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Movies / On DVD / Riding Alone For Thousands of Miles
Riding Alone For Thousands of Miles

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Riding Alone For Thousands of Miles (2006)

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Reviews Counted:74

Fresh:59

Rotten:15

Average Rating:7.1/10

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.

Runtime: 1 hr 49 mins

Genre: Foreign Films

Synopsis: Ken Takakura (THE YAKUZA) gives a career-redefining performance as an old fisherman in RIDING ALONE FOR THOUSANDS OF MILES. Estranged from his son for many years, Gou-ichi (Takakura) receives an... Ken Takakura (THE YAKUZA) gives a career-redefining performance as an old fisherman in RIDING ALONE FOR THOUSANDS OF MILES. Estranged from his son for many years, Gou-ichi (Takakura) receives an unexpected call from his daughter-in-law, Rie (Shinobu Terajima), asking him to come to Tokyo to visit his son, Ken-ichi (Kiichi Nakai), who is in the hospital suffering from a stomach ailment. Gou-ichi decides to make the trip against his better judgment, but when he arrives, his son refuses to see him as he is still bearing the scars of the unspoken reasons why they were torn apart. Determined to reunite them, Rie gives Gou-ichi a videotape of an article Ken-ichi wrote about Li Jiamin, a Chinese folk opera master from Yunnan Province. Ken-ichi had promised Li that he would come back and film him performing "Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles," an opera based on one of the stories in the literary classic ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS; Gou-ichi makes it his mission to travel to southern China, find Li, and film the performance himself. With the help of tour guides Lingo (Qiu Lin) and Jasmine (Jiang Wen)--and a fabulous interval with young Yang Yang (Yang Zhenbo)--Gou-ichi takes off to the great unknown, trying to do right by the son who still appears to hate him. Takakura plays the old man with a quiet, dignified demeanor, moving slowly and barely speaking at all. Zhang Yimou (HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS, RAISE THE RED LANTERN) directs the film simply and beautifully, allowing the fascinating characters and compelling story to develop at a natural, alluring pace. This very different kind of road picture is sincere and emotional, with a playful sense of humor. Be sure to bring plenty of hankies. [More]

Starring: Ken Takakura, Kiichi Nakai, Jiang Wen, Shinobu Terajima

Starring: Ken Takakura, Kiichi Nakai, Jiang Wen, Shinobu Terajima, Li Jiamin, Qiu Lin, Ken Nakamoto, Li Li Bin, Chen Ziliang, He Zezhou, Yang Zhenbo

Director: Yimou Zhang

Director: Yimou Zhang
Screenwriter: zou Jenghi
Producer: Bill Kong, Xiu Jian, Zhang Weiping
Composer: Guo Wenjing
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics

[See More Credits]

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Reviews for Riding Alone For Thousands of Miles

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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A profound example of unashamed feeling expanding across cultural barriers

Full Review Source: CinePassion | comment Comment
08/30/09
Fernando F. Croce
Fernando F. Croce
CinePassion

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Decent Films Guide | comment Comment
10/29/08
Steven D. Greydanus
Steven D. Greydanus
Decent Films Guide
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
10/18/08
Russell Edwards
Russell Edwards
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Entertainment Insiders | comment Comment
10/18/08
Janos Gereben
Janos Gereben
Entertainment Insiders

This may be one man's story but the themes are epic.

Full Review Source: Eye for Film | comment Comment
06/14/08
Amber Wilkinson
Amber Wilkinson
Eye for Film

The director fails to overcome a script that ignores the backstory of the characters, and that agonizingly details minor subplots.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
03/01/07
Maria Garcia
Maria Garcia
Film Journal International

The story may be sentimental, but Yimou layers it by adding cultural clash to the generational ones.

Full Review Source: Reeling Reviews | comment Comment
02/24/07
Laura Clifford
Laura Clifford
Reeling Reviews

From real-life opera singer Jianin to travel agent Lin Qiu and youngster Zhenbo Yang, the cast is the genuine article...

Full Review Source: Reeling Reviews | comment Comment
02/16/07
Robin Clifford
Robin Clifford
Reeling Reviews
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch | comment Comment
12/30/06
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

...gorgeously photographed and, like Babel, a subtly organized commentary on the ways people strive to communicate.

Full Review Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette | comment Comment
12/06/06
Philip Martin
Philip Martin
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Zhang is one of the world's great filmmakers, both in technique and in his rich humanity. Riding Alone will move you.

Full Review Source: Rochester Democrat and Chronicle | comment Comment
11/24/06
Jack Garner
Jack Garner
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

Yeah, yeah. Cue the violin music. But also grab a tissue, because the film levels far more of an impact than you might expect.

Full Review Source: Arizona Daily Star | comment Comment
11/23/06
Phil Villarreal
Phil Villarreal
Arizona Daily Star

Sometimes, when the right movie people come together, a blatantly commercial decision actually strengthens the artistic impulse, as you can see from Zhang's filial treatment of Takakura in Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles.

Full Review Source: Nation | comment Comment
11/11/06
Stuart Klawans
Stuart Klawans
Nation

The scenery is spectacular, and the movie does boast fine performances by both the stone-faced Takakura and scene-stealing newcomer Yang Zhenbo.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
11/10/06
Jeff Vice
Jeff Vice
Deseret News, Salt Lake City

Ken Takakura's memorable performance, occasional light comedy and striking Chinese scenery don't keep Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles and its big message from being ponderous and affected.

Full Review Source: Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA) | comment Comment
11/10/06
John Wirt
John Wirt
Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA)

The movie's message is a little too Hallmark Hall of Fame, but Zhang's observant eye neatly captures the idiosyncrasies of Chinese life and the heartbreak in Gouichi's journey.

Full Review Source: Salt Lake Tribune | comment Comment
11/10/06
Sean Means
Sean Means
Salt Lake Tribune

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.

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
10/30/06
Marjorie Baumgarten
Marjorie Baumgarten
Austin Chronicle

The themes are universal (if a touch corny), the rugged Chinese scenery is stupendous, and the performances are touching.

Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune | comment Comment
10/30/06
Colin Covert
Colin Covert
Minneapolis Star Tribune

A meticulously crafted film in which nothing is ever forced or overstated. There's a grace and subtlety that pervades the film and quietly impresses.

Full Review Source: KPBS.org | comment Comment
10/28/06
Beth Accomando
Beth Accomando
KPBS.org

Its relentless sentimentality soon turns disingenuous.

Full Review Source: Las Vegas Weekly | comment Comment
10/27/06
Josh Bell
Josh Bell
Las Vegas Weekly
 
 
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