Rouge – 88 Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1988
Director: Stanley Kwan
Writers: Yau Tai Ping On, Lilian Lee Pik Wah
Cast: Anita Mui, Leslie Cheung, Alex Man, Irene Wan, Emily Chu, Kara Hui, Lau Kar-wing, Patrick Tse, Ruby Wong

Release Date: January, 20th, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 97 Minutes 36 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 15 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Cantonese, DTS-HD 5.1 Cantonese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £14.99 (UK)

"Cantopop icons Anita Mui and Leslie Cheung play doomed lovers—a humble courtesan and a wealthy heir—bound by a tragic 1930s suicide pact. Fifty years later, she returns to Hong Kong seeking him, pulling a young couple into her quest to rekindle their love." - 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 4K 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."

Rouge comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 35.1 GB

Feature: 27.4 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.

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

This release comes with two audio options, a LPCM mono mix in Cantonese and a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in Cantonese. Both audio tracks sound clean, clear, balanced, and robust when they should. Included are removable English subtitles.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a stills gallery (23 images - stills/posters), Hong Kong theatrical trailer (4 minutes 38 seconds, LPCM mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with director Stanley Kwan (12 minutes 29 seconds, LPCM stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an interview with Stanley Kwan titled Another Kind of Chinese Ghost Story (21 minutes 4 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), reversible cover art, an O-ring slipcase (limited to the first pressing), and a 40 page booklet (limited to the first pressing) with cast & crew information, an essay title #Love in Memory of Willie Chan written by Thorsten Boose, and archival images.

Summary:

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

A ghost looking for her lost lover befriends a newspaper and his girlfriend.

Rouge is a story about doomed lovers who made a suicide pact. Unable to be together in this life, their plan is to reunite in the afterlife. Things go awry when one of them does not reappear where they promised to meet 50 years later. After an initial setup in the past that lays the foundation for what follows, the remainder of the narrative alternates between the past and the present.

The well-executed narrative seamlessly cuts between past and present moments. Flashbacks to the past do a superb job of fleshing out the ghost's and her lover's backstory. Everything comes into focus as the ghost remembers more about the events from the last night she spent with her lover.

As great as all of the performances are, they are all overshadowed by Anita Mui’s (The Heroic Trio) portrayal of Fleur, the ghost looking for her long-lost lover. She delivers a captivating performance of a tortured soul longing for the love she once had. The other performance of note is Leslie Cheung's (Days of Being Wild) portrayal of Fleur’s lover. Though he has limited screen time, it is impactful.

Though Rouge is a melodrama rooted in tragedy whose tone leans towards melancholy, its use of humor is very effective. Most of the humor comes from the ghost's initial interactions with the newspaper man, who does not want to believe her. Another surprising aspect of Rouge is how it handles fantasy elements.

From a production standpoint, there is no area where Rouge does not excel. The production and costume design is exemplary, and the visuals do a phenomenal job heightening the mood. Another strength is Tang Siu Lam’s (Project A) score, which perfectly reinforces the mood. Ultimately, Rouge is a tragic love story that quickly draws you in and stays with you long after its moment of truth.

Rouge gets an excellent release from 88 Films that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and a trio of insightful extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer