This sad, beautiful, and deeply moving film allows us to appreciate the transience of life, by portraying the affection between a dead daughter and her living father. Otomatsu is a stationmaster in a remote town called Horomai in northern Japan. Serving his whole life as a devoted railroader, he has committed himself entirely to his duties and has always loved the railroad. Even when his infant daughter and wife die, he keeps coming to the station and insists on remaining, to his dying day, in the station that is soon to be closed. The film contains nostalgia for the diesel engines which vanish day by day, with Otomatsu as an emblem of this nostalgia. His personal tragedy ironically speaks of his firm and loyal love for others. Yasuo Furuhata employs a melodramatic touch with a slight twist. That is, he foregrounds the dead daughter′s affection for her father, rather than the father′s affection for her, as he portrays the dead daughter′s wish to show her father what she would have become if she had not died as an infant. Above all, what truly establishes this film as a masterpiece is the excellent performance of the leading actor, Ken Takakura, starring as Otomatsu, as well as the fabulous direction of Yasuo Furuhata. Presenting the seemingly cold-blooded Otomatsu who conceals his affectionate heart deep within, Ken Takakura creates a memorable performance of this man′s life, making it impossible to imagine this film without his contribution. (Kim Ji-Seok)