Fri, 29 Mar, 2024

Movie Review: Hachi: A Dog’s Tale

By Ashmita Thapa

Picture Courtesy: youtube.com

Dogs have been recognized as human companions since the beginning of time. They have been adored and celebrated for their loyalty ever since. There are very few sights more pleasing than seeing your dog gazing up at you with pure admiration, wagging their tails. They exude a spiritual energy that calms even the angriest of spirits.

"Hachi: A Dog's Tale" is a perfect tribute to all the qualities that our favorite companion possesses. The movie, directed by Lasse Hallstörm, “Hachi: A Dog’s Tale”, was released on 8th July 2009 in Tokyo. The movie successfully depicts the devotion of a dog called “Hachiko”, to his master, who was a college professor and the immense love and respect they have for each other. It managed to hit the box office, making a profit of 50 million dollars in absolutely no time at all. We see a lot of small cuts or scenes in different movies which highlights the loyalty of dogs to its owners but "Hachi: A Dog's Tale" was probably the first movie of its kind to really give dogs the spotlight they deserve for their undying loyalty.

The movie introduced a kind-hearted man (Richard Gere) known as Parker Wilson who taught music in college. He found an Akita puppy (Japanese dog) whose had his collar labeled with the words “Hachi” which means eight in Japanese. They instantly found a mutual respect and love for one another. Hachi used to help Parker in his house, he used to follow him everywhere and obeyed every command without question. He used to drop Parker off at the station when he went to work and wait for him till he returned home. Until one day, however, (spoiler alert!!), his master doesn't come home from work. It turns out that he had a stroke at work and died before getting medical attention. The movie was a remake of a Japanese film of 1989 based on a true story about a dog which lived in the 1930s. The statue of the real Hachi in the Shibuyan station is proof that the story is, in fact, real.

The heart-wrenching scenes of loyalty truly do justice to every dog in the world who have made our lives exciting and happy. Hachi has left behind a never ending legacy and it will forever be remembered because of this movie.