Movies – Father & Son Relationship

Movie :	Riding Alone for thousands of miles
Year :	2004
Director:	Zhang Yimou
Language:	Japanese, Mandarin
Location:	Yunnan province in China, Tokyo and Akita-pref. in Japan
Poster:

Gautam Menon’s ‘Vaaranam Aiyiram’ and Cheran’s ‘Thavamai Thavamirundhu’. are tamil flicks on a son’s tribute to his father, for the sacrifices into the making of the son’s life. “Riding along…” is a defaulting father’s realization of what he had failed to do for his son and how he attempts to mend the sore sorrows of the past.

Gouichi Takata, a Japanese fisherman distances himself from his son Kenichi since his wife’s death. They have not spoken for years and a dying Kenichi refuses to see his father when he visits him at the hospital. Conscience pricks and Gouichi suffers out of self-humiliation for the hatred that he had cultivated in his only son’s mind. The wound seems unhealing, but rays of hope glisten when he comes to know about his son’s love of Chinese folklore and his promise to film the folklore “Riding alone a thousand miles” by Li. Gouchi Takata travels to China, to fulfill his dying son Kenichi’s dream. He travels alone to the unknown land, not for his son but for himself, to answer his own conscience to heal the rift in his relationship with his son.

The journey into interior China with language issues and the absurdity of being lonely surrounded by scores of foreign, alien people in a far-away land, things are not moving the right way for Takata. And life teaches him, something more precious about what he lacked in his life - The undying love and affection that threads itself into a strong chain in a father-son relationship. The film captures his acquaintance with Yang Yang, the eight-year old son of imprisoned singer Li, whom Takata wants to film.

Parallels are drawn between the two fathers – Takata and Li, with their estranged sons. While Li, uneducated, naïve and simple is openly emotional, Takata is solid, silent, rarely admits his feelings, even to himself. Takata strikes a chord with Yang yang, when they get lost in the mountainous caves. Takata opens up and plays with Yang Yang. Their conversations are wordless and the emotions speechless. Takata sees Kenichi in Yang Yang while yang yang is just happy to oblige and has a great time with Takata. The movie ends with Takata realizing how he should have spent his life with his son who is already dead.

The Yunan province in China looks beautiful; the native side of the mountainous terrain is a feast to the eyes. A movie to be watched.