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Ashes of Time Redux
2008
In ancient China, on the edge of a vast desert, swordsman Ouyang Feng (Leslie Cheung) lives the life of a vagabond, controlling a network of deadly assassins. Pitiless and cynical, his heart has long been wounded by a love he neglected then lost. But as seasons, friends and enemies come and go, he begins to reflect back upon .. Read more
| Starring | Li Bai, Jacky Cheung, Leslie Cheung, Maggie Cheung |
|---|---|
| Director | Kar Wai Wong |
| Genres | Action/Adventure, World Cinema |
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Ashes of Time Redux
In ancient China, on the edge of a vast desert, swordsman Ouyang Feng (Leslie Cheung) lives the life of a vagabond, controlling a network of deadly assassins. Pitiless and cynical, his heart has long been wounded by a love he neglected then lost. But as seasons, friends and enemies come and go, he begins to reflect back upon the origin of his solitude. Action-packed and visually dazzling, with an all-star cast of Hong Kong cinema greats and extraordinary cinematography by Christopher Doyle, "Ashes of Time Redux" is the ultimate edition of Wong Kar Wai's long-lost martial arts classic, brilliantly re-cut and remixed for the 21st Century.
| Starring | Li Bai, Jacky Cheung, Leslie Cheung, Maggie Cheung, Carina Lau, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Tony Leung Ka Fai, Brigitte Lin, Charlie Yeung |
|---|---|
| Director | Kar Wai Wong |
| Studio | ARTIFICIAL EYE |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 33 mins Blu-ray: 1 hr 35 mins Watch now: 1 hr 33 mins |
| Certificate | DVD: , Watch Online: |
| Genres | Action/Adventure, World Cinema |
| Language | DVD: Mandarin, Cantonese Blu-ray: Mandarin, Cantonese Watch Online: Cantonese, Mandarin |
| Subtitles | DVD: English Blu-ray: English Watch Online: English |
| Released | DVD: 26 Jan 2009 Blu-ray: 26 Jan 2009 Watch now: 28 Sep 2009 Production year: 2008 |
| Watch now | £3.49 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews
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Hong Kong master Wong Kar-Wai has a penchant for tinkering, having returned to the edit room after the first screenings... read more on Time Out
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Most helpful member's review
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12 out of 13 people found this review helpful
slow and arty with subtitles
This film should not be rented if you want a martial arts film, indeed, the amount of martial arts in this film though very impressive is like 5 % of the running time.
The film is very different then the usual films of this genre, the characters do get a little confusing, sometimes you wonder what is going on, there are inter-connecting stories, like 'Pulp Fiction', where the character will die and you will see why. However, there is always an explanation on screen when a story ends to explain what happened to that character.
This film is NOT dubbed, but the subtitles are really impressive, they have captured the feel and language of the characters.
This is a lovely film to watch, this is poetry, the idea of the wine that makes you forget, is a wonderful device and you will get you talking
the 'twist' ending you will not see coming makes you think.
very good, if you want a very good story, excellent photography and a film made to show how good films can be. just be prepared for a long film and very little action, but a lot of chat -
Most recent members' review
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1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
Looks stunning but little else to recommend it...
Like ‘As Tears Go By’, another of his early films that seems to wonder slightly from the usual template, Ashes of Time may have the trappings of a Chinese martial arts film, but in essence it remains firmly in the familiar Wong Kar-Wai territory of an emotional and mildly philosophical drama. Fans of Wuxia movies will find little action to enjoy here as what fight scenes there are remain framed in slowed down close up that accentuates the beauty and fluidity of movement rather than a wider shot that reveals the full brutality of combat.
That reluctance to reveal the full picture is mirrored by a slow moving plot and non-linear story line that constantly leaves you wondering exactly where you are in the action. A single viewing of this film is almost certainly insufficient to fully understand who each of the characters are and how their lives interact with each other.
The plot centres on Ouyang Feng, a swordsman for hire who also acts as an intermediary between others in his professions and their potential customers. He is a man who has withdrawn from life after losing his one chance for true love. The other characters he meets in the film have taken a similar path through life but found a different outcome. It is the different outlooks and fates of these people that are used by the director to create a meditation of love, loss, memory and fate.
Overall – Set in ancient china, Ashes of Time appears more like a dream than a fantasy. Everything it seems is just out of touch, from the characters understanding of their place in life to a viewers understanding of the story line itself. The film is beautiful to look at, with some of the set piece imagery likely to linger long in the mind. The problem is that Ashes of Time is just a little too abstract. I’ve no problem with having to go back and re-view a film to discover all the nuances missed on first viewing. But having to do so to work out exactly who is who and how they are linked to each other suggests the director, in this case someone I admire greatly, has tried just a little bit too hard to be clever. -
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