On H List of Movie Reviews
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Hachikō Monogatari (1987)
Rate:
3
Viewed:
11/25
11/25:
Regardless of the story being true, Hachikō Monogatari is a dull film that's the Japanese version
of Umberto D.
There's an abnormally weird relationship between the Akita and his master. They even took a bath together, and
I thought bestiality was next. Then, the latter dies. While no one wants or cares about the dog, it doesn't
stop him from going to the railway station daily and wait for the master to come back. After ten years of this,
he dies all alone.
Thinking about the constant visits to the railway station, I don't believe that's because of missing the
master. It's more like a habit: always the same spot at the same time. After doing it for so long, the Akita
just did it by instinct. Animals can be like that in the form of Pavlov conditioning.
What goes on around Hachikō is extremely boring to watch. I hate to say this, but the dog seems to be
disconnected, making for a poor actor. It's like the filmmakers had him to perform an action without
understanding why. In the meantime, I didn't realize Akita were originally from Japan. Helen Keller is credited
for bringing one of them to the United States for the first time.
All in all, the best part of Hachikō Monogatari is the dog, but no thanks to the rest.