If you ask any person to name the most touching film of all time, then you will most likely hear: “The film “Hachiko: The Most Faithful Friend”.” In 2009, actor Richard Gere and an Akita Inu dog showed the whole world what true love and devotion are. What this drama is about and who starred in the main roles, you will learn from this article!
The plot of "Hachiko: The Most Faithful Friend"
The film tells about the events of the recent past, although this story took place at the beginning of the last century in Japan. Professor Wilson Parker leaves for work every morning on a short-distance train. In the evening he returns and walks from the station to his home. One ordinary autumn day, he notices a puppy on the platform. It is clear that he is not a stray, as he looks well-groomed and even wears a collar with the name Hachi. The head of the luggage department could not keep the puppy, and the professor had to carry him home.
He did this with great caution: his wife hated animals in the house. He settled the kid in his office, but he quickly revealed their plan. Wilson promised that this would be the only night, but the next day the puppy’s owner never showed up. A week passed, and the wife was already starting to lose her temper. The man had to advertise, to which people immediately responded who wanted to pick up the puppy. But the woman’s heart trembled, and she allowed the baby to be left in the house. The professor’s friend immediately said that it was the puppy himself who found his owner, and Hachi translated from Japanese means the number eight. The luckiest number for all residents of Japan.
Years passed, and the puppy turned into a big and smart dog. Every morning he accompanied the owner to the station and waited for him to return from work. They spent all their free time together. Station workers, salesmen and newspapermen were so accustomed to the dog that they considered him one of their colleagues. But one day the professor did not return from work, and Hachi waited in vain for him until late at night. A heart attack took his best friend from him. The wife and daughter decided to move to another house and took the dog with them. At the first opportunity, the dog ran away from them and returned to the old mansion. But his owner was not there. Khati hurried to the station and took his usual place. He decided to wait for his friend at all costs. The wife and daughter decided not to catch the dog - they understood his condition. Devotion to his owner did not allow him to live peacefully in a new area and enjoy the delights of a dog's life.
9 years have passed. Every day, Khati came to his place in the morning, and at night he went to sleep under the porch of the old house. He was no longer the same frisky young dog - the years had broken him, and he had noticeably lost control. All the inhabitants of the station continued to greet him and feed him whenever possible. The devotion of this dog impressed everyone who knew this sad story. Parker’s wife also had a chance to visit these parts.
With tears in her eyes, she approached the dog and asked Hati for permission to sit next to him. The old dog, whose skin was covered in dust, and whose eyes no longer looked so vigilantly ahead, was still peering into the crowd of passengers, trying to see his best friend among them. All the inhabitants of the station had tears in their eyes when they saw this picture. Even when the human heart humbled itself and experienced all the pain of loss, the dog’s heart remained faithful to the end. People did not ignore this story of devotion and love: after the death of Hati, a monument was erected in his favorite place.
Real story
Many people know that the plot of the film is not an invention of the screenwriters. It is based on the real story of the dog Hachiko, but with some changes. The real Hachiko was born in November 1923. The puppy was given to Hidesaburo Ueno, who worked at one of the universities in Tokyo. The professor himself lived in the Shibuya area, so he was forced to go to work every day, leaving the puppy at home. Gradually, a strong friendship began between Ueno and Hachiko. The dog became so attached to his owner that he accompanied him to the railway station every day and met him there from work in the evening. Hachiko was not even 2 years old when the professor had a heart attack during a lecture. Hidesaburo died before the doctors arrived. That evening the faithful dog did not wait for his master.
But every evening he ran to the station in the hope that the owner would return. And it was not given to anyone, although many wanted to take the dog for themselves.
One evening, a former student of the professor noticed her and wrote several articles about Hachiko’s phenomenal devotion, which found a deep response in the hearts of the Japanese. This dog has become the pride of all residents of Japan.
He died in 1935. Until his death, he ran to Shibuya station every day at the same time, expecting a long-awaited meeting with his owner. During his lifetime, a monument was erected to the dog, which still stands at Shibuya Station to this day. Over time, monuments to Hachiko were erected in several more cities in Japan. For the Japanese, Hachiko became a symbol of exceptional devotion. He was so revered that he was buried in the cemetery next to his owner.
Richard Gere - Parker
The role of the professor in the film “Hachiko: The Most Faithful Friend” in 2009 was given to actor Richard Gere as a gift. His performance was not only noted by the audience, but also highly praised by critics. The interaction between the artist and the dogs was at the highest level of understanding. The actor himself spoke about his feelings from filming as follows: “Something in our hearts is so tripled that it cannot help but respond to this story - this feeling of devotion and this message “I will always wait for you here.” Undoubtedly, the drama of this picture begins with the first minutes of Parker's acquaintance with the lost puppy. The whole history of their relationship throughout the film makes us believe in the sincerity of feelings between the owner and his dog.
How the film "Hachiko" was filmed
Hachiko is an American adaptation of a Japanese story about a very loyal dog who accompanies his owner to the train station every morning and returns every day to meet him.
- Starring: Richard Gere and Joan Allen
- Director: Lasse Hallstrom
- Producers: Richard Gere, Bill Johnson
- Writers: Stephen P. Lindsay, Kaneto Shindo
- Release date: Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Filming dogs of the Hachiko breed in the film “Hachiko’s True Friend”
General precautions were taken in all scenes. All streets were blocked during filming. All guardrails have been checked to ensure there are no sharp edges. For the scene where the dog is seen in the barn, the area was searched for debris and dog areas were set up for comfort. The shed was kept at a comfortable temperature - the heat was turned on when necessary.
For the train station scenes, the trains were stationary while the animal was on set; the only time the animals were allowed to walk near moving trains was when the actors were holding them.
For scenes in which Hachiko ("Hachi") walks along train tracks, off-camera dog handlers walked alongside the dog and performed gentle walking. The dog's path was cleared of debris in advance. For scenes that included a barbecue grill, the dogs were kept at a safe distance.
Most rehearsals used a stuffed dog. Two Shiba Inu puppies alternated in Hachi's role as a puppy. Three Akita Inus alternated in Hachiko's role as an adult dog.
For scenes in which the dog performs simple actions such as sitting, walking on stairs or near actors, standing or walking from one point to another, the handlers had the dog follow the trail while they were off camera, using a variety of signals and verbal commands. to call an action.
Well-trained dogs are accustomed to these actions. For scenes in which a puppy or dog licks a person or object, baby food was used to entice the dog to lick. All products used were considered safe for canine consumption and their use was limited to avoid overfeeding.
The falling snow and freezing rain seen in the film were added in post-production. The snow observed on the ground was natural. The breed of long-haired dog used for the film is adapted to this weather; however, as an additional measure of comfort, the dogs were kept warm and rested after such scenes.
Puppy filming
For scenes in which Hachi is seen wearing the backpack, the leather backpack was lined with a blanket and the trainers placed the well-rehearsed puppy inside with its head poking out. For the scene in which Parker (Richard Gere) removes the puppy from a partially closed backpack, the puppy was only inside it for a short time, and there were many holes for good air circulation.
For the scene in which Parker holds the puppy under his arm outdoors, the puppy was first wrapped in a blanket and then tucked under the actor's coat for even more warmth.
For the scene in which Hachiko passes through a train station in transit, the puppy was placed in a bamboo pet carrier that had a blanket inside for cushioning.
The carrier was attached to a pile of suitcases with luggage straps tied to a holder and attached to both the bottom suitcase and the luggage carrier basket. The dog trainers rehearsed the scene at a slow pace to get the puppy actor accustomed to the action, and once the dog trainers realized that the puppy was accustomed to the movement, the cart-pulling actor was instructed to increase the speed slightly.
The fall of the carrier to the ground was filmed separately. The carrier did not fall to the ground, it fell on specially placed soft bedding. In this case, the carrier was dropped from two centimeters above the ground. Once the carrier was on the ground, the dog was forced to exit through a door that was specially made to open easily.
For the scene in which the puppy first appeared on the platform, the handlers used a track-to-track technique and used various verbal cues to get him to stay.
The trains did not move while the puppy was on the platform. Silence was declared at the station so as not to frighten the little puppy.
Joan Allen – Kate Wilson
Of all the actors in the 2009 film “Hachiko: The Most Faithful Friend,” Joan did not have the easiest role. From the first minutes, the viewer saw the true love of the spouses. Despite their advanced age, they still could not tear themselves away from each other. Hachiko became like a bone in the throat for Mrs. Wilson, but she was able to step over her principles. The viewer doesn't see how much she loved this dog until the final scene. When she met him at the station, all the feelings and emotions associated with her husband returned to her. After all, they were indivisible - Parker and his dog Hachiko. Without a doubt, it was one of the most touching scenes in the history of cinema.
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa – Ken
This actor in the 2009 film “Hachiko: The Most Faithful Friend” had the chance to play a friend of Professor Wilson, who talked about what breed of puppy his friend got.
It was his words that pushed Parker to the idea of leaving the puppy forever, despite all the difficulties with his wife in this matter.
We talked about the film "Hachiko: The Most Faithful Friend." The actors and the roles they played are now known to you.
Interesting Facts
- Hachiko was played by 3 puppies in the film, as well as 3 adult dogs - Forest, Lila and Chico.
- The plot of the film is in many ways similar to the film “Tethered at the Runway,” created by Soviet filmmakers in 1989. It also tells about a shepherd dog who waited for 10 years for the return of its owner, who left the dog at the airport near the runway.
- The soundtrack to “Hachiko: The Most Faithful Friend” was written not by an American, but by Polish composer Jan Kaczmarek.
