Echoes of the Rainbow 2010
Directed by
Ann Hui
Made by
BIG Pictures
Echoes of the Rainbow Plot Summary
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Set in late 1960s Hong Kong, the film follows the Law family—Mr. Law, Mrs. Law, and their two sons, Desmond Law Chun-yat and Law Chun-yi—who live in a small shoe shop on Wing Lee Street in Sheung Wan. Desmond is the elder brother and a standout student: he earns top grades, is a gifted musician, and shines as a champion runner at the prestigious Diocesan Boys’ School, beloved by classmates and teachers. He also has a girlfriend, Flora, who comes from an affluent family.
Flora’s family eventually immigrates from Hong Kong to the United States, a move that coincides with a decline in Desmond’s academic performance and school life. As Desmond faces growing pressure, he becomes aware of the sharper edges of Hong Kong society—through encounters with a cocky British policeman who extorts money from his father in exchange for keeping the family shop, and who proclaims that Desmond will never be successful because his English isn’t good enough. These moments illuminate the social inequalities surrounding him, and the contrast between Desmond’s potential and the world around him becomes more pronounced when Flora’s departure destabilizes the family’s routine.
After Flora returns from abroad, Desmond’s health deteriorates. He collapses and is diagnosed with leukemia, sending his parents on a desperate search for care. In the hospital, he endures harsh treatment from nurses who opportunistically extract money for basic care, highlighting further the vulnerabilities faced by the family. Chun-yi, who loves his brother and spends much of his time stealing trinkets around town, tries to lift Desmond’s spirits by offering small gifts, but Desmond does not accept them.
Flora visits Desmond in the hospital and the two share a first kiss, a fleeting moment of happiness before the illness overwhelms him. Desmond passes away, leaving a space in the family and in Chun-yi’s life that his younger brother will carry forward. Years later, Chun-yi, now a teenager, narrates the story and remarks that time is the greatest thief.
time is the greatest thief
In the final scenes, Chun-yi and their mother visit Desmond’s grave. The film closes with Chun-yi recounting a lesson Desmond had taught him about double rainbows, a memory that gives his childhood innocence a lasting, if bittersweet, resonance.
Echoes of the Rainbow Timeline
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A close-knit Law family in Wing Lee Street
In late 1960s Hong Kong, the Law family runs a small shoe shop on Wing Lee Street. Desmond is the elder son, a stellar student, a gifted musician, and a celebrated runner at Diocesan Boys' School. He is supported by his parents as he looks toward a promising future.
Flora's departure destabilizes Desmond's world
Flora's affluent family leaves for the United States, taking her away from Hong Kong. Desmond's world begins to shift as the routine of school and romance cracks under growing pressures. His once spotless academic performance starts to decline.
A policeman’s coercive grip on the shop
Outside the family shop, a cocky British policeman extorts money from Desmond's father for 'protection,' exposing the harsher side of colonial Hong Kong. He belittles Desmond, claiming his English isn't good enough to succeed. The encounter leaves a sharp impression of social inequality on the young man.
Academic decline shadows the promise
As pressure mounts, Desmond's grades slip and his school life loses its former glow. The gap between his potential and the realities of Hong Kong becomes increasingly painful. The family clings to routines that begin to fray under strain.
Flora returns, but trouble lingers
Flora's return from abroad briefly reconnects Desmond to a sense of normalcy, but the renewed contact seems to intensify the pressure he feels. The family senses that bigger changes are ahead. The couple's future remains uncertain.
Leukemia enters the picture
Desmond collapses and is diagnosed with leukemia, sending the family into a desperate search for care. His illness shatters the fragile balance at home and school, forcing everyone to confront the fragility of life. The hospital becomes the arena where hope and fear contend.
Hospitals reveal harsher truths
In the hospital, nurses opportunistically extract money for basic care, highlighting the vulnerabilities of families like theirs. Desmond endures harsh treatments as his condition worsens. The ordeal exposes inequities in care that echo broader social inequalities.
Chun-yi’s quiet support
Chun-yi, Desmond's younger brother, loves his sibling and tries to lift his spirits by offering small gifts and moments of companionship. Desmond does not always accept the offerings, but the bond between brothers remains strong. The hospital room becomes a space of family love amid despair.
A bittersweet kiss amid the illness
Flora visits Desmond in the hospital and they share a first kiss, a fleeting moment of happiness before the illness overwhelms him. The kiss offers brief respite from the surrounding sorrow. It lingers in memory as a poignant, bittersweet note.
Desmond’s passing leaves a void
Desmond ultimately passes away, leaving a void in the family and in Chun-yi's life that will shape the younger brother's future. The loss marks a turning point for everyone, contrasting memory with absence. The hospital silence gives way to quiet mourning that echoes through the home.
Years later, time as thief
Years pass and Chun-yi, now a teenager, narrates the story, reflecting that time is the greatest thief. He carries forward the memory of his brother and the lessons whispered in youth. The narrative shift emphasizes how love and loss persist beyond the years.
Desmond’s grave and double rainbows
In the final scenes, Chun-yi and his mother visit Desmond's grave, the memory of a lesson about double rainbows giving his childhood innocence a lasting, bittersweet resonance. Time’s passage underscores the enduring beauty and fragility of memory. The film closes on that quiet, hopeful note.
Echoes of the Rainbow Characters
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Desmond Law Chun-yat (Aarif Rahman)
The elder son, a standout student, gifted musician, and champion runner who is beloved by classmates and teachers. His promising trajectory is abruptly challenged by Flora’s departure and later by leukemia, revealing the fragile balance between potential and real-world obstacles. His illness becomes a focal point of the family’s struggle for care and dignity.
Law Chun-yi
The younger brother who loves his elder sibling and spends much of his time stealing trinkets, a sign of youthful mischief and longing. He narrates the story years later, framing time and memory as central to his childhood. His presence provides a compassionate, observational lens on the family’s events.
Flora
Desmond’s girlfriend from an affluent family whose departure to the United States unsettles the family’s routine and accelerates changes in Desmond’s life. Her absence marks a turning point in the emotional landscape of the household and highlights the social divide between her background and the Law family’s struggles.
Mr. Law
The father and owner of the small shoe shop who bears the weight of keeping the family afloat amidst extortion and economic pressure. He embodies perseverance and responsibility, striving to protect his wife and sons while navigating a harsh city.
Mrs. Law
The mother whose endurance anchors the family through illness and financial stress. She provides emotional support and care, confronting the realities of hospital care and the family’s precarious finances with quiet strength.
Grandmother
The grandmother figure whose presence adds continuity and wisdom to the household. Her role underscores traditional family bonds and the memory of past generations guiding present choices.
Echoes of the Rainbow Settings
Learn where and when Echoes of the Rainbow (2010) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.
Time period
Late 1960s
Set in the late 1960s, a period of rapid change and visible social contrasts in colonial Hong Kong. The era shapes opportunities for the educated Desmond while exposing the family to external pressures, including economic hardship and a pervasive sense of inequality. The departure of Flora to the United States marks a turning point, illustrating the pull of global mobility on local lives. Time becomes a quiet, accumulating force as youth, health, and family security hinge on uncertain fortunes.
Location
Wing Lee Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
The story centers on a modest shoe shop on Wing Lee Street in Sheung Wan, a busy urban district that reflects the working-class roots of late 1960s Hong Kong. The shop is a small, intimate world where family life unfolds amid crowded streets and bustling markets. This neighborhood setting serves as a stage for social tensions, economic pressure, and the daily rhythms of a family trying to hold on to cultural and financial stability.
Echoes of the Rainbow Themes
Discover the main themes in Echoes of the Rainbow (2010). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.
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Time
Time frames the family’s arc from bright promise to loss. Desmond’s peak—top grades, musical talent, and athletic success—collides with illness and shifting opportunities as Flora leaves and the world changes around them. The refrain “time is the greatest thief” underscores memory’s fragility and the speed with which youth slips away. The narrative uses memory to measure what remains after Desmond’s decline.
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Social Inequality
The film exposes the social gaps of 1960s Hong Kong, where wealthier circles assume advantage and everyday burdens fall on working families. Encounters with a boastful British policeman reveal how external power structures threaten the Law family’s security. The hospital and healthcare dynamics further highlight vulnerability and exploitation. The contrast between Flora’s affluence and the family’s financial struggles intensifies the sense of injustice.
🏡
Family
Family loyalties anchor the story as Desmond and Law-yi navigate love, ambition, and illness. The parents’ insistence on care and stability is tested by external pressures and by Desmond’s deteriorating health. Chun-yi’s devotion to his brother—along with his own small acts of mischief—adds warmth and resilience to the family portrait. The final reflections on Desmond’s memory cement the family’s enduring bond beyond loss.
Echoes of the Rainbow Spoiler-Free Summary
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In the sweltering summer of 1969, a tightly‑knit neighborhood on Wing Lee Street hums with the clatter of market stalls, the scent of spices, and the relentless rhythm of a city in transition. Against this backdrop, a modest shoe shop becomes the heart of a family’s daily life, its worn wooden floorboards echoing the hopes and hardships of a community that clings to tradition while the world around it shifts. The streets pulse with a mix of optimism and unease, painting a portrait of Hong Kong that feels both intimate and expansive, where every alleyway holds a story and every laugh is tinged with an undercurrent of perseverance.
Through the curious eyes of eight‑year‑old Big Ears, the film unfolds as a delicate memoir of childhood. Big Ears roams the cramped shop and bustling lanes with sticky fingers and a boundless imagination, absorbing the cadence of his parents’ tireless work and the quiet strength that underwrites their modest existence. His older brother, Desmond, shines like a lantern in the family’s world—an exceptional student, a gifted musician, and a champion runner whose effortless grace earns admiration at the prestigious Diocesan Boys’ School. Alongside him, Flora, his gentle and affluent‑born girlfriend, adds a fleeting softness to the family’s otherwise rugged routine, hinting at a bridge between disparate worlds.
The narrative balances the warmth of familial bonds with the subtle tensions of a society marked by class divides and the lingering shadow of colonial influence. As the brothers navigate their divergent paths, love and responsibility become both refuge and compass, guiding them through the swirl of ambition, expectation, and the ever‑present ache of change. The story is told with a nostalgic, almost lyrical tone, inviting viewers to linger on the textures of everyday life while sensing the unspoken currents that shape each character’s quiet yearning—an invitation to reflect on how time, memory, and the simple act of looking outward can define a generation.
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