The picture quality ranges from good to very good. There are some specks in the film but most of the movie is free of them. The colors look good and I didn't notice any artifacts. The transfer was done well with any inconsistencies being from the source print that was used. This is a better than average transfer. Not perfect, but great considering the age of the film.
The sound mostly comes from the front speakers and is mixed well. The dialogue wasn't overpowered by the music and effects. There isn't a choice for the soundtrack. The only option is the 5.1 Cantonese channel. As with most of Wong Kar-Wai's other movies, you will find the music quite enchanting. There is a Cantonese version of "Take My Breath Away" from the group Berlin.
AS TEARS GO BY is the story of a junior crime boss (Andy Lau) and his troublesome "Little Brother" (Jacky Cheung). Andy is constantly defending Jacky against rival bosses and paying his debts. Deep down, Jacky wants to be a "famous" gangster, even if the fame only lasts a little while. Andy falls in love with his cousin (Maggie Cheung) but he must save his "Little Brother" one last time.
If you've only seen Wong Kar-Wai's CHUNKING EXPRESS and FALLEN ANGELS, this will surprise you. AS TEARS GO BY is a Triad drama that really doesn't differ much from many of the Triad movies today other than the fact that it was made in 1988. The performances and the direction elevate this movie from just being an average Triad story.
The subtitles are a little small but are still easy to read. The spelling is fine through most of the movie but there are one or two times when it gets very bad. The grammar is also off at times. This is a minor distraction but worth mentioning.
There is a trailer for AS TEARS GO BY and DAYS OF BEING wild as extras. Not too much in the way of extras.
| DVD Released by : Mega Star |
| Player reviewed with : Sony S3000 |
| Receiver reviewed with : Sony 925 |
| Features: |
| Menu |
| Cantonese Soundtrack |
| Dolby Digital 5.1 remix |
| English,Chinese,Japanese,Korean,Bahasa Malaysia, |
| Bahasa Indonesia,Thai,Vietnam Subtitles |
| Trailer |
| Trailer for DAYS OF BEING WILD |
| Enhanced for 16 x 9 TVs |
| Running Time : 94 mins. |
I enjoyed this movie a lot. It shows the start of some of the ideas that Wong Kar-Wai would expand on in his later films. The performances by Andy Lau, Jacky Cheung, and Maggie Cheung are great. If you are a fan of this movie, don't miss this DVD.
