Echoes of the Rainbow Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Echoes of the Rainbow Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 23, 2010

Winner of the prestigious Crystal Bear award (Generation Kplus - Best Film) at the Berlin International Film Festival, Alex Law's "Echoes of the Rainbow" (2010) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Hong Kong-based distributors Mei Ah Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include cast and crew interviews; standard making of featurette; original theatrical trailer; and a collection of stills from the film. In Cantonese, with optional English, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Going home

Here’s a film that touches the heart in a very special way. It is titled Echoes of the Rainbow, it is directed by Hong Kong helmer Alex Law, and earlier this year went on to win the prestigious Crystal Bear award (Generation Kplus - Best Film) at the Berlin International Film Festival.

The story of the film revolves around a poor family living in 1960s Hong Kong. Mr. Law (Simon Yam, Election, Sparrow, Vengeance) is the head of the family and runs a small shop in a part of the city where most people can’t afford new shoes. Mrs. Law (Sandra Ng, Lady Enforcers, Golden Chicken) is a housewife who does everything a housewife is expected to do - clean and cook. Mr. and Mrs. Law have two sons - Big Ears (Buzz Chung), who has proclaimed himself "the first Hong Kong astronaut", and Desmond (Aarif Lee, Frozen), a terrific athlete who dreams about becoming a famous musician.

Life isn’t easy for the Laws but they do not complain. As long as there is food on their table and everyone is healthy, they are happy. Mr. Law does not like the fact that each month he has to pay a fee to the police for the right to work but there is nothing he could do about it - and Mrs. Lee agrees. Desmond knows that he should be getting better grades but he has met a girl, Flora (Evelyn Choi), whom he likes a lot, and at the moment studying hard isn’t something he is interested in. Big Ears is too young to have a girlfriend, which is why he has started exploring the city.

One day Desmond gets sick. After a quick visit to the local doctor, the Laws are informed that he has leukemia. They are advised to go to Peking to meet a specialist, who will suggest the most efficient way to treat his illness. Before the Laws leave, a powerful typhoon destroys their shop.

Mrs. Law, Big Ears and Desmond arrive in Peking. Unfortunately, the specialist informs Mrs. Law that there is no cure for Desmond and that he has little time left to live – which is why it is probably best that the Laws make the most of it.

Recreating director Law’s childhood years, Echoes of the Rainbow is a wonderful though sad personal film which effectively captures the uneasy socio-political climate in Hong Kong from the 1960s. From start to finish, every single frame of it oozes nostalgia.

The script is terrific, free of needless melodrama and overused cliches about longing and loss. The Laws deal with the bad news in the most simple of ways - they try to stay as close to each other as possible and cherish every moment they have left to live together.

It is important to note that despite its intimate tone Echoes of the Rainbow isn’t a film about the tragic death of a young man. Rather, it is a film about the end of an era - that of Hong Kong as a city of happy and hopeful people, and a time when life there was slower and more peaceful.

The cast is excellent. Simon Yam is great as the overworked Mr. Law who can’t get a break. Sandra Ng is terrific as the disillusioned mother who has to find a way to live with the fact that her son is dying. Aarif Lee looks very comfortable in front of the camera. With the exception of the moon cake debates, Buzz Chung’s performance is also pleasing.

Echoes of the Rainbow Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Alex Law's Echoes of the Rainbow arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Hong Kong-based distributors Mei Ah Entertainment.

Echoes of the Rainbow has a very unique look, one that appears to have been at least partially inspired by the look of Jean-Pierre Jeunet's Amelie; soft greens and browns are the dominant colors in it. Fine object detail is good - the close-ups are quite nice and the occasional panoramic vistas lovely. Clarity fluctuates but this is primarily due to the fact that the entire film has been intentionally color-filtered to achieve the specific look I mentioned above. Contrast levels are fairly consistent. Some traces of mild edge-enhancement are present; macroblocking, however, is not an issue of concern. During a couple of different scenes I noticed some very light compression artifacts, but they certainly did not affect negatively my viewing experience. Lastly, there are no stability issues to report in this review. I also did not see any serious damage marks, cuts, warps, stains, or debris. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).

Echoes of the Rainbow Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are three different audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: Cantonese Dolby TrueHD 7.1, Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, and Mandarin Dolby TrueHD 7.1. For the record, Mei Ah Entertainment have provided optional Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, and English subtitles for the main feature.

The Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track is very strong - it boasts a variety of nuanced dynamics that will impress those of you who like well mixed audio tracks. The bass is strong but not overly active (only during the typhoon footage it truly comes alive). The dialog is crisp, clean, stable, and very easy to follow. I did not detect any disturbing pops, cracks, or hissings to report in this review.

I tested a couple of scenes with the Cantonese Dolby TrueHD 7.1 track. Predictably, its dynamic characteristics are practically identical to those of the Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track. The dialog is equally crisp, clean, stable, and easy to follow.

Echoes of the Rainbow Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Interviews - a collage of interviews with different cast and crew members. Unfortunately, none of them are subtitled in English. In Cantonese. (Approx. 38 min, 480/60i).

Making of - a standard making of featurette divided into four chapters. In Cantonese, not subtitled in English.

-- The Shoemaker (3 min, 480/60i).
-- The Adolescence (6 min, 480/60i).
-- The Time Odyssey (4 min, 480/60i).
-- Mrs. Lo, The Heroine (3 min, 480/60i).

Trailer - the original theatrical trailer for the film. In Cantonese, not subtitled in English. (3 min, 1080p).

Photo Gallery - a collection of stills from the film.

Echoes of the Rainbow Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Alex Law's Echoes of the Rainbow reminded me a lot about Johnnie To's Sparrow - it overflows with nostalgia for a city that no longer exists. I literally felt as if I was transported back to the 1960s. The Blu-ray disc herein reviewed, courtesy of Hong Kong-based distributors Mei Ah Entertainment, looks and sounds good. It is also Region-Free. RECOMMENDED.