Quill: The Life of a Guide Dog (2004) User Reviews

Open your eyes to "Quill".

[BrigitteD · 8/10 · 7 July 2005]

An enchanting Japanese production, "Quill" is at once a documentary and a dramatized account which chronicles the daily life of a guide dog and its integral role in society.

From birth, it's obvious that Quill, appropriately named because of the distinctive dark marking on its otherwise light-colored coat, is more special than the rest of its litter. An observation which prompts its owners to enroll Quill into a seeing-eye dog program.

And so, we see Quill develop from a curious, playful puppy to a responsible and reliable aid.

Quill must also adapt to many transitions and new beginnings as he transfers from its original owners, to the training kennel, and finally, to the family he is assigned to.

From there, Quill is paired with a cranky, impatient and stubborn blind man. At first, the man refuses the offer of any help as he wants to maintain his sense of independence. Overtime, they learn to get used to one another, as Quill begins to work with the man, and soon they find each other overcoming many obstacles and experiencing much triumphs together.

Later, Quill and the man begin to rely on one another, and form a bond which succeeds in dissolving the man's cold disposition.

Eventually, both illness and advanced maturity take their toll on both of them, which sadly and inevitably results in the end of their journey together.

"Quill" is obviously set apart from the standard "Disney" movies about the friendships born between a human being and his dog. Also, it does not feature stage animals whose only purpose is to act cute and do tricks for the camera. Children will also be able to benefit from this film in a different way as it teaches many valuable lessons about the cycle of life, and raises awareness towards the visually impaired, provoking both subtle humor and sadness in the process.

A nice and pretty film about the life of a guide dog

[jaakkochan · 8/10 · 6 August 2004]

I saw this movie in the airplane, on my way back from Japan. The movie has a very beautiful music and a nice atmosphere, I want to see it again. Quill is a Japanese version of a Lassie. It made me think really about different matters, I never thought how guide dogs are trained. More interesting, the movie has a pretty nice main character, the blind guy who is refusing to accept that he needs a guide dog. The movie feels very nicely Japanese. Accepting the change is the main topic of the movie, how Quill, the guide dog, finds friends but eventually has to part from them. Eventually, isn't that what happens to all of us?

Use English; Japanese is Confusing

[Meganeguard · 7/10 · 14 April 2006]

One day in Tokyo a litter of golden Labrador retrievers were born in the home of a woman named Mito and amongst these puppies was one who had a bird-shaped birthmark on his belly. It is this puppy that will one day be named Quill. For some reason or another, Ms. Mito wants her puppies to become Seeing Eye dogs, however, because their mother is from an unspectacular background, Mr. Tawada, the manager of a school that trains seeing eye dogs refuses to accept Ms. Mito's puppies. However, after days and days of repeatedly calling, Mr. Tawada finally gives in and says that he will take in one of the puppies.

After learning of a way to test to see which puppy will be selected, Ms. Mito calls the puppies over to her and only Quill hesitates when called and because of this he is the one who passes the test, because a seeing eye dog most not rush at the slightest provocation. After proving his ability, Quill is sent to the home of Isamu and Mitsuko Nii where he receives his name, lots of love and attention, and the ability to completely trust humans.

After spending a year at the Nii's, Quill is sent to Mr. Tawada's school where he begins his training. A bit slower than other dogs, Quill shows remarkable patience and is willing to wait extraordinarily long periods of time when told to do so. Having discovered Quill's patience, Mr. Tawada pairs the dog up with a man named Watanabe Mitsuru, a man who does not want to rely on anyone, human or animal, to aid him with his disability. However, through a few humorous exchanges, man and dog become friends and soon become almost inseparable. Yet, their days ahead are not just full of days walking in the sunshine and visiting shrines.

Yes Quill is a movie about the relationship between a dog and his master and yes it does have some ultra saccharine moments, however, it does not fall into the trap of being a complete sap fest. Each stage of Quill's life, at Ms. Mito's home, The Niis' home, with Mr. Tawada, at Mr. Watanabe's home, is handled delicately and the viewer gets to see the time and care used in training these special animals that aid people. Beautifully scored, Quill will touch the hearts of animal lovers the world over and will also make audiences buy boxes of tissues.

Quill

[sarazin1 · 9 March 2005]

This is an emotional movie, very heartwarming. A true life story cycle of a guide dog. I've seen it and it warms you up directly for animal lovers and indirectly for non animal lovers. Overall, a good cinematography but more can be add on. They should make more films like this, where they can show us how it looks like in the eyes of these superb creatures created by god for a purpose. Directorship is of this film is good and the director emphasize on balancing the act of both animals and humans in this film. At least, I know now how an animal feels when things like this happens. It just warms your heart when watching this film. In words, its a good movie to watch with your girlfriend who will definitely hold your hand whilst watching this movie.

Japanese dogs obey their masters' orders more if they are in English.

[FilmCriticLalitRao · 6/10 · 28 May 2007]

Before watching this film, I was feeling quite excited as I just had a certain idea of what Sai Yoichi might be as a filmmaker. He started his illustrious career as an assistant for Nagisa Oshima on the highly controversial art film "Empire of the senses". It was the same film for which the famous gangster turned filmmaker Koji Wakamatsu provided funds. In the recent past, I had seen only one film directed by him "Blood and Bones". For me,although it was a very violent film I had ever seen in my life, it enabled me to keenly watch and observe Kitano Takeshi's acting talents. So it was with such pleasant expectations and unknown surprises that I began watching this film with my family. At the end of the film, I was feeling elated as I had discovered an hitherto unknown facet of Japanese culture. To begin with, "Quill" made me catch glimpses of family life in Japan as it was shot in a small town away for the bustling metropolis Tokyo. Watching this film made me realize how much value people from Asian countries especially Koreans, Chinese and Japanese attach to English language and culture. It is true that one should try not to be sentimental about dogs, what pleased me the most was the emotional bond which Yochi Sai depicted by making a blind person aware of his dog's worthiness. There are moments of sadness in the film but all in all they served their purpose well. This is a point which all serious viewers would take away with them when they watch this simple, frank and honest film.

No matter how you feel about dogs, you'll LOVE this movie!

[firehorsefilms · 10/10 · 3 June 2005]

This review contains NO spoilers. I will just say that if you're one of those people who says, "I hate dog movies. Crazy antics. Slobber jokes. Prat falls.", that will have no bearing on your enjoying this film because it is about dignity, love, warmth and the beautiful spirit of a dog you'll wish you knew in real life.

The film is EXTREMELY well-acted, written, produced and directed. It provides a wonderful look at everyday Japan and never falls back on insulting or racist stereotypes that Western filmmakers perpetuate and Western film-goers buy into. There's nothing better than one's culture being presented by a native of that culture. It spares intelligent viewers the normal cringing that comes with ignorant portrayals of non-Anglo groups of people.

This is a great movie and should be an Oscar-winner. I will DEFINITELY own it when it comes out on DVD. I have never owned a dog in my life and usually am not touched or enthralled by "animal" or "pet" movies. But I loved "Quill," and I love Quill. When I buy my lab, I'm going to name him Quill.

'Nuff said.

Informative and a Bit Sad

[thalassafischer · 6/10 · 30 April 2024]

Quill is a very instructive documentary-like film about how a guide dog for the blind is trained to work and why certain dogs are chosen while others are not able to do the work. The director intentionally chose a curmudgeonly, clueless middle-aged blind man to illustrate mistakes that can be made during guide dog training on behalf of the handlers. I would definitely show (or at least recommend) this film in a class about Animal Assisted Interventions or Service Animals at any educational level.

On the other hand, Quill is intentionally made as sad as possible, with a dramatic illness and death of the blind handler before a satisfying ending where the old dog dies a natural, peaceful death at 12 in the home of the volunteers who fostered him and socialized him (a real thing) for the first year of his life before he was old enough to be trained. YMMV.

The best dog movie in years

[StevePulaski · 9/10 · 12 December 2012]

Quill is among one of the cutest, most lovable movie dogs I have ever seen. He is a Labrador who was raised from the time he was born to be a guide dog for the blind and achieves the goals to become one not over time, but seemingly through his aptitude for patience, kindness, and responsibility. He was one of several pups to be born and then taken to a foster family for one year as they trained him to become a loyal, playful, yet disciplined dog. When the inevitable "parting ways" scene comes between Quill and his foster family of one year, roughly fifteen minutes in, it inspires tears as if it wasn't planned or even hinted at.

That is one of the strongest regards I can sincerely pay to a film targeted at making the audience cry. We know Quill's first family is a temporary one, we know he only has a one year time frame with them, and we know both parties are in for a beneficial experience. To know all that and shed authentic tears at the forthcoming "end of a chapter" shows that the picture utilized its emotional heights properly, with added integrity, and not in a manipulating fashion.

After spending a year with a kind Japanese family, Quill is off to formal training to become a guard-dog, learning key points such as identifying curbs, corners, and objects blocking a blind man's path. He is assigned to Mitsuru Watanabe (Kaoru Kobayashi), a man who is cold to the idea of having a guide dog, feeling it may corrupt the limited independence he still holds on to. He all ready has a stick and feels more comfortable because he's the ones controlling it. Little does he know that Quill has a strong ability to be empathetic with his humans, and he is one of the best dogs a blind man could be fortunate enough to have guiding them.

Quill: The Life of a Guide Dog doesn't examine how touchingly the dog and man connect over time, nor does it illustrate how dogs make something softer than it actually is. Director Yôichi Sai objectively shows the casual processes a guide dog is taken through. Going into this expecting a documentary of sorts, I was taken by how stably this tale amounts to the boundaries of fictitious storytelling. For all I know, this could've been a docudrama, illustrating a true story purely and without cliché traps, as it does.

Being that Quill is a Japanese film centering on the area of Japan (I've been dancing around that fact for fear that it will curb a potential viewer's mind), Quill's trainer (Kippei Shiina) makes it very clear that when giving Quill directions, Mr. Watanabe must state them in English so as not to open the possibility of Quill mistaking pedestrian Japanese or nearby Japanese dialog for commands. It's an interesting little side-note to say the least.

Although not directly stated or marketed to any person, I could see young kids appreciating this story just as much as an adult. The subtitles are basic and can be read by anyone of a fourth grade reading level. Kids will adore the cute little puppy, parents will enjoy the depth and emotional impact (as well as the sensitive direction), and it would be a nice introduction to the unlimited possibilities of getting a dog if a family would be thinking of committing such a step.

Some people have stated that Quill had a bad life as a dog and was gravely mistreated throughout his entire career. I don't believe so; the dog was never abused or neglected. His life was somewhat less loving, maybe, than the typical American dog in a middle class suburban home, but never did I recall an instance where Quill was treated with neglect or abuse. If not loved unconditionally, Quill's actions were at least appreciated by not only Mr. Watanabe, but his foster parents, who Quill spends his later days with.

As stated before, Quill is one of the cutest, most lovable movie dogs I have ever seen and Quill: The Life of a Guide Dog is among the best dog movies I've ever seen. It shows how dogs assist humans in shockingly beneficial ways and does so by creating an emotionally lively and enjoyable picture with familiar characters and beautiful storytelling. I'd say it's a better dog movie than Marley and Me, because of its concern for performances and the fact that there's more than just a cute dog at the center of its story.

Starring: Kippei Shiina and Kaoru Kobayashi. Directed by: Yôichi Sai.

Born to be a guide dog..

[ianlim · 10/10 · 1 October 2006]

Quill, is a story about a dog's life who seems to born to be a guide dog.

The movie shows the process of being a guide dog from a puppy to an adult dog, it has lots of touching moments thats connects with the characters of the story.

I had read the book before watching this film, the story really touched me and the movie was a well adapted from the book itself, i cried a lot while i was watching it.

The trustworthy bonding between human and dogs are very presented in this film.

Overall, it's a very worth watching film whether you read the book or not, but of cause, if you are a dogs lover, i'll say go for it then.. ;)

Cutest dog movie in history

[s_imdb-59 · 10/10 · 15 September 2004]

This film deserves to be called the "cutest dog film in history"!

Quill is an amazing movie! Its not only a true story, and the camera, well done! Maybe also the best Japanese family movie in years, in this part of the world anyway. Its entertaining, educational (brave quill!), good script, and something you would expect Disney to produce! And if you like dogs, its a must! Each time you will see a guide dog in the future, you will think of quill! What I like about the movie, it makes you think about dogs and their role in our society. Many times dogs don't have a specific role, whereas quill has a duty and bears lots of responsibility. He is a "role" model for his fellow dogs, many of which are taken to the hairdresser or dog shrink!

instructive, pleasant, mainly for kids.

[roedyg · 5/10 · 31 March 2013]

Quill could be billed as a quasi-documentary about how golden lab guide dogs for the blind are trained in Japan. It is all quite informative, but not very dramatically interesting. For the most part, it is child suitable. There is sadness as the dog Quill is taken from his puppy home to be trained, then taken from there to serve, then taken from there when the owner dies. Quill himself eventually dies of old age in an overblown sequence that goes on and on and on like some sadistic Disney flick determined to make every child cry. I was saying out loud, "for pity sake, tell the vet to put him down". The pathos dissipated for me when one character gave instructions to Quill on what to do when he got to heaven. That was just too silly.

It is possible to feel blissful without roaring laughters, and be touched without torrential tears

[harry_tk_yung · 18 August 2004]

Spoilers

This little movie has attracted a lot of attention in town, hitting #2 in the box office last week. Local film critics, the lazy ones at least, have resorted to saying things like `have lots of tissue ready' or some such cliché. Truth of the matter is, this one is not a tear-jerker.

If anything, Quill is more like a documentary, a slightly dramatized documentary similar to Touching the Void. Without the contrived, crafted emotional bumps seen often in Hollywood flicks, this Japanese film takes us gently along the life of Quill, the seeing-eye dog, through many partings: with his original parents, `adopted' parents, trainer, and finally `partner'. Sharing with Quill his small, humble moments of joy and sadness, we also come to understand a little more the role of a seeing-eye dog. We are reminded of the inevitability of death, but also the zest and joy of living. In the end, without the help of stultified tear-jerking formula, our eyes would maybe moist a little at the friendship between a man and a dog.

One inconsequential note on the background music. In the scene of the man and the dog going for a final walk together, the background music is the beautiful Bach-Gounod's version of Ave Maria (hope I got this right). Just by sheer coincidence, I recently watched Raging Bull, in which the same piece of music is used in the opening credit, with markedly different effects.

"The man and the dog made for an odd couple."

[poe-48833 · 9/10 · 22 September 2015]

Now THIS is the kind of movie that Disney should be producing... Something with a positive message that doesn't necessarily further the interests of the Military Entertainment Complex. The idea of "skin-ship" (the "sharing of feelings through physical contact") is EXACTLY the kind of message kids need these days, especially when electronics and "virtual reality" have all but made contact between people (much less people and animals other than house pets) a rarity. (Of course, such contact entails risk, as I found out this past summer. I went to a shelter- which WASN'T a "no-kill" facility- and adopted a pair of kittens. Unfortunately, there were far more cats there than we could possibly afford to adopt- and three days is the "limit" there-, including playful triplets and, sadly, an older cat who was sent to the shelter by a dying man in the hopes that she would be adopted. As if THAT weren't heartbreaking enough, a neighborhood cat gave birth to more than half a dozen kittens- on my back porch or under the house- who proceeded to succumb, one by one, to the relentless HEAT here. I called every single "cat-friendly" organization in town to try to get help, but none of them- not ONE- could (or WOULD) do a thing. So I spent every morning finding and bagging these small, dehydrated bodies... until they were all gone. Contact entails risk, but I think I've come to understand at least one thing: it's only LOVE that makes Life worth living.)

Quill was trained to disobey his master and that's for his own good

[Reno-Rangan · 10/10 · 30 September 2013]

A Japanese drama based on a true life story of a guide dog called Quill, a Labrador. Since dog won't tell a tale the whole story was told from a boy's perspective who was appearing on the screen for a very few minutes. It was just a formality to make the story reality and nothing more. This boy meets Quill somewhere midway of the dog's life and disappear forever. But in Quill's case it begins with his birth till his death so he's the hero of this movie and no one else.

A cute Labrador born with a dark mark in his side abdomen, a few weeks later the owner pick him to train as a guide dog. So the first partition to the puppy from his mother. He was sent to a couple's house to keep him till he becomes a young adult. So then the second partition which slightly hurts inside our heart. Then he becomes the one of a best guide dog and soon after he becomes someone's, a blind man's eye, a guide dog like he was trained. The rest of the story tells how he devotes his work and himself to his master.

There's no other better way to teach our kids about life than giving a puppy as a gift. They will learn how to take care an another soul, playing with them, fighting with them, chasing with them and all the above separation, facing the death of someone you love the most. I said this because I had one too and I learned many stuffs in life how to face it. So this movie is what intent to show us. Transforming from a cute puppy to an adult, faithful guide dog in a decade makes us to feel of seen a man's whole life as a dog.

This story was not intended to break the viewer's heart. So there's no strong animal and man bonding in this story like other dog movies had. They wanted to show us what's really happening in the real world and how a dog faces his hurdles throughout his life journey including the people he meet. But remember what I am saying, you won't control yourself, the more you try to hide your tears the more you will wet your eyes. Especially during last 20-15 minutes it was emotional, if you ever had a dog you will know the situation very well. It was the best dog movie (only by few margin) compared to 'Hachiko', 'Red Dog', 'Marley & Me' etc because those movies tells the tales of the dog and their relationship with the humans and mostly from a man's perspective. Those were entertainer masterpieces but this one was more like a some documentary movie. A must watch movie, I guess kids would love to see Quill.

10/10

Such an emotional and beautiful movie...

[paul_haakonsen · 9/10 · 12 February 2021]

I sat down in 2021 to watch the 2004 Japanese movie "Quill". Turns out that this was actually my second time to get to watch this, though I can't remember when I watched it the first time, but it was shortly after it was initially released.

Turns out that "Quill" is a very enjoyable movie. It is a movie that is as much heartfelt and lovable as it is entertaining and enjoying. And it should also be said that it is a very emotional story.

The story in "Quill" follows the dog named Quill from being a puppy, up through its training to become a guide dog for the visually impaired, and up to Quills final moments on this Earth.

Writers Shoichi Maruyama and Yoshihiro Nakamura did a great job in bringing the work of novelists Ryohei Akimoto and Kengo Ishiguro to a movie script. And director Yôichi Sai brought the story to life in a very enjoyable manner on the screen.

"Quill" is very nicely acted by the actors and actresses on the cast list, and you just can't help but fall in love with the adorable dog, Quill, itself.

Now, if you are the emotional type, then you might want to have a tissue or two at hand for this movie.

I can warmly recommend that you find the time to sit down and watch this 2004 timeless movie if you get the chance to do so. This is without a doubt a very beautiful and heartwarming movies. My rating of "Quill" lands on a well-deserved nine out of ten stars.

Wonderful movie

[kamkaprie · 10/10 · 21 November 2020]

One of the most beautiful and sweet movies about a puppy/grown-up dog. Very touching ending. I like the overall style in which it was filmed and the absence of sensationalism, which is so common and prevalent in today's films. Great family movie. Recommend. 10/10

Love This Film. Heartwarming and Dogs So Adorable

[rannynm · 3 August 2012]

KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Hunter Willow Jones (age 11) reviews the film below:

Video review here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhaV-vEmSdk I LOVE this movie! It is heartwarming and the dogs are so adorable. I was not actually looking forward to watching Quill; I mean the title didn't seem very interesting. Also, it is a Japanese film with English subtitles, which didn't excite me. But as the movie progressed I like it more and more. Quill is the story of one special guide dog; a yellow Labrador named Quill because of a unique brown spot on his side. Shown as a docudrama, Quill goes from a small puppy with its mother being picked to be a guide dog because of his calm nature and sent to live with a foster family that loves and cares for him until he is a year old and then he is off to school where he learns to be the eyes for a blind person. Though Quill does not seem to learn as quickly as the other dogs, Satoru Tawada (KippeiShiina), Quill's trainer, is patient and sees the potential in him. Quill is teamed up with Mr. Watanabe (Kaoru Kobayashi), who is not a dog lover and does not like being blind. Though the pair has a rocky start, Mr. Watanabe grows to trust and respect Quill. The ending is inspiring despite it being sad. Technically, Quill was average with good sound and cinematography. The dogs in Quill are simply amazing. They are so well trained. I thought they were the best actors in the film. The subtitles were a little distracting, I didn't like that I couldn't understand what was being said and had to read it, but as I got into the movie that became easier. I liked seeing what life was like in Japan and that there are differences from my town like the way the houses look, but there are more things that are same like how we love our pets. When my parents and I were done watching Quill we talked a lot about the movie from what it is like to be blind to how dogs are trained to be guide dogs to the story and characters. Quill made us smile, laugh and cry, but it also made us think. Quill was released in Japan in 2004, but has just been released in American in May 2012. Quill is a wonderful movie for any age, but it is better for kids who know how to read. Kids and adults both will enjoy it. I give Quill five stars!