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Love Unto Waste – 88 Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1986
Director: Stanley Kwan
Writers: Yau-tai On-ping, Lai Kit
Cast: Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Irene Wan, Elaine Jin, Tsai Chin, Chow Yun-fat, Elaine Chow, Winnie Yu, Yip Koon-chip

Release Date: January, 20th, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 98 Minutes 18 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 15 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Cantonese, DTS-HD 5.1 Cantonese, DTS-HD 5.1 Mandarin
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £14.99 (UK)

"Tony Leung stars as a listless young man drifting through the glamorous yet hollow nightlife of 1980s Hong Kong. When his close friend is found murdered, Tony and his friends find themselves entangled in an emotional and psychological struggle to make sense of their shattered lives." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Presented by Fortune Star Media Limited, the restoration of the film was carried out from the original 35mm picture and optical soundtrack negative. The prints were repaired, cleaned and scanned in Hong Kong, then digitally restored in 2K resolution in Bologna, Italy by L'Immagine Ritrovata. Endorsed by the director, Stanley Kwan, the color correction was completed by Interface Video Production Ltd in Hong Kong."

Love Unto Waste comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 33.4 GB

Feature: 30.7 GB

The source looks excellent; fleshy tones look correct, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image retains an organic look. That said, grain looks thicker in some darker scenes.

Audio: 4.5/5 (LPCM Mono Cantonese), 4.25/5 (DTS-HD 5.1 Cantonese, DTS-HD 5.1 Mandarin)

This release comes with three audio options, a LPCM mono mix in Cantonese, a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in Cantonese, and a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in Mandarin. Though all audio tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced, the clear winner is the mono audio track. Included are three removable English subtitle tracks: one for each Cantonese language track and one for the Mandarin language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a stills gallery with music, Hong Kong theatrical trailer (4 minutes 40 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), reversible cover art, and an O-ring slipcase (limited to the first pressing).

Summary:

Stanley Kwan directed Love Unto Waste. He is known for Women, Rouge, Red Rose White Rose, and Hold You Tight.

There is so much more to Hong Kong cinema than martial arts and heroic bloodshed films. Case in point, Love Unto Waste, a different kind of Hong Kong film than the ones that most western audiences are familiar with. Love Unto Waste is a film about four friends that starts off as a melodrama before morphing into a mystery when one of the friends is found dead.

The opening act sets up who all the characters are and their relations to each other. The middle act sees them deal with the loss of their friend. And everything comes full circle by the last act when their group becomes a foursome when the officer investigates their friend's death.

All around all of the performances are outstanding; with the most surprising being Chow Yun-fat’s (The Killer) portrayal of the detective. When one thinks of a detective, especially in a Hong Kong film, they are usually tough guys that bend the rules. Chow Yun-fat’s character in Love Unto Waste is the polar opposite of this norm; he is an empathic character who connects with the victims on an emotional level. 1986 was a busy year for Chow Yun-fat, who made 11 films, which included his breakout film, A Better Tomorrow. Another strength of all of the performances is the cast's onscreen chemistry.

Though Hong Kong films are known for their blending of genres, the tonal shifts in Love Unto Waste are jarring. The opening setup is four friends hanging out, having a good time, and enjoying each other's company. The first of these jarring shifts happens with the discovery of one of the four friends' dead body. Then by the time the last act comes around, there is another shift, which takes on a melancholy tone.

Love Unto Waste is a character-driven film; its well-executed narrative does a superb job building towards its bittersweet finale. At its heart is a film about characters living empty lives, searching for happiness, and a deeper meaning to life. Though Stanley Kwan’s direction lets the performances take center stage, Love Unto Waste has a few stylish moments visually. Ultimately, Love Unto Waste is a thought-provoking melodrama that stays with you long after its final moment.

Love Unto Waste gets a solid audio/video presentation from 88 Films; highly recommended despite its lack of contextual extras.