Movie Digest
Produced by iQiyi Films and executive produced by Taiwanese veteran Yeh Jufeng, Hachiko (忠犬八公) is a Chinese adaptation of the much-loved 1987 Japanese movie of the same name Hachiko Monogatari. A Hollywood remake of the same with the same title Hachi: A Dog’s Tale, was released in the year of 2009. The story revolves around the budding and endearing relationship between a dog of a rare breed and a person, telling the beautiful understanding they reach at the end of the movie.
The Feel-Good Part
We have all wanted to be gripped with these intense, cathartic emotions of true love and adoration, which is what we exactly find in the movie Hachiko. The feature film recounts the encounter of a man and a dog and their ever growing closeness. It stays close to the original plot of the Japanese movie, wherein one fine day a man finds an abandoned dog at the railway station on the way to his work. With no heart to leave the dog behind, he decides to carry it home and later adopt the little guy. The movie resonates with similar feelings to another film called A Dog’s Purpose, both leaving its audience in everflowing tears. The most charming and tearful part of the movie is when the dog waits at the same place downtown despite his owner being dead for over ten long years. It shows the dedication and the love a dog possesses for its fellow human, leaving the audience enraptured with arduous compassion in their hearts.
The Disappointing Factor
Released on the New Year’s Eve, i.e. 31st December 2021, fans were left in a thrall concerning the ending of the movie, where the devoted dog is left all alone without his master in the world. Fans were disappointed regarding the repetitive finale, seeing it was the start of a new year and hoped for an alternative, optimistic ending.
In-Depth Analysis
Although, in the Japanese movie, the Akita breed of a dog was employed, here in the Chinese adaptation, the director made use of “tugou” or “rural dogs. This type of dog is widely consumed as meat in mainland China. It is also one of the popular breeds out of 22 that has been banned by the state for its citizens to shelter them as their pets.
Star Power
The movie is under the controlled direction of the top Chinese director Feng Xiaogang, who has also overseen critically acclaimed movies such as The Dream Factory (1997), Sigh (2000), Cell Phone (2003), A World Without Thieves (2004), Assembly (2007), and so forth. The cast includes the director himself and Joan Chen.
Overall Opinion
Many directors are in the process of producing one, considering the growing, affectionate response and demand for dog films in China. Hachiko can be a great start to familiarise yourself with the inner workings of a dog and the fondness they have towards its owners.
