Like In the Mood For Love, this new 4K restoration on Blu-ray shows a heavy green cast over the visuals - more notable in the beginning of the film though. The overall image is darker and significantly sharper without the compression artifacts of the SD transfers. Most colors are bolder and this is a significant upgrade. It finally looks like 'film' as opposed to weak video.  The Blu-ray rendering is on a dual-layered disc with a max'ed out bitrate.

NOTE: We have added 28 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

The audio for the feature is via an uncompressed linear PCM mono track in the original Cantonese. The score is by Danny Chung (as Ting Yat Chung) (Happy Together) and Teddy Robin Kwan (Shanghai Shanghai). There is some brutal violence in As Tears Go By - but the uncompressed track exports an authentically flat impression without modest depth. Criterion add optional English subtitles (see samples below) on their Region 'A'-locked Blu-ray disc.

Criterion don't include many supplements.  There are alternate endings ("Happy" Ending" - 2:12 / "Extended Ending" - 2:31) taken from previous home-video releases. The two endings for As Tears Go By presented here differ from the original in tone, editing, and duration. There is also a trailer plus the World of Wong Kar Wai Blu-ray set has deluxe packaging, including a perfect-bound, French-fold book featuring lavish photography, an essay by critic John Powers, a director’s note, and six collectible art prints.

Wong Kar Wai's As Tears Go By doesn't export the level of emotional complexity that we would see with his later films. It has elements of a more typical, and commercial 80s Asian action gangster flic. There is plenty of uncomfortable violence but there are also hints of his artistry though characterizations and dialogue - elevating the film from the more standard of its genre. Another very important and worthy addition to the World of Wong Kar Wai Blu-ray set. I really enjoyed finally seeing this in a superior presentation. It made a big difference to my viewing experience.

Gary Tooze

***

ADDITION - Tartan (WKW Collection) -  Tartan made promise of their word and have now re-released both "Days of Being Wild" and "As Tears Go By" in correct Cantonese language, part of their WKW box, also including "2046".

As the previous edition, this also is the uncut version of the film. The image is minutely better defined in Tartans new transfer, but not visible when viewing.

Added to the DVD is an audio commentary by director Richard Jobson ("Sixteen years of Alcohol"). It is much the commentary of a fan, of a fellow film maker, who not only is influenced by WKW, but also uses music in a similar way in his own films.

 - Henrik Sylow

The Tartan is significantly different in all aspects.

It is a DVD5 edition. The film itself only takes up 3.5 GB.

The source is lacking the blue-ish sterile look of the Asian, and other, version(s). The source is on the other side less grainy. Details are virtually the same.

It is also a different scan. The frame has 2% to 2.5% less frame information left (depending on frame), and 2% to 2.5% more frame information right (depending on frame). And in one scene (frame #7), the scan is approx 11% different vertically, preferring cropped feet rather than cropped head.

The image itself is quiet decent, with a minimum of compression artifacts, as minor halos and some colour banding.

Where all other DVD releases of this film is in Cantonese, Tartan comes with a 2.0 Dolby Digital Mono Mandarin track. As this is a Hong Kong production, the language should be Cantonese. According to Tartan, they did request the Cantonese version, but recieved Mandarin.

But the real critical issue here is, that apart from the booklet, this is a DVD5 bare-boned release, and to ask £19,99 is really pushing the envelope to cash in on Wong and the January UK premiere of "2046".

BBFC originally cut the film by a few seconds. This version is uncut, showing Fly being hit in the chest by the metal gas container (57:16).