-by Brianne Feigen

To the sing-song chant of a Chinese opera, the opening screen credits introduce Riding Alone For Thousands of Miles, an understated but powerful gem of a film. Zhang Yimou, right after completing the flamboyant, fantasy-laden House of Flying Daggers, turned again to the interior action film.  Reminiscent of The Road Home, this film, released in 2006, is set against panoramic views of southwestern China, in its remote Yunnan Province. 

Gou-ichi Takata, a leathery old fisherman, is told in a phone call from his daughter in law Rie that his son, Kenichi, is in the hospital with stomach pains.  Takata and his son have been estranged since the death of Kenichi's mother.  Rie begs her father in law to visit his son in the hospital and repair their relationship.   

Takata takes the train into Tokyo from his remote fishing village and proceeds to his son's hospital room.  Hesitating outside the room, he hears his son telling Rie that there is no reason why he should want to see his father.  Accepting this, Takata leaves the hospital; at the doorway, Rie catches up with him and offers him a videotape made by his son on his travels in China for Tokyo University.  Unknown to his father, Kenichi had pursued a passion for Chinese mask opera, and had visited China many times to film various performances.  On this tape, Kenichi (who is never seen throughout the film) is asking through an interpreter for a performance by Li Jiamin, a first-rate singer, of the story of historic Lord Guan, in the opera Riding Alone For Thousands of Miles.  On the day of the interview, Mr. Li is unwell, and can't perform, in spite of the interviewer's entreaties.  Kenichi is forced to postpone his filming of the opera until the following year.

After viewing the tape, the old father receives another phone call from Rie, telling him  that Kenichi has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, though he does not know this. A poignant moment comes when Rie confesses to her father-in-law that she had dreamed of having a family meal among the three of them, and she now fears that can never happen.

Takata decides that he will go to China and film Mr. Li performing Riding Alone For Thousands of Miles.  He tersely informs Rie by cell phone of his plans.  Rie begs him not to go, but Takata's mind is made up.

From here Takata undertakes an odyssey which leads him first to Beijing.  He must negotiate governmental red tape in order to have access to a state prison, where Li Jiamin, after a minor run-in with the law, must spend a few years. With a tenacity of purpose shown silently but eloquently only by facial expressions, Takata sets out on a road which takes him from Beijing to Lijiang City in Yunnan Province to search for Li's unknown, illegitimate son.  He forms relationships with a tour guide and a good-hearted but unskilled interpreter, who stick with him through his travels to Yunnan and then back to the prison, where an amazingly sensitive and cooperative prison warden collaborates with Takata's plans.

Zhang Yimou's success with this film rests partly on his ability to discover and direct untried actors, to portray his view of "common people."  Landscapes of Yunnan's limestone hills reflect Zhang's love of rural China, and take their place as silent but effective characters in the story.  At the same time, viewers are connected to the modern world by the cell phone which is Takata's lifeline to his interpreters, and which is known and used by everyone, even in the remotest of areas. 

The one A-list actor in the film, Takakura Ken, plays expertly to the untried cast.  A true actor, his terse, grunted responses are extremely moving.  His face is usually set in an expression of mortal sadness, to which he seems to have become accustomed.  Therefore, when his emotions are permitted to come through, it has all the more impact.  His speaking part is limited to the briefest of comments and questions, except for when he narrates his feelings in voice-over.  He envies Mr. Li for being able to weep openly and express his feelings about his son.  Even after hearing of his own son's death, Takata is able to bond with 8-year-old Yang Yang in his journey, which very clearly reflects that of Lord Guan.

One other cast member, Shinobu Terajima, is close to the acting world through her parents, both of whom are performers.  Though she is new to cinematic acting, nothing is lacking in her portrayal of Rie.  All of the amateurs, carefully hand-picked by Zhang and his team, play off each other naturally.  Most notable among these is Zhenbo Yang, an eight-year-old novice who entrances the viewer without upstaging the rest of the cast.

Storyline, scenery, cast and music come together in this film to prove that less is more.  It highlights the cultural and linguistic barriers between China and Japan with extraordinary delicacy, and allows its premise to speak for itself.