Back Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles German Riding Alone : Pour un fils French Mille miglia... lontano Italian 単騎、千里を走る。 Japanese 천리주단기 (영화) Korean Min reise gjennom Kina NB Tysiące mil samotności Polish Путь в тысячу миль Russian 千里走单骑 Chinese
 | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (July 2023) |
| Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster for Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles | |
| Directed by | Zhang Yimou Yasuo Furuhata (Japan section) |
| Written by | Zou Jingzhi |
| Produced by | Xiu Jian Zhang Weiping Bill Kong |
| Starring | Ken Takakura |
| Cinematography | Zhao Xiaoding Daisaku Kimura (Japan section) |
| Edited by | Cheng Long Akimasa Kawashima (Japan section) |
| Music by | Guo Wenjing |
| Distributed by | Sony Pictures Classics (United States) |
Release dates |
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Running time | 109 minutes |
| Country | China |
| Languages | Mandarin Japanese |
Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles (simplified Chinese: 千里走单骑; traditional Chinese: 千里走單騎, Japanese: 単騎, 千里を走る) is a 2005 drama film directed by Zhang Yimou and starring Ken Takakura. It premiered at the Tokyo International Film Festival on 22 October 2005 and was released in China on 22 December.
Written by Zou Jingzhi, the film tells the story of Gouichi Takata (Takakura), an aged Japanese father who, ever since his wife died, has not been in good terms with his son. When he learns that his son has been diagnosed as having liver cancer, he decides to travel to Yunnan province in China in his son's place to film Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles, a traditional item in the local nuo opera (傩戏), of which his son is a leading scholar. The father hopes that by doing so, he might finally gain the forgiveness of his son.
The title of the film is an allusion to the fabled story of Guan Yu's perilous solo journey to reunite with his sworn brother and lord Liu Bei, as told in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. It is a story about brotherly love and loyalty much told in Chinese folklore and operas. The film draws the parallel between the folk tale and Takata's quest to fulfill his son's wish.