Antarctica

I am not a Disneyesque movie fan about animals and rather preferred seeing the standard top box office movies instead until my girl friend wanted to see Nankyoku Monogatari movie in 1983. We went and I didn't expect much until I saw it. It was more than I could take emotionally as the memories and love I had for my own dogs in the past came pouring out. Truly a great piece of work. I tried to find the movie at BlockBuster but to no avail.

A post script: I visited Sapporo, Hokkaido back in 1994 on a business trip. Over the weekend with nothing to do I took a taxi to the Hokkaido Agricultural Museum. Lo and behold, there was Taro in the place of honor who had been stuffed. How regal he looked. I didn't recall seeing Jiro there but learned later that he is along side of another famous Japanese dog, Hachiko, at the National Science Museum in Tokyo. Anyway, seeing Taro made my day.

There are few movies that really strike you. This is one of them. If you have a heart, then there's no way you can avoid feeling, crying and loving this movie. This year Walt Disney released a new version of it, Eight Below, which I will see this week - and obviously, i will compare!!! But out of all the movies I saw in my childhood, this one is in the top-10... it grabs you and stays in your mind for ever! I don't know yet about the American version, but this Japanese original was so so so good! As you follow the tough life of this bunch of lovely dogs, you experience fear, happiness, sadness, love... the whole thing. As they fight for life in this harsh environment, you also get to appreciate the scenery. They are not all making it though, and you cry and cry and cry... You want to help so much, it brings out all the best in you... A MUST SEE! I am upset there's never been any video/DVD release of that movie, it's a masterpiece! All movies involving cute animals are winners, but this one is really striking and you will never forget it. In a different context, other great and moving movies include L'Ours (France) i.e. The Bear, and Deux Frères (France) i.e. Two Brothers. The later made me cry even more than Antarctica. These two movies really hurt, it's unfair what's happening and you get really sad. But it's so beautiful as well. I hope that Eight Below won't be a crap too-americanised remake. I wish Antarctica was just available, it's not at all and it's a shame that the World can't see it.

I know many people only watch movies with lots of special effects or big-name stars, but -Antarctica- must not be overlooked. It's based on a true story; the setting is terrific; and the dogs play their "roles" just as well as the human actors. Kids can watch it without their parents worrying about the content (tho' I'll warn you, some of the dogs *do* die, which may upset youngsters); students interested in Japanese or simply "artsy" films can see it too...in short, anyone can watch it! (Except for the unfortunate few who prefer sex-violence-profanity...too bad for *them*.)

"Antarctica" is the story of the men and dogs of Japan's Antarctic research station in the 50's. Ushioda, Ochi and the rest of the team are forced to leave the dogs behind with Antarctic winter approaching, on the understanding that another team is to arrive in a few days. Once on board the ice breaker, they discover to their horror that due to the weather, no one will be able to make it back until the next spring. The dogs are left chained up to fend for themselves.

The story from there is a mixture of fact and conjecture, concerning what the few dogs who were able to escape their chains, did, and how two did survive until the next spring.

The fate of some of these dogs is very sad, and you may not want to watch this if you're a sensitive dog lover. But, the survival of the lucky ones is inspiring. The dogs are not portrayed as in a children's movie (overly cute) but are shown realistically, being kicked by their masters when they fight, and in one scene, savagely attacking a seal when desperate for food. (which, by the way, looks absolutely real - PETA would not be happy!!) The film goes back and forth between the dogs' plight in Antarctica and Ushioda & Ochi back in Japan, who are beside themselves with guilt and grief over the fate of the dogs.

I was so drawn in to this movie, that when Ushioda & Ochi return the following spring, and are scanning the station from the helicopter, that I found myself straining to see with them, looking hopefully for any sign of life.

Ultimately this is a story about man's relationship with dogs, and the unbreakable bond of love that exists between them.

I accidently stumbled upon this movie and was immediately ensconced in its story line, scenery and cast of characters (primarily the dogs). The subtitles did not distract from the films Japanese dialogue. This semi-documentary style added authenticity to the fact based plot. The human actors may have been the catalyst for this poignant retelling, but the dogs were indeed the glue that held this film together. Given the fact that most of the sets were filmed on location, the dogs performed exceptionally well and held this viewer fast.

The misadventures that the dogs endured during their separation from their owners were deeply touching and powerful. One would have to have ice water flowing through one's veins to be unmoved from this film. Although hard to find, I heartily recommend the movie for age groups of 12 or older. The violence is implied rather than portrayed but none-the-less quite intense.