Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles

Zhang Yimou has become best known around the world for his martial arts epics Hero, and House of Flying Daggers. However fans of Asian cinema know that, though those films (and recently his third martial arts picture Curse of the Golden Flower) are spectacular in their own respect, its drama, and simple story telling that this master film maker does best. Riding Along for Thousands of Miles was written for the lead actor Ken Takakura, it’s the story about an aging Japanese fisher man named Gouichi Takata (Ken Takakura) who has been estranged from his son Kenichi for some time. When Takata learns that his son has taken ill, he leaves his small fishing village to visit him in Tokyo. Unfortunately he wants nothing to do with his father anymore. Takata’s daughter wants her father to know what his son is really like. So she gives him a tape to watch. It turns out his son is a film maker who also has a deep passion for Chinese folk opera, the videotape is of a performance that was recorded during one of Kenichi’s visits to China. On the tape he is interviewing a famous opera singer named Li Jiamin (played by an actor named Li Jiamin). Who tells of a great song called “Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles”, a song from the famous novel "Romance of the Three Kingdoms," about a general who selflessly went on a long journey to help a friend. Unfortunately Li was too ill that day to perform it for him, so he says to come back to China another time and he, who is the best at performing the song, will show him. Kenichi would never return.

Soon after watching the video Takata learns that his son has terminal cancer to the liver and will not live long. So he decides that he will travel to china, and record Li Jiamin performing “Riding alone for Thousands of Miles” for his dying son. This task however will not be an easy one for him.

What makes this story so good is that it is so very similar to the song which it is named after. The song is about a great General who travels for thousands of miles to help a close friend. The film is about a father who decides to travel thousands of miles himself to do a great deed for his son. Its not only the story that makes this film so beautiful. Most of the filming was done in Lijiang and Yunnan China. Anyone who knows China will agree that there are fewer places in this world with such lavish landscapes. If you did not know, well watch this film! The acting is also a highlight. Takakura is simply stunning in his role. A man with few words, who has given himself a task and is willing to go to any lengths to complete it. Another great performance was given to the young Zhenbo Yang who played Yang Yang(Li Jiamins estranged son). He does not appear for long, or say much, but its his face that truly tells his story.

Zhang Yimou has brought us another masterpiece, Riding Along for Thousands of Miles is definitely one of his best films. If you liked The Road Home, or Takeshi Kitano’s great film Kikujiro. This is a film for you.

10/10

A Film By: Zhang Yimou