The first independent film released in post-Handover Hong Kong, director Fruit Chan’s atmospheric shoestring-budget character study is a rough-and-ready piece of work shot on grainy leftover 35mm short ends in the city’s overcrowded subsidized housing projects. The result is a tough, pessimistic film, a portrait of a city on the brink that follows the drifting of high school dropout and wannabe Triad tough Autumn Moon (Sam Lee, in a star-making role, opposite a largely nonprofessional cast), who sees little hope for his future or that of his home as a newly created Special Administrative Region within China. A raw, groundbreaking drama and portrait of nihilistic youth in the same vein as Rebel Without a Cause (Nicholas Ray, 1955), My Own Private Idaho (Gus Van Sant, 1991), and The Doom Generation (Gregg Araki, 1995), the film poses questions that remain burningly relevant as tumult engulfs Hong Kong. The 4K restoration was carried out in the Hong Kong and Bologna headquarters of L’Immagine Ritrovata, made from the original camera negative with the supervision of director Fruit Chan and cinematographer O Sing-Pui.

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[youtube https://youtu.be/ZKxNTPdeCv4?si=Ws1k4BpOziHkKnck&t=5433]

Video Quality

Made In Hong Kong comes to Blu-Ray with a formidable new digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer in its original 1.85:1 Original Aspect Ratio derived from a 4K restoration under the supervision of director Fruit Chan and cinematographer O Sing-Pui. This new restoration captures the original gritty look of the leftover 35mm film with a refined grain structure that resolves evenly without getting clumpy or noisy. This transfer reveals subtle details within this particular location that are as much of a character in this story as the individuals. Every facet of the production design, clothing, and other background elements are observed with prominence. Print damage and other flaws have been cleaned up considerably, and overall clarity and detail are impressive. Black levels are strong with nice detail in shadows and next to nothing in the way of crush. Metrograph Pictures and Kino Lorber have given this film a nice second life.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray disc comes with a fine DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track in the original Cantonese with optional English subtitles. The film conjures up a notable soundscape of city sounds that allow the world to feel properly lived-in, and these environmental sounds are rendered admirably alongside everything else. Dialogue stays focused clearly in the center channel of the mix without being overshadowed by competing sounds. The music that comes through does not show any signs of weakness. The track does not experience any egregious instances of age-related wear and tear. This audio presentation brings this story to life quite well overall.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Film critics Sean Gilman and Ryan Swen provide a great commentary track in which they discuss the career of Fruit Chan, how this fits into Hong Kong cinema, analysis of the visual composition, the themes on display, the visual motifs, the political happenings of the time, and more that aids in your appreciation of the film.

Interview with Director Fruit Chan: A nearly 48-minute interview with the filmmaker in which he discusses his early film career, why he decided to make a film about the handover, the scrappy nature of the production, how they went about finding the performers, the most difficult aspects of the production, the themes being explored, and more.

Interview with Producer Doris Yang: A seven-minute interview with the producer in which she discusses her collaborations with Fruit Chan, what she did as a producer, the hands-off nature of her assistance, and more.

Interview with Producer Daniel Yu: A 13-minute interview with the line producer in which he discusses his friendship with Fruit Chan, the Hong Kong film industry of the time, and more.

Re-Release Trailer: This disc provides the minute-and-a-half Re-Release trailer.

Final Thoughts

Made In Hong Kong is a gritty exhale of discontent brought to life during an emotionally charged time by director Fruit Chan. The frustration bubbling within these youthful characters can make them a bit emotionally volatile and abrasive, but you can empathize with them on some level. The scrappy nature of the production lends a certain authenticity to the proceedings that you cannot so easily fake. The performances are pretty good all around, and the film lingers in your mind for a while after you have walked away from it. Metrograph Pictures and Kino Classics have delivered a Blu-Ray with a really good A/V presentation and a welcome selection of supplements. Recommended

Made In Hong Kong will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray and Digital on December 19, 2023.

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

Disclaimer: Metrograph Pictures and Kino Lorber have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.