: a small Chinese boy and the spectacular scenery of (then) remote Southwestern China. He conjures up an interesting tale, but it is far from an audience magnet. The photo play probably looked better in Preproduction (script, storyboards, casting, etc.) than it does on screen. This may be due to prosaic, by-the-book editing; but it seems mostly the result of lethargic acting by professional actors/actresses (the rural-area non pros out perform the pros in the majority of scenes). Nicely captured and delineated by the Director are the different levels of behavior from business dictates to cultural conditioning to the real feelings of Japanese and Chinese as individuals (perhaps you have encountered these dichotomies in your travels). Cinematography (wide screen, color) and scene lighting are excellent. So is set design. Score is fine, but the surround sound field is not there yet. Subtitles/translations are a pure pleasure to behold. Not only are near simultaneous line readings in Japanese and Mandarin translated well, but the name of every film contributor listed in the opening and closing credits is translated into English from Japanese or Mandarin (even those with English-lettered names are translated into Mandarin!). Rarely (make that just about never for Japanese films) is credit given where it is due in movie translations. Well worth watching. WILLIAM FLANIGAN, PhD.

this was one movie that really got my attention. the title speaks for itself and it had me interested in watching it. the movie made me want to stick around and find out what happens next. its a bit of a sad story but it does have its funny moments. in a way i could relate to the story and the characters, because i have seen things like this occur in my life and in others. many of the scenes were perfectly shot, i wouldn't know how else portray those moments. i would definitely recommend this movie for many to watch. like i said, its a movie many could relate to, as did i. the movie portrays the difference between the two cultures, and the way they are portrayed is fascinating. the actors do a very well job in acting. i really enjoyed the ending. it starts of slow but then it gets interesting as the movie goes on and the viewer finds out information about the characters. emotions are expressed deeply in the movie, another reason the viewer is captured in it. it a great adventure movie with a journey of understanding. the audience is put on a ride that has no stops until the end of the movie. two words i would use to describe this movie are understanding and love.

I found this film simply beautiful and was enthralled by the subtly complex, quiet, and emotional performance of Ken Takakura as Takata. I had never heard of this actor before and was pleasantly surprised by him. I can understand why he is compared to Clint Eastwood, because both actors have a tough guy exterior, which contains hidden depths. His plight to film a Chinese folk opera for his dying, and eventually deceased son, was unwavering as was the way he went about it. He dove, wholeheartedly into this task, and it wasn't until about mid-way through the film, when he discovers that his son has died that his goal takes on a whole new dimension. Along the way, through a sheer stoke of fate, he meets and befriends the young boy (who was also great) and he becomes the son who he can actually help, unlike his real son who he can no longer do anything for. His semi simple task of traveling from his native Japan to China, with the help of two well meaning translators, takes on a much more elaborate dimension, as he feels a new sense of responsibility to the new people who have come into his life. Also, the seaside fishing village where Takata had made a home for himself, ostrasizing himself from his son in the first place was representative of Japanese culture itself. There were two scenes in the film where Takata is standing at the foot of a grey, violent, harshly beautiful sea lost in his own thoughts, and it isn't until he ventures to China where he is awashed in vibrant oranges and reds, signifying the end of his emotional isolation and his return to being connected to his fellow man.

With "Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles," Zhang Yimou proves how much you can take out of a simple story. I found myself emotionally involved and suffered with Takata (the main character) on his long and sometimes lonely journey.This intimate character drama is about a Japanese dad (Takata) who travels to China to reconnect with his dying son. When Takata realizes that his son has not forgiven him for mistakes he made in the past, he decides to finish a documentary that his son worked on but wasn't able to finish.On his journey to China, we experience along with Takata, how cultures and people can clash but also learn from each other. And, sometimes our dreams and goals can change without a warning.This is not a martial arts film but its shots and cinematography are just as beautiful as we are used to from his past films such as "Hero" and "House of Flying Daggers.