April 30, 1975, marked the end of Vietnam’s two-decade-old civil war and the start of the exodus of hundreds of thousands of refugees. Despite his alliance to the toppled South Vietnamese government, Long Nguyen (as Long Nguyen) decides to remain in Vietnam. Imprisoned in a Communist re-education camp, he urges his family to make the escape by boat without him. His wife Mai (Diem Lien), son Lai (Nguyen Thai Nguyen) and mother Ba Noi (Kieu Chinh) then embark on the arduous ocean voyage in the hope of reaching the U.S. and freedom.

Inspired by the true stories of Vietnamese refugees who fled their land after the fall of Saigon, and those who were forced to stay behind, Journey from the Fall follows one family’s struggle for freedom.

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Video Quality

Journey from the Fall debuts on Blu-Ray courtesy of Whole Grain Pictures with a digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1 that looks quite nice. It would appear we came close to this being a lost film, as this new transfer is sourced from the last remaining copy of the film’s HD transfer. The original film elements are thought to have been lost after the closure of a Thailand laboratory, but the label was able to perform some additional restoration to make it look the best possible. Considering the scarcity of the film, the results are a welcome sight.

The presentation retains the natural filmic quality with admirable image stability and delineation. Being able to work from the negative would be preferable, but the grain is still rendered pretty well with only small bouts of clumping. This has been restored with care and few signs of lingering damage. Detail and clarity are favorable with rich texture in the costumes and landscapes. The colors are somewhat earthy and dour to match the tone, and they are faithfully saturated. The skin tones are accurate with distinct features such as stubble and perspiration easily observable. Black levels are firm well with no major moments of crush or banding observed. Whole Grain Pictures has lifted this one up to its most pleasing form possible.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio and an LPCM 2.0 track primarily in Vietnamese that handles this experience quite well. Dialogue comes through clearly in harmony with competing elements. Music is a key element of this emotional journey with a very effective soundtrack complementing action with first-rate fidelity. There does not appear to be any serious signs of age-related wear to this such as sibilance or distortion. The environmental elements such as the moaning of sick refugees on the boat add a visceral din of sound that makes the world feel more upsetting. This is a fantastic audio track. There are optional English, English SDH, and Spanish subtitles provided.

Special Features

The Making of Journey From The Fall: A 39-minute archival documentary in which the cast and creative team discuss the history behind this story, why it was important to be told from a Vietnamese perspective, the challenges of getting it to the screen, the shooting locations, and much more that is worth watching.

Alternate Cut – Packaging Sequence: A minute-and-a-half alternate take on a key scene.

Alternate Ending: A nine-minute alternate conclusion to the film.

Cast & Crew Roundtable (2006): A 130-minute commentary track recording with the cast and creative team has been provided as a video that allows you to see some of the visuals mentioned like concept art and sheet music. This is a really fun addition that adds a ton of important context.

Cast & Crew Interviews (2006): A nearly six-minute featurette in which the cast and creative team discuss their experiences making the film.

Original Trailer (2:24)

TV Spots (1:00)

Promotional Featurette: A nearly five-minute look at the creation of the film with interviews and production footage.

TV Intro from Kieu Chinh (2006): Two intros are provided by the actor in English and Vietnamese.

B-Roll Footage (6:47)

Blu-Ray Trailer (2:19)

Historical Features

- Testimonials: A 33-minute educational piece that features testimonies from those who lived through similar experiences as those depicted in the film.

- The Legend of Le Loi (Text Gallery)

- Historical Background (Text Gallery)

Original Score: A CD Soundtrack is included as an additional disc in this package.

Final Thoughts

Journey from the Fall is a terrific underseen gem that tells a vital story without indulging in emotional manipulation. There are numerous unimaginable horrors depicted on screen, yet there is a control in the direction that achieves the right balance. It is not only the internment camps that provide the gut punch, but experiences once in the “land of the free” show that things are not made automatically better due to geography. All of the performers young and experienced are really great in their roles. Whole Grain Pictures has delivered a Blu-Ray featuring a favorable A/V presentation and a fine array of special features. Check this one out if it sounds the slightest bit interesting to you. Recommended

Journey from the Fall is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Whole Grain Pictures has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.