That moves me emotionally like few other movies can. Hachi: A Dog's Tale is the Americanized version of the original 1987 Japanese original "Hachiko Monogatari," both based on the true life story of the famous Japanese Akita named Hachiko who lived from 1923 to 1935. Hachi: A dog's Tale is set in Rhode Island and follows the life of Hachi from his haphazard arrival at the train station where the film is set and subsequent discovery there by Richard Gere, the music professor who takes him in and bonds with him. Joan Allen is Gere's wife and, while not particularly enthralled with Hachi at first, ultimately sees the special bond forming between her husband and the Akita and thus comes to accept Hachi.
Hachi begins a routine of escorting Gere to the train station each morning and waiting for him to return in the evening where they both go home together. There are a few smaller characters in the film, the hot dog vendor, the train station attendant and Ken, a Japanese professor friend of Gere who serves as the wise man who knows instinctively there is something majestic about the Akita breed -- "not a dog to play fetch with" -- he sees this dog as the regal creature that it is. We are reminded of this majesty later in the film, when Ken talks to Hachi alone, in Japanese, one spiritual Japanese talking to another.
The are two distinct tragedies in the film, the first being the sudden and untimely death of the main human character (Gere), but the film focuses in its last acts on the second and far deeper tragedy -- Hachi's belief that one day his master will return on the train, thus careening the rest of his life into a never-ending cycle of returning to the train station and waiting in vain for his return. The film uses sparse but effective special effects to show the relentless passage of time and how the poor dog continues, unabated to return to the station. These final sequences place the film squarely in the genre of horror as nothing can dissuade Hachi from waiting and nothing can bring his master back. The animal is doomed to a life of endless waiting.
Along with the marvelous dog makeup and training used to present an aged and slowing dog, the soundtrack by Jan Kaczmarek deserves special mention as it is simply beautiful with several memorable themes of mostly piano and strings, used to both playful and melancholy effect. Indeed by the end of the film, it is almost impossible not to weep profoundly for poor Hachi, walking ever so slowly to the train station, in his lifelong demonstration of love, loyalty and hope. It is not an exaggeration to say that few films have such an emotional impact.
Hachi begins a routine of escorting Gere to the train station each morning and waiting for him to return in the evening where they both go home together. There are a few smaller characters in the film, the hot dog vendor, the train station attendant and Ken, a Japanese professor friend of Gere who serves as the wise man who knows instinctively there is something majestic about the Akita breed -- "not a dog to play fetch with" -- he sees this dog as the regal creature that it is. We are reminded of this majesty later in the film, when Ken talks to Hachi alone, in Japanese, one spiritual Japanese talking to another.
The are two distinct tragedies in the film, the first being the sudden and untimely death of the main human character (Gere), but the film focuses in its last acts on the second and far deeper tragedy -- Hachi's belief that one day his master will return on the train, thus careening the rest of his life into a never-ending cycle of returning to the train station and waiting in vain for his return. The film uses sparse but effective special effects to show the relentless passage of time and how the poor dog continues, unabated to return to the station. These final sequences place the film squarely in the genre of horror as nothing can dissuade Hachi from waiting and nothing can bring his master back. The animal is doomed to a life of endless waiting.
Along with the marvelous dog makeup and training used to present an aged and slowing dog, the soundtrack by Jan Kaczmarek deserves special mention as it is simply beautiful with several memorable themes of mostly piano and strings, used to both playful and melancholy effect. Indeed by the end of the film, it is almost impossible not to weep profoundly for poor Hachi, walking ever so slowly to the train station, in his lifelong demonstration of love, loyalty and hope. It is not an exaggeration to say that few films have such an emotional impact.
