Ken Takakura gives a heart felt magical performance as an aging railroad station master closing out his time on the job looking back on his life around the anniversary of the death of his young daughter. Magical little story had me tearing up at the end as this beautiful film came to a close. Takakura is wonderful as the title character who has spent most of his life living in a small post at the end of the line in the wilds of Japan. To be certain the story is ultimately cliché as we have our hero looking back over his life and regretting the choices he made and facing an uncertain future, but at the same time there is something about this film, the performances, the photography , the music, that really sells the story and moves you. Its a wonderful little hidden gem of a film that is going on to me list of films that were wondrous discoveries this year. To be certain its not the best film but it is a heart warming, at times heart breaking, little film that deserves to be seen. (Those who love trains need to see this since the scenes of the trains in action make this a truly magical film to watch, after all there is nothing like watching trains in the country in the snow.)

A particularly Japanese take on duty and responsibility, Ken Takakura is a trainman at a rural train station. Sad, poignant, but ultimately redeeming of the choices he has had to make in order to fulfill his chosen occupation, if you are looking for action of any sort go elsewhere. This is a character drama and an excellent one. If all you know of Takekura is 'Mr. Baseball' and 'Black Rain' then you ought to see him in a role which allows him to demonstrate his strengths as an actor, delivering an amazing performance with very little overt emoting.

This film's story is nothing more than social propaganda. It tries to lay blame for Japan's social decline by showing how Japanese should regard their work: Do whatever it is you are assigned to do with all your might and don't look at the larger picture. Sure, there is a positive aspect to this--you got a worker busting his butt to do a good job--but this is a thinking that is no longer applicable in today's world. Ryoko Hirose is an abysmal actress. And what's with that bit of her telling her dad that she's "happy". She's dead! She's a ghost! She's not even real! It's all a delusion on the part of her dad, which should indicate even more that his philosophies toward his job should be regarded with suspicion.I think that non-Japanese who watch this film without knowledge of how things work in Japan will come away with an unrealistic understanding of the Japanese work ethic. It's only this way in the minds of nostalgic old folk who still fail to see that this way of thinking led to destructive involvement with the Nazis. Basically, while totally different in theme, it is as much propaganda as US films about elite solder teams rescuing civilians from the clutches of mad terrorists. And it's not even a well made film.

A moving japanese movie of 1999. This time Ken Takakura is not a member of the Yakuza but a railroad station officer. He is now 68, but looks even better than his young time. The most moving part is the telephone conversation between him and his friend's son regarding the closing the station. I am not sure whether this film will be available in the state but it is a must-see film for 1999.