To the Ends of the Earth (2019 film)

To the Ends of the Earth (旅のおわり世界のはじまり, Tabi no Owari Sekai no Hajimari) is a 2019 drama film written and directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa. It stars Atsuko Maeda, Shota Sometani, Tokio Emoto, Adiz Rajabov, and Ryo Kase. It was released in Japan on 14 June 2019.[1] It screened as the closing film at the 72nd Locarno Film Festival on 17 August 2019.[2]

To the Ends of the Earth
Japanese旅のおわり世界のはじまり
Directed byKiyoshi Kurosawa
Written byKiyoshi Kurosawa
Starring
Music byYusuke Hayashi
CinematographyAkiko Ashizawa
Edited byKoichi Takahashi
Release date
  • 14 June 2019 (2019-06-14) (Japan)
Running time
120 minutes
Country
  • Japan
  • Uzbekistan
  • Qatal
Language
  • Japanese
  • Uzbek

Plot

Yoko (Atsuko Maeda) is the reporter for a television travel program. She secretly dreams of becoming a singer. To film a mythical fish, she visits Uzbekistan with her television crew.

Cast

Production

The film was made to commemorate the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Uzbekistan, as well as the 70th anniversary of the Navoi Theater, which was built with the help from Japanese soldiers after the World War II.[3] The filming took place in Uzbekistan.[4]

Release

The film was released in Japan on 14 June 2019.[1] It screened as the closing film at the 72nd Locarno Film Festival on 17 August 2019.[5] It also screened at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival,[6] the 2019 BFI London Film Festival,[7] the 24th Busan International Film Festival,[8] and the 2019 New York Film Festival.[9]

Reception

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 92% based on 13 reviews, with a weighted average of 8.28/10.[10] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 84 out of 100, based on 5 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[11]

Mark Schilling of The Japan Times gave the film 3.5 out of 5 stars, describing it as "a uniquely Kurosawa mix of showbiz comedy, woman-in-jeopardy thriller and romantic drama with Maeda's lonely-but-intrepid heroine serving as the strong connecting thread."[1] Sam C. Mac of Slant Magazine gave the film 4 out of 4 stars, writing, "To the Ends of the Earth isn't, by any measure, a horror film, but it uses aesthetic and philosophical foundations that Kurosawa laid in his genre work to insinuate tensions and anxieties lurking beneath the serene surface of everyday life."[12] Neil Young of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "Officially endorsed international co-productions are usually stilted, self-consciously didactic affairs; the seasoned but adventurous hands of Kurosawa, however, here yield quietly immersive and spellbinding results."[13]

References
  1. Schilling, Mark (12 June 2019). "'To the Ends of the Earth': Tough times for travel reporting". The Japan Times. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  2. Economou, Vassilis (14 June 2019). "The 72nd Locarno Film Festival announces its opening and closing titles". Cineuropa. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  3. Blair, Gavin J. (2 April 2018). "Japan's Kiyoshi Kurosawa to Shoot Next Feature in Uzbekistan". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  4. Schilling, Mark (26 June 2019). "Kiyoshi Kurosawa: Filming and acting outside your comfort zone". The Japan Times. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  5. "The First and Last Night". Locarno Festival. 11 June 2019. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  6. "To the Ends of the Earth". Toronto International Film Festival. 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  7. "To the Ends of the Earth". London Film Festival. 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  8. "To the Ends of the Earth". Busan International Film Festival. 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  9. "To the Ends of the Earth". Film Society of Lincoln Center. 2019. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  10. "To the Ends of the Earth (Tabi no Owari Sekai no Hajimari)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  11. "To the Ends of the Earth". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  12. Mac, Sam C. (15 September 2019). "Review: To the Ends of the Earth Masterfully Reckons with the Nature of Fear". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  13. Young, Neil (22 August 2019). "'To the Ends of the Earth': Film Review | Locarno 2019". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
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