Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles (2005) Qian li zou dan qi (original title)

Director:

Yimou Zhang

Writers:

Yimou Zhang (story) and
Jingzhi Zou (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

22 December 2005 (China)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A Japanese father travels to China's Yunnan province in the place of his ailing son to film a famous folk-opera star.

Plot Keywords:

Hospital | China | Cancer | Village | Japanese

Awards:

4 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Ken Takakura	...	Gou-ichi Takata
Shinobu Terajima	...	Rie Takata
Kiichi Nakai	...	Ken-ichi Takata (voice)
Ken Nakamoto	...	Electrician
Jiamin Li	...	Li Jiamin
Jiang Wen	...	Jasmine
Lin Qiu	...	Lingo
Li Bin Li	...	Director Li (as Bin Li)
Ziliang Chen	...	Warden Chen
Zezhou He	...	Village Chief
Zhenbo Yang	...	Yang Yang

Directed by
Yimou Zhang

Writing credits
Yimou Zhang		(story) and
Jingzhi Zou		(story) and
Bin Wang		(story)
Jingzhi Zou		(screenplay)

Produced by
William Kong	....	producer (as Bill Kong)
Jian Xiu	....	producer
Weiping Zhang	....	producer
Yimou Zhang	....	producer
Zhenyan Zhang	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Wenjing Guo

Cinematography by
Xiaoding Zhao		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Long Cheng

Production Design by
Li Sun

Makeup Department
Mitsue Sato	....	makeup artist: Japan
Fumi Takeshita	....	hair stylist: Ms. Terajima, Japan
Fumi Takeshita	....	makeup artist: Ms. Terajima, Japan
Xiaoxi Yu	....	assistant makeup artist

Production Management
George Awburn	....	supervising editor: Digital Pictures
Tianhui Ge	....	production manager
Xinming Huang	....	assistant unit manager
Takahiro Kawada	....	production manager: Japan
Atsuo Kikuchi	....	unit manager: Japan
Jane Maguire	....	post-production supervisor
Akira Morishige	....	unit manager: Japan
Lun Pu	....	production manager
Kerri Schwarze	....	post-production supervisor: Complete Post
Ken'ichi Yamada	....	unit manager: Japan (as Kenichi Yamada)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Lulu Fu	....	assistant director
Yasuo Furuhata	....	director: Japan
Toshimasa Miyamura	....	assistant director: Japan
Ellen Wei	....	assistant director
Xiguo Wu	....	assistant director

Art Department
Zhongshan Guo	....	assistant art director
Zhongquan Hu	....	set dresser
Yasuo Kashima	....	assistant set dresser: Japan
Chieko Kashiyama	....	assistant art director: Japan
Minglai Li	....	assistant set dresser
Yuping Liu	....	props assistant
Ke Mu	....	property master
Yukiharu Seshimo	....	assistant art director: Japan
Taichi Utsunomiya	....	props assistant: Japan
Takaichi Wakamatsu	....	production design: Japan
Geming Wang	....	assistant set dresser
Wenyi Wang	....	props assistant
Takeshi Yanagisawa	....	props assistant: Japan
Min Yang	....	props assistant
Shuping Yao	....	set dresser
Quanrong Yu	....	assistant set dresser
Chaochen Zhang	....	assistant set dresser
Lisen Zhang	....	assistant set dresser

Sound Department
Huijun Cao	....	location sound assistant (as Huijin Cao)
Wei He	....	sound effects editor: Soundfirm Beijing Co. Ltd.
Qianqian Ke	....	foley artist: Soundfirm Beijing Co. Ltd.
Takashi Kuno	....	sound assistant: Japan
Jing Li	....	sound post-production coordinator: Soundfirm Beijing Co. Ltd.
Xu Liu	....	location sound assistant
Huija Mo	....	sound effects editor: Soundfirm Beijing Co. Ltd.
Jiajia Mok	....	sound effects editor
Andrew Neil	....	sound effects editor: Soundfirm Australia
Zeliang Niu	....	location sound assistant
Paul Pirola	....	sound effects editor: Soundfirm Australia
Paul Pirola	....	sound mixer: Soundfirm Australia
Teiichi Saitô	....	sound designer: Japan
Roger Savage	....	sound supervisor: Soundfirm Australia
Ye Shu	....	sound effects editor: Soundfirm Beijing Co. Ltd.
Blair Slater	....	foley artist: Soundfirm Australia
Jing Tao	....	sound designer
Jing Tao	....	supervising sound editor: Soundfirm Beijing Co. Ltd.
Hoa Tu	....	foley artist: Soundfirm Beijing Co. Ltd.
Terry Tu	....	foley artist
Mario Vaccaro	....	foley artist: Soundfirm Australia
Yuhong Wang	....	supervising sound editor: Soundfirm Beijing Co. Ltd.
Zhida Wei	....	sound post-production coordinator: Soundfirm Beijing Co. Ltd.
Jing Xiao	....	second sound assistant
Jing Xiao	....	sound effects editor: Soundfirm Beijing Co. Ltd.
Fan Xie	....	sound technician: Soundfirm Beijing Co. Ltd.
Masahito Yano	....	sound assistant: Japan
Hui Zhang	....	sound technician: Soundfirm Beijing Co. Ltd.
Zhigang Zhang	....	first sound assistant

Visual Effects by
Clayton Bell	....	digital data management: Digital Pictures
Terence Cheng	....	3D animator/compositor: Asia Legend Limited
Bessie Cheuk	....	visual effects controller: Asia Legend Limited
Manny Espino	....	digital technical director: Digital Pictures
Fiona Fry	....	digital intermediate producer: Digital Pictures
Ron Korpi	....	digital data systems: Digital Pictures
Ringo Lee	....	3D animator/compositor: Asia Legend Limited
Eric Leung	....	3D animator/compositor: Asia Legend Limited
Leo Lo	....	visual effects producer: Asia Legend Limited
Florian Martin	....	consulting digital technical director: Digital Pictures (as Florian 'Utsi' Martin)
Ross Mitchell	....	optical effects: Cinevex Film Laboratories
Peter Peric	....	digital technical assessment: Digital Pictures
Graeme Pitt	....	digital data supervisor: Digital Pictures
Tony Poriazis	....	film recording supervisor: Digital Pictures
Sarah Robertson	....	image repair and negative dirt removal: Digital Pictures
Henny Van Teyfingen	....	digital technical support: Digital Pictures
Lisa Ying	....	3D animator/compositor: Asia Legend Limited
Donald Yip	....	3D animator/compositor: Asia Legend Limited

Camera and Electrical Department
Ran An	....	digital video assist operator
Hajime Baba	....	assistant camera: Japan
Xiaoyan Bai	....	still photographer
Jinxiang Cao	....	electrician
Junfei Cao	....	electrician
Yuan Chen	....	generator operator
Hikaru Chikamatsu	....	electrician: Japan
Liang Cui	....	camera assistant
Hiroyuki Futami	....	coordinator: lighting equipment, Japan
Shiyi Gao	....	assistant electrician: Japan
Wei Jia	....	grip
Tsuyoshi Kage	....	electrician: Japan
Hongying Kang	....	electrician
Keiji Kato	....	electrician: Japan
Takayuki Kawabe	....	electrician: Japan
Daisaku Kimura	....	director of photography: Japan
Takumi Kobayashi	....	electrician: Japan
Yuan Liang	....	grip
Shigeru Ohki	....	still photographer: Japan
Kaoru Saitô	....	gaffer: Japan
Muneyoshi Sajaue	....	assistant camera: Japan (as Muneyoshi Sakaue)
Xueyuan Shi	....	generator operator
Dehua Song	....	assistant camera
Mingliang Sun	....	electrician
Tsutomu Takada	....	assistant camera: Japan
Yu Wang	....	electrician
Ze Xie	....	assistant camera
Ou Xu	....	lighting designer
Kosuke Yamada	....	assistant camera: Japan
Qianbin Yang	....	video assist operator
Cunhua Zhang	....	electrician
Cunyou Zhang	....	electrician
Nan Zhang	....	camera assistant
Chuncheng Zhao	....	camera assistant
Xianwen Zhao	....	camera assistant
Xianzhang Zhao	....	electrician

Casting Department
Hoei Project	....	extras casting: Japan (as Project Hoei)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jin-Hua Gu	....	costumer (as Jinhua Gu)
Tomoko Suzuki	....	stylist: Ms. Terajima, Japan
Kyoko Takahashi	....	costumer: Japan
Jianghong Zhou	....	assistant costumer

Editorial Department
Ian Anderson	....	laboratory post-production manager: Cineves Film Laboratories
Billy Browne	....	editing assistant: Australia
Paul Cross	....	negative matching supervisor: Cinevex Film Laboratories
Kerry Dibbs	....	post-production assistant
Franco Diciero	....	negative matcher: Cinevex Film Laboratories
John Fleming	....	digital intermediate project manager: Digital Pictures
Ling Geng	....	post-production coordinator
Al Hansen	....	digital colorist
Adrian Hauser	....	senior colorist: Complete Post
Akimasa Kawashima	....	editor: Japan
Rachel Knowles	....	digital intermediate coordinator: Digital Pictures
Eugene Leonello	....	negative matcher: Cinevex Film Laboratories
Stanley Lopuszanski	....	colorist: Digital Pictures
Gu Pinghu	....	dv editor
Gu Pinghu	....	on-set editor
Leigh Segal	....	post-production facilities manager: Complete Post
Chieko Suzaki	....	assistant editor: Japan
Caroline Whiteley	....	color grader
Ligen Zhao	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Wei Chen	....	musician: percussion
Ross Cockle	....	score remix engineer: opening and closing titles
Ya Dai	....	musician: flute
Sida Guo	....	musician: midi
Xiaopei Li	....	music recordist
Fei Song	....	musician: zhong hu
Sha Yuan	....	musician: string
Quansheng Zhang	....	musician: ma tou qin
Jiazhen Zhao	....	musician: gu qin

Transportation Department
Masanobu Amemiya	....	transportation: production, Japan
Koji Sekiguchi	....	transportation chief: Japan
Mitsunobu Tono	....	transportation: cast, Japan

Other crew
Lesley Aitkin	....	script services: post-production
Tom Alper	....	insurance: Speare and Company
Jia Cui	....	assistant to director
Zhao Danian	....	second production assistant
Yexin Fan	....	catering assistant
Howard Frumes	....	legal services: Alexander, Nau, Lawrence & Frumes
Ke Gao	....	production assistant
Pamela Hammond	....	client liaison: Digital Pictures
Katsuko Hatayama	....	production assistant: Japan
Zhihua Hou	....	assistant to director
Wenrui Jia	....	caterer
Xiaowei Kang	....	accountant
Tomoko Katahara	....	production assistant: Japan
Emi Kawano	....	script supervisor: Japan (as Emi Kawano)
Shirô Kido	....	talent manager: Japan
Takahiro Komura	....	assistant to director: Japan
Yanlong Li	....	catering assistant
Yinghui Li	....	assistant to director
Mingna Liu	....	accountant
Chris Lu	....	subtitles: English
Dan Lu	....	script supervisor
Shasha Luo	....	documentary filmmaker
Atsushi Naito	....	legal services: Aoyama Law Offices
Youko Nakagawa	....	translator: Japanese script
Kaoru Nakamura	....	production coordinator: Japan
Guanghe Ni	....	second production assistant
Liwei Pang	....	assistant to director
Li'an Qin	....	interpreter
Toshifumi Shimizu	....	assistant to director: Japan
Shuo Tian	....	production interpreter
Zhaojun Tian	....	accountant
Bin Wang	....	story consultant
Jianguo Wang	....	second production assistant
Gang Xu	....	location production assistant
Xiaoshun Xu	....	production assistant
Cloudy Yang	....	translator: English script
Alice Yeung	....	production coordinator
Yefei Yin	....	interpreter
Xiangchun Zeng	....	location production assistant
Jihu Zhang	....	catering assistant
Jingsheng Zhang	....	chief interpreter
Jingsheng Zhang	....	subtitles: Japanese
Xuemei Zhang	....	accountant
Shufen Zhao	....	accountant
Ping Zhou	....	physical therapist
Jiajun Zhu	....	second production assistant
Renqiao Zuo	....	location production assistant

Production Companies

• Beijing New Picture Film Co.
• China Film Co-Production Corporation (in collaboration with)
• EDKO Film
• Elite Group Entertainment
• Gilla Company
• Toho Company
• Zhang Yimou Studio

Distributors

• Cathay-Keris Films (2006) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Classics (2006) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Toho Company (2006) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Axiom Films (2006) (UK) (all media)
• Columbia TriStar Films de Argentina (2007) (Argentina) (all media)
• LK-TEL (2007) (Argentina) (DVD)
• LK-TEL (2007) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Nihon Eiga Satellite Broadcasting (2009) (Japan) (TV)
• Nihon Eiga Satellite Broadcasting (2012) (Japan) (TV)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2007) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2007) (Germany) (DVD)
• Toho Video (2006) (Japan) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Asia Legend (digital visual effects)
• Optical & Graphics (graphics and subtitles)

Other Companies

• Alexander, Nau, Lawrence & Frumes  legal services
• All Nippon Airways Co.  special thanks
• Aoyama Sogo Law Office  legal services (as Aoyama Law Offices)
• Atlab  film scanning and recording bureau
• Beijing Century Movie & Film Co.  film stock supplied by
• China National Symphony Orchestra  orchestra
• Cinerent  camera and lighting equipment supplied by
• Cinevek Film Laboratories  film processing and post laboratory (as Cinevex Film Laboratories)
• Complete Post  telecine transfers
• Digital Pictures  digital intermediate services
• Dolby Laboratories  sound mix
• Soundfirm Beijing Co.  sound post-production
• Soundfirm  sound post-production
• Speare & Company  insurance
• Toho Company  production service
• Toho Pictures Inc.  production services: Japan

Also Known As:

"Qian li zou dan qi" - Hong Kong (original title)
"Riding Alone" - International (English title) (informal short title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for mild thematic elements

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

Hong Kong | China | Japan

Language:

Mandarin | Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG | Singapore:PG | Malaysia:U | Sweden:Btl | Singapore:M18 (DVD rating) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | South Korea:All | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

Lijiang, Yunnan, China

Company:

Beijing New Picture Film Co.

Trivia:

The scenes filmed in Japan were directed by Yasuo Furuhata. He has had a long successful collaboration with lead actor Ken Takakura.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the village scene Mr. Takata has to move to the highest location to make a phone call. In the following scene however he can receive phone calls while at a banquet in the lower part of the village.

Getting Human

Getting into the human equation and away from acrobatic flying daggers, director Yimou Zhang spins solid gold in his latest film, RIDING ALONE FOR THOUSANDS OF MILES.

Set against the stunningly picturesque Yunnan Province in southwestern China, Gou-ichi Takata (Ken Takakura) leaves his beloved Japanese fishing village to travel thousands of miles and finish video recording a famous Chinese folk opera for his dying son.

Mr. Takata and his son have become distant since the death of Mr. Takata's wife, not speaking to one another for years. When word comes to him that his son, Ken-ichi, is in the hospital, Mr. Takata races to the city only to be rebuffed by his son's bitterness. Mr. Takata never sees his Ken-ichi, but his son's wife, Rie (Shinobu Terajima), tells Mr. Takata an interesting story about his love of Chinese folk dancing. She hands him an unfinished tape of Ken-ichi's work and, after watching it, Mr. Takata decides to finish the recording. "Not being good with people," Mr. Takata immediately encounters problems when he enters China. But he learns quickly, and finds humility within himself in order to finish the tape.

Mr. Takata knew that his son wanted to film one particular opera (also called Riding Alone For Thousands of Miles) sung by one particular Chinese man named Li. But Li is in prison after stabbing a man. Getting permission to film Li performing the folk dance from the government higher-ups becomes one of Mr. Takata's earliest obstacles. Then, after gaining access, Mr. Li has a meltdown, thinking about his own distant son. Emotional beyond repair, Mr. Li is unable to dance for Mr. Takata. So Mr. Takata leaves to come back another day ...but an idea is sparked in his head.

Mr. Takata goes to "The Stone Village" to see if he can convince Mr. Li's five-year-old son to come back with him to the prison so that he can visit. What follows is one of the most emotionally impacting moments in Chinese film history. Unable to be close to his own son, Mr. Takata transfers much of his emotional heft onto young Yang Yang (Mr. Li's son), and audiences will no doubt spill plenty of tears as this happens.

The beauty of the surrounding countryside in the Yunnan Province is an awesome spectacle to behold; a backdrop that towers in all its majesty.

Ken Takakura deserves Oscar mention for his quiet yet powerful (and heartbreaking) role as the conflicted and determined Mr. Takata.

All of the other actors are not actors, though. They are ordinary people picked by the director for their appearances and mannerisms; excellently done by the way. There's little doubt most will know that none of them have acting experience unless DVD watchers click on the extra features.

A brilliantly done foreign film that proves director Yimou Zhang isn't just an action freak.