A fine film that shows how driven some people can be. I found the main character to be quite a complex fellow, and that's what I found interesting; his obsessive attention to detail is at odds with his often haphazard behaviour. He's a bit of a dreamer who doesn't seem to live in the real world, but he has enough grit and tenacity to get the job done. Technically, the film is solid and features some great camerawork.

Ichikawa cranked out a lot of movies in his lifetime, and this feels like one of the more half-hearted efforts. The naval cinematography is superb. There's some nice attention to detail and good use of the ultra-wide frame. But there's just not much heart and soul or depth to it. Ishihara is likeable enough in the lead role, but we don't really get too attached to him or get invested in his journey. He doesn't evolve much as a character. Just sort of felt like an average survival/adventure tale.

A hollow experience. I'm getting bored just thinking about this movie again.