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Yawn. Poorly Filmed Snooze Fest.

I wanted to but couldn't!

Absolutely Fantastic

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

My extremely limited knowledge of Asian cinema revolves almost entirely around that of South Korea; ignorance is a word which quickly springs to mind when considering both Japan and China. Having just last night endured the interminably fatuous nonsense of the Japanese Desu Nôto, I was somewhat afeared of returning so soon to that country.Qian Li Zou Dan Qi tells the tale of the elderly Mr Takata, who journeys from his native Japan to a small Chinese village in order to record the titular mask opera for the benefit of his terminally ill son, from whom he is a decade estranged.Now, obviously one terrifically awful film does not an awful national cinema make. However, I genuinely was a little put off by the prospect of watching another Japanese film so soon after the preceding opprobrium. Qian Li Zou Dan Qi begins with a combination of impressive and foreboding elements: its cinematography is immediately impressive; its apparent reliance on voice-over narration to express its main character's thoughts a little primal. Both of these remain, to some extent, present throughout the film, the former continually providing breathtaking visuals, the latter offering a slight detraction to the film's potential effect. To dwell on one for a moment, the rurality of the Chinese settings provides beauty aplenty for the camera, and we with it, to gaze upon. Many are the times wherein mountainous landscapes offer a stunningly beautiful accompaniment to the oriental soundtrack, the two combining to create a powerful and moving aesthetic which, the more the film goes on, demonstrates director Yimou Zhang's artistic mastery. Aside from the opening shot, the earlier parts of the film seem to lack a distinct visual prowess, but fret not, this is more than made up for by the end. Several times, the visuals convey thematic ideas to us through a combination of sky-spanning cinematography and telling blocking (wonderful to see that element of mise-en-scène utilised well), yet this is marred somewhat mere seconds later by the voice-over presenting the same ideas. Whilst I accept that this may be an accessibility issue—cinematic language is not one universally spoken—I did feel the film could have got along perfectly without narration at all, though it is by no means a serious flaw. The theme of paternal stoicism is one which I find inherently interesting at the worst of times, and is here given a fascinating treatment, the entirety of the film's effect hinged upon Ken Takakura's beautifully subtle performance. A gentle comedy permeates the film's dramatic layers, but always finds itself immediately overturned by the sombre drama of Takakura's face, which speaks volumes upon volumes with the simplest of motions. A wonderful element of the film comes in the form of the mask opera's singer's son, and the concomitant metaphorical representation of the relationship between Takata and his own son, an interesting and wholly effective means of presenting an otherwise unrealised dynamic. The film's eventual conclusion is tear-inducingly moving, capping a story that is described encompassingly in a single, simple word: lovely.A very finely shot film which knows how to talk to its audience with images rather than words, yet still somewhat disappointingly opts to employ them, Qian Li Zou Dan Qi is a touching Japanese/Chinese co-production which attests to the beauty of both nations' rural landscapes and cultural aspects, as well as offering a genuinely moving, poignantly performed, and universally relevant tale.

'Riding Alone for a Thousand Miles' is work of wonderful art. Not only does it have a heart felt story the cinematography is quite compelling.It is about a estranged relationship between a father, Gouichi Takada, and son, Kiichi. They have not communicated for years-until things become life or death. The daughter in law calls Takada and tells him that his son has terminal cancer. Kiichi still does not want to see his father, so Takada goes on a mission to China. He tries to do a kind gesture of recording a folk song for his dying son, only to encounter numerous obstacles of language, time, and governmental red tape.The content of the story is as strong as the style. The effect of the film is a mark of a master of style and technique. Take into consideration the contrast in the shots between China compared to that of Japan. Somewhat of a subtle change, yet one that the viewer can feel.For instance, in the beginning of the movie there is visually stunning scene. Takada is sitting on a remote cold beach. There is a grey sky and streams of dusty light pierce the dark clouds. The dark navy ocean breaks against the black, charcoal rocks. Later when we see him shovel snow, the only grass is the dead dull yellows patches here and there in the frame. The images look flat and blurry. Perhaps shot with a long lens.Another example of this is when the daughter-in-law is on the phone with Takada. She learns that he in China and she wants him to come back to Japan. She blends in to her environment which lacks color. Or when she stands on the balcony, she is in a grey dress and dark jacket. The sky is overcast and the trees are a grey brown. The palette is of limited colors that range from muted grey to dull blues.On the hand, scenes in China are colorful and much more lively. For example, when Lingo takes Takada to buy a silk banner. There are robust images of brilliant reds and striking yellows. The sky in China is a shade of jade blue with white fluffy clouds. Not at all like the sky that is shown in Japan.Furthermore, when Lingo and Takada are on their way to Stone Village, they are picked up by an old truck. They are standing along side women who have colorful scarves of pink, green, orange and red. There is also green leaves and branches that are in baskets tied to the truck. This vibrant color was not seen in the shots of Japan either. Seems like scenes in China have deep focus too.There is a contrast between Japan and China. Yet, they are quite subtle and do not pull us out of the story. They just seem to feel different. This detail, again is the work of a director who really knows their craft.

Riding Alone for a Thousand Miles is a very touching movie that depicts the journey of a man in the pursuit of forgiveness and redemption from past actions. The main character is the father of a dying son with whom he had had a distant paternal relationship. Takata, the father gets a phone call that breaks right into the loneliness bubble he had put himself into after his wife passed away. His life changes drastically when he realizes he is about to lose his own son for whom he had done so little in life.An important role is played by Takata's daughter in law, who calls him and requests his presence for his son is about to die. The son had some major resentment about his absence after the death of his mom and does not want to see him. Now all Takata has is a tape with his son's documentary about Chinese folk operas. In it, he expresses his will to return the next year and film it again, which is the key for Takata to a whole new world of self acknowledgment in his journey to earn his son's forgiveness. On this trip to China Takata faces the biggest barrier to his objective, the gateway to his true feelings. The theme of the masks in the movie also refers to the masks used in the characters daily lives where the most beautiful or painful feelings have to be hidden behind appearances. The difference between the Chinese and the Japanese environments is another remarkable element. Director Yimoy manipulated these differences very well to express the coldness of the masquerade feelings as opposed to the colorful open-heartedness of letting one's feelings out. Takata's main objective turns into something bigger and even nobler as the story develops. Without speaking a word in Chinese, he gets people to help him try and shoot the same Chinese folk opera singer his son had filmed, whom was in jail. As he comes to understand that filming in jail is not something easy/likely to happen he faces the need to share his own story with random people for them to understand his noble intentions and help him out. He keeps his humility around the only people who can help him get forgiveness from his son. The more help he gets, the more he knows about himself and about his son, something he had never looked into ever before. In his journey Takata learns more about the imprisoned singer and how he had never seen his own son. Takata thinks about how he wishes he had a closer relationship with his own son and tries to bring Yang Yang to meet his dad in jail. As it turns out that the boy does not have anyone to play the whole of a real parent in his life, Takata faces an opportunity to bond in a paternal relationship with him. That does not last long but it became a life lesson for this man who finally proved to himself that he can be a loving person and does not need to hide his feelings behind a mask.The filming became less important as he started bonding with human beings that were nice and helped him for no reason. The whole effort he put into trying to get forgiveness from is son is what made his actions noble and even though he did not get back in time to see his son, he got a forgiving letter that meant the complete release of the guiltiness he had carried in his heart for a long time.

Riding alone for thousands of miles makes you reflect your relation ship between a parent(s). The movie was intimate, moving, and personal. portraying the relationship between father and son may be great to some or not. It encounters that all feelings are not subjective. whatever relationship you have with your own family members, watching this movie tells you that you're not much different from each other. The movie was really touching because even though there was a language barrier between the Japanese and Chinese, they worked hand in hand. showing that diversity does not matter. The movie can really hit you and make you think upon your own life. very real and well made movie.