Journey from the Fall (2006) Blu-ray Review

War is never a good thing. Innocent lives are affected and people loose their lives and loved ones. We have had too many wars in the history of our world. One of the most controversial wars was that of The Vietnam War.

In 2006 Ham Tran wrote, directed and edited an 2006 independent film Vượt Sóng. Upon it's release it made it's way through the film festivals and garnered many awards. Now Whole Grain Pictures are giving this film a chance to live in your home in HD forever with the new Blu-ray release.

Synopsis: 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.

Journey from the Fall is a true and unflinching look at the life of South Vietnamese people in the aftermath of the Vietnam war. The unsettling look this film takes maybe a hard pill for the viewer to swallow. But it is an important one for people to grow and be more sympathetic to the plight of others.

Now everybody is going to have their own opinion of this film. Some may consider it a masterpiece while others may deem it a work of fiction. It is up to you to make up your own mind. One thing is for sure it is not without it's controversy as the Vietnamese government issued orders to confiscate all DVD copies and the film was banned for its "reactionary" content. 

Whole Grain Pictures has transferred Journey from the Fall to Blu-ray in 1080p and is presented in widescreen format in 1.85:1 aspect ratio. There are 3 audio options, Vietnamese 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Vietnamese 2.0 LPCM and Spanish  5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. There is also the options for English and Spanish subtitles. 

It is a beautiful transfer. The picture is crisp and clean with no signs of digital artifacts. The audio is clean. I just wished we could have had an English audio track. That would make it easier to focus on the film itself without focusing on reading subtitles. But Whole Grain Pictures added some very cool bonus features to this Blu-ray disc. Take a look at what is included.

* Original Soundtrack CD
* Full Length video commentary with cast and crew
* Alternate scenes, B-roll and onset footage
* Cast and Crew Interviews
* Original trailer and TV Spots
* Extensive historical testimonies and cultural notes

I always enjoy the addition of a good insightful commentary! And what really impresses me about the bonuses is the addition of the Original Soundtrack on CD. I love music as much as I do movies so whenever I see a CD soundtrack, it makes the release that much better!

There are some films that are made for entertainment and than there are some films that are made for education. Journey from the Fall is an educational film. So if you enjoy films that tell a story to teach the viewer something Journey from the Fall may be a film you want to add to your collection. Head over to Amazon and order your copy today! 


Out of 4 Film Reels (4 being the best) The Blu-ray of Journey from the Fall receives....