IMDb RATING
7.4/10
2.5K
YOUR RATING
The ups and downs of a Hong Kong family and their shoe shop as seen through the eyes of their eccentric eight-year-old son.The ups and downs of a Hong Kong family and their shoe shop as seen through the eyes of their eccentric eight-year-old son.The ups and downs of a Hong Kong family and their shoe shop as seen through the eyes of their eccentric eight-year-old son.
- Awards
- 10 wins & 17 nominations total
Aarif Lee
- Desmond Law
- (as Aarif)
- …
Paul Chun
- Big Uncle - barber
- (as Paul Chiang)
Lawrence Ah-Mon
- Goldfish Seller
- (as Lawrence Lau)
Chun Chau Ha
- Mrs. Law's Father (Guest star)
- (as Ng Kam Chuen)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
I was surprised that this film won an award at an international film festival. I am not being racist, being a Hong Kong person myself. I didn't know that Westerners would appreciate the charm and quaintness of "unspoilt" urban Hong Kong.
This film is so full of 60s old Hong Kong flavour, that it will certainly churn up collective memories of old timers like myself. The street scenes coupled with all the other little bits and pieces of prop were so authentic that one could hear "ooohs" and "aaahs" from the audience. It was really heart-warming to see (and remember) that family closeness once existed in "ancient" times.
Being a woman, I was prepared that this would be chick-flick with a lot of tear jerking scenes, because I read a bit of blurb about the story. Fortunately, the whole movie is not all teary -- there were a lot of comical moments at the start, especially from the young star. (However, I just dislike his brawling scenes, which I found unusual for a boy of 8 years young.)
Overall, I would say this film is a "should watch", especially for locals -- to support the local film industry and to reminiscence old times.
This film is so full of 60s old Hong Kong flavour, that it will certainly churn up collective memories of old timers like myself. The street scenes coupled with all the other little bits and pieces of prop were so authentic that one could hear "ooohs" and "aaahs" from the audience. It was really heart-warming to see (and remember) that family closeness once existed in "ancient" times.
Being a woman, I was prepared that this would be chick-flick with a lot of tear jerking scenes, because I read a bit of blurb about the story. Fortunately, the whole movie is not all teary -- there were a lot of comical moments at the start, especially from the young star. (However, I just dislike his brawling scenes, which I found unusual for a boy of 8 years young.)
Overall, I would say this film is a "should watch", especially for locals -- to support the local film industry and to reminiscence old times.
In Chinese word "Shoes are half hard, and half are good. You have to believe in it." Life is better when there are difficulties, and believe it or not, what you believe in is an intriguing topic through the ages.
The film "Echoes of the Rainbow" is already a very old Hong Kong film in my impression, and the scattered ones can always leave memories of this film on the movie channel. This is already a childhood memory. When I grew up, I watched movies in china and abroad, including Hong Kong and Taiwan, but I forgot this masterpiece. Today I regain my childhood memories and read it all over again. There are many things that are worth learning and contemplating.
Mrs. Luo said that "people must believe". After watching the movie, I have been thinking about what people want to believe, whether to believe in God or believe in fate. If you believe in God, will you really have no worries about food and clothing, and will not disturb you? If you believe in fate, will life really go on in the footsteps arranged by fate? What do people believe all their lives?
The Mr. Luo's family is a positive image that cannot be beaten. Even after experiencing all kinds of hardships in life, they still don't give up doing their best to support this family. When the typhoon came, Lao Luo tried his best to protect the house. He kept chanting "keep the roof, keep the roof", and Brother took care of his little brother everywhere, and Mrs. Tai was also thinking about his two sons everywhere. Although a serious illness took Jin yi young life, Mr. Luo also gone a few years later. Originally a happy and happy home for four people, in the end only two people were left to stick to the roof. Perhaps Mrs. Tai believes in the arrangement of fate, and this "arrangement of fate" in her heart is that the elder son's illness will finally get better, and the family life will get better and better... The truth is cruel, and the elder's illness has not been cured. And she did not grow old with my husband. The result seemed very unsatisfactory, as if to say "this is a tragic story." But interested audiences will understand the role of "little brother" here. At the end of the story, Mrs. Luo and the younger brother saw the two rainbows what Jinyi said, and the mother took her son's hand towards the end of the story. In my opinion, this is not a tragedy. Mrs. Luo always believed that she did not believe it wrong, but the ending used another way to prove that she was right. Although she has lost her eldest son and husband, she still has a little son to accompany her. Both the little son and the eldest are played by Li Zhiyan, which also represents some spiritual sustenance. In fact, the family is still together, and it seems that they have never been separated.
This is not just a family story, the family relationship is also mixed with the beauty of love. From the love between Jin Yi and Fang Fei in a young age, and the love between Lao Luo and his wife to the middle-aged, the beauty of the world is everywhere. In fact, life is not that difficult, "one step is difficult, one step is good, one step is good, one step is difficult." In times of difficulty, there will always be family members and lovers to bear with you, and in times of good, there will always be people who share the joy of happiness with you. This is life. No one can really distinguish whether life is difficult or good. The life both on it. When suffering is exhausted, it will come willingly, and when willingly comes, you must be prepared for suffering.
People must believe and have faith in their hearts, and life will treat themselves kindly.
Echoes of the Rainbow provides an autobiographical look back at 60's Hong Kong for the director. Trouble with films like this is that they will always mean more to the maker than the audience. There's a lot to appreciate, from the wonderful recreation of the 60's, the well chosen soundtrack, and a heartfelt performance from the young lead. Outside of that, it is sometimes episodic and melodramatic, but luckily never for too long. Whenever a director makes a film like this it is both uplifting and depressing. With all the memories squeezed into two hours, real or not, it's very predictable. The best parts were when it focused on the young boy, being punished at school, going to the cinema, faking autographs etc. Overall a nice film.
MOVIES often transport us to worlds of fantasy and hype. This one, however, strives for nostalgic realism, tempering yesteryear charm and familial bond with a touch of tragedy. It is not a movie for the masses but "Echoes Of The Rainbow" is a rare gem for film buffs who look for something different from the familiar fare.
It will take you back to the Sixties, at the time when Neil Armstrong walked the moon, and maybe wring a tear or two out of you...
The film is about eight-year-old Big Ears (Buzz Chung Siu To, who narrates), growing up on Wing Lee Street in Hong Kong's Sheung Wan district, where his father (Simon Yam) runs a shoe shop on one end while his uncle owns a hair salon at the opposite end. Together, they take care of their customers' top and bottom, or so they boast.
Big Ears is a spoilt brat who makes a hobby of pinching stuff, quite unlike his elder brother Desmond (singer Aarif Lee) who is both a model student and a top athlete in school. The narrative follows the adventures of the two brothers, with Desmond courting the demure Flora (Evelyn Choi) - and Big Ears wearing a fish bowl on his head, dreaming of becoming Hong Kong's first astronaut.
The first thing that grabs us is the movie's attention to detail, recreating a part of Hong Kong that vibrates with local street life and small-time enterprise. The mood of nostalgia is further enhanced by director Law Kai Yu's inclusion of catchy Sixties songs, especially those of the Monkees, that Desmond loves to listen on the transistor radio. In this world, poverty may be romanticised with the neighbourhood community gathering together for dinner but the dark side, of widespread bribe-taking and corrupt cops and nurses, is also explored.
The cast is exemplary too, with young Buzz Chung effortlessly stealing the show from Aarif Lee and even veteran Yam. Chung helps to give the film a touch of playfulness and naivete, showing us Big Ear's kiddie point of view. Lee is rather bland in his role as the 'model son' and student but Sandra Ng is in her element as the resourceful and sweet-tongued mother. I find the ending rather melodramatic and predictable. Still, it seems the only way to close the story.
This movie won the Crystal Bear Award at the 60th Berlin Film Festival for Best New Generation Film and has been nominated for six prizes at the Hong Komng Film Awards. A rare and refreshing family movie. - By LIM CHANG MOH (limchangmoh.blogspot.com)
It will take you back to the Sixties, at the time when Neil Armstrong walked the moon, and maybe wring a tear or two out of you...
The film is about eight-year-old Big Ears (Buzz Chung Siu To, who narrates), growing up on Wing Lee Street in Hong Kong's Sheung Wan district, where his father (Simon Yam) runs a shoe shop on one end while his uncle owns a hair salon at the opposite end. Together, they take care of their customers' top and bottom, or so they boast.
Big Ears is a spoilt brat who makes a hobby of pinching stuff, quite unlike his elder brother Desmond (singer Aarif Lee) who is both a model student and a top athlete in school. The narrative follows the adventures of the two brothers, with Desmond courting the demure Flora (Evelyn Choi) - and Big Ears wearing a fish bowl on his head, dreaming of becoming Hong Kong's first astronaut.
The first thing that grabs us is the movie's attention to detail, recreating a part of Hong Kong that vibrates with local street life and small-time enterprise. The mood of nostalgia is further enhanced by director Law Kai Yu's inclusion of catchy Sixties songs, especially those of the Monkees, that Desmond loves to listen on the transistor radio. In this world, poverty may be romanticised with the neighbourhood community gathering together for dinner but the dark side, of widespread bribe-taking and corrupt cops and nurses, is also explored.
The cast is exemplary too, with young Buzz Chung effortlessly stealing the show from Aarif Lee and even veteran Yam. Chung helps to give the film a touch of playfulness and naivete, showing us Big Ear's kiddie point of view. Lee is rather bland in his role as the 'model son' and student but Sandra Ng is in her element as the resourceful and sweet-tongued mother. I find the ending rather melodramatic and predictable. Still, it seems the only way to close the story.
This movie won the Crystal Bear Award at the 60th Berlin Film Festival for Best New Generation Film and has been nominated for six prizes at the Hong Komng Film Awards. A rare and refreshing family movie. - By LIM CHANG MOH (limchangmoh.blogspot.com)
It took me a long time to see the Time Thief. The thief of time is good, but it is still inferior to the sun and moon around Tianshui. After all, the traces deliberately carved by the time thief are too heavy, while the sun and moon around Tianshuiwei truly achieve a subtle and natural moistening effect, yet contain even more silent tension. But as two outstanding Hong Kong films, Time Thief also bears a sense of mission for the revival of Hong Kong cinema.
Everyone has a memory stolen by time. Tears streamed down my face, but I didn't feel any emotional excitement at all. The pace may be slow, but it is not trivial. I really like Li Zhiting's performance. This touching moment came incredibly naturally, truly, and simply. Difficult step, better step. One step is difficult, one step is better. With such parents, don't we have a reason to see two rainbows appearing in the sky at the same time.
Everyone has a memory stolen by time. Tears streamed down my face, but I didn't feel any emotional excitement at all. The pace may be slow, but it is not trivial. I really like Li Zhiting's performance. This touching moment came incredibly naturally, truly, and simply. Difficult step, better step. One step is difficult, one step is better. With such parents, don't we have a reason to see two rainbows appearing in the sky at the same time.
Did you know
- TriviaWing Lee Street, the setting and filming location, had been subjected to a redevelopment plan despite objections by the locals as the street; however, its success at the Berlin International Film Festival ensured the protesters' wishes, as the Urban Renewal Authority (URA), who proposed the redevelopment, abandoned the plan.
- ConnectionsReferenced in E gun tian shi (2015)
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Echoes of the Rainbow
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross worldwide
- $3,106,414
- Runtime1 hour 57 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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