Immortal Story – 88 Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1986
Director: Yonfan
Writer: Yonfan
Cast: Sylvia Chang, Shingo Tsurumi, Paul Chun, Louis Fan, Teddy Lin

Release Date: July 29th, 2024
Approximate Running Time: 97 Minutes 10 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 15 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Cantonese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £14.99 (UK)

"A story of lost lives and lost souls, writer/director Yonfan delivers one of his strongest studies of human fragility. The movie focuses on the relationship between a chanteuse and her Japanese lover from the time they first meet to the present day where she is now at rock bottom and he’s a washed-up drug addict. With incredible performances from Sylvia Chang and Shingo Tsurumi, we act as a voyeur, dipping into their bleak, fragmented existences where others control their choices and the only the only light in their lives is their unbroken love." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray in 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio."

Immortal Story comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 25.5 GB

Feature: 24.3 GB

Though there is not much verbiage about this transfer’s source, it is in great shape. Flesh tones look healthy, colors look correct, image clarity and compression are solid, black levels are strong, and there are no issues with digital noise reduction.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Cantonese with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds clean, clear, and balanced, and range-wise, things sound very good.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a stills gallery with music from the film playing in the background, a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 14 seconds, LPCM mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), reversible cover art, and a clear plastic O-Ring (limited to the first pressing).

Summary:

Yonfan wrote and directed Immortal Story. He’s also known for A Certain Romance, Lost Romance, Double Fixation, and Last Romance.

A woman is accused of murdering her lover.

Immortal Story is a love story and a mystery; its narrative revolves around a woman’s tumultuous relationship with a man she met in their youth. In its opening moments, we see the woman holding her lover as he bleeds to death. From there the narrative alternates between the police interrogating her and memories of her dead lover. That said, the narrative does a phenomenal job building to what really happened between her and her lover that fateful day.

These two lovers' stories are far from idyllic; though they were inseparable in their youth, the distance between them made them drift apart. She is from China, while he is visiting from Japan. When he does not keep in touch, she moves on and becomes a chanteuse at a nightclub. Their paths would cross years later, when he returned to China on business. Unfortunately, she is now a broken soul hooked on drugs, which also happens to be the business he is now in.

Though all of the performances are excellent, they all pale in comparison to Sylvia Chang's (All About Ah-Long) portrayal of the protagonist Chang Mei Ling. She delivers a remarkable performance that perfectly captures her character's highs and lows. Another performance of note is Shingo Tsurumi (Typhoon Club), who portrays Nakamura, the protagonist's lover.

From a production standpoint, Immortal Story is a film that maximizes its resources. The well-executed narrative does a superb job building momentum to a twist ending that reveals who killed the protagonist's lover. Though Sylvia Chang’s performance takes center stage, the visuals and the score do an exceptional job of reinforcing the mood. Ultimately, Immortal Story is a tragic love story about star-crossed lovers whose moment of truth enhances all that came before it.

Immortal Story gets a strong audio/video presentation; recommended despite its lack of contextual extras.

Written by Michael Den Boer