"Ashes of Time Redux" is Wong Kar Wai's venture into the martial arts genre. However, energetic action and narrative clarity take a backseat to the visual poetry that contemplates wounded hearts, loneliness and the memories of lost love that cut deeper than any sword. Best appreciated as a sensory experience, "Ashes of Time Redux" unfolds as a series of beautiful yet melancholic images like the soft brush strokes of a Chinese landscape painting. Even the sword fights are shot as swirling, hallucinatory dreamscapes. The haunting desert landscape gorgeously captured in saturated colors by cinematographer Christopher Doyle, a brooding cello score by Yo-Yo Ma and the beauty of the actors (an all-star Hong Kong cast) contribute to a movie experience that both pleases the senses and engages the heart.
58 Reviews
A Beautiful Elegy to Love's Memory
K2nsl3r27 September 2008
Warning: Spoilers
On the surface of things we are faced with a martial arts film, a typical HK wuxia piece. But knowing Wong Kar-Wai, did you really expect a regular martial arts movie? 'cos that's not what you'll get...
Best known for his "In the Mood for Love" and "2046", this stylish director has established his reputation among Asians and Westerners alike through his dreamy, poetic romances and metaphysical dramas. Here, in Ashes of Time, an earlier film remade, the director's teamwork with cinematographer Christopher Doyle is already in full bloom. The film offers the same colour palette and style that we find in their more recent collaborative works. This film is beautiful to look at, a mystery to behold and a genre-breaking ode to love and loss. Clearly, it looks and feels like a 21st century movie, but its origins go back some years.
Based on a film originally released back in 1994, Ashes of Time Redux is a retelling a story that most of us missed the first time around. The "redux" is more than a remastered version of the original. Apparently it features significant alterations to the basic structure of the narrative as well a new musical score. More than that, it stands as the definite version of the movie, a true director's cut. It's almost a kind of second birth, because finally the movie can become known for what it truly is. Even though I have not seen the original, I will take the director's word for it and trust his judgment.
And it is very easy to trust his judgment when the result is as strong as this relatively short (93 min) film. It feels like a labour of love. There must be heaps and heaps of discarded film on the editing floor, because it is clear that all the little details and cuts were hand-crafted to perfection. My main problem with the film is that it is unforgiving to its audiences, even "careless" about how they might feel about being bombarded with constant, overloaded verbiage. The result, full of symbolic links and razor-thin internal connections, may feel over-stylized and over-worked, but this kind of approach to film-making is admirable because it is so rare. Films that demand a lot also reward the viewer for paying attention. But don't get me wrong: this is not a puzzle or a mystery like some Lynch film; nor is it surrealistic dream logic like some Buñuel. No, it conveys a surprisingly simple poetic truth, encompassing love, manhood, relationships, struggle, perseverance, betrayal, fantasy, hate, jealousy, remembrance, forgetfulness, loss and loneliness. It is a movie about forgetting, and about the forgetting of having forgotten in the first place. It portrays characters as duplicates, mirages and psychic phantoms. Identities are mixed up. Friendships are won and lost, mainly lost. Love is first fleeting, then impossible and finally a memory.
Memory, and time, and the passing of time: these are the central themes of this tale divided up into (non-linear) seasons. Nature is cyclical, and so is human life and especially human memory, which is always obsessed about some recurring dream or fantasy. Memory is not a time-line of events but a force of inertia, a dead weight and a curse. Time is the archnemesis of happiness, and love is proved impossible by the accidents of nature. Love that once was is no more. Nor was there any love to get around to begin with, if memory serves me correctly. Have another sip of wine, it'll help you remember/forget...
The performances are through and through superb. Both the male characters and the elusive female characters are perfectly cast, and the fact that it's an all-star cast does not make it feel any less authentic. Especially female charms (and the ambivalent androgyny of one of them) are given such full force that we are left with a sea of emotions, an ocean of desire. The wailing soundtrack reaches melodramatic heights even when you expect nothing but calm and quiet; this signals that the characters are still haunted by their past. There IS no quietude, only the passing of time and the lingering-on of memory.
The sword-fights are stylish (thanks to Sammo) but peripheral. Action is more often than not a piercing flash of violence that only deepens the emotional wounds carried in the hearts of the protagonists. The physical dagger in the heart of man is nothing compared to the deep soul wound inflicted in love. In death, some lucky ones lose their anxiety, while others lose nothing but their chance for redemption. Still others are driven to death by precisely this impossibility of redeeming themselves. Living and death become equally mortifying.
These themes, such as the passion of unrequited love, and the wounding of lonely hearts, will be familiar from films like Mood and 2046. In fact, the director is as obsessed about these themes as are the characters in his movies. The setting does not matter: human heart is always the same - desiring, hurt and lonely. But it is not pure darkness that we encounter, there are also a few authentic flashes of pure passion and empathy (although less in Ashes than in many of his other films). To call Wong Kar-Wai a pessimist is to call outer space cold: it is rather to miss the point, to understate the case. He is not a pessimist but an explorer of love's tragic journey in life, from conception to annihilation. He takes us, as it were, beyond the here into the yonder, and gives us intimations of love's afterlife.
The film is not perfect. It is oftentimes too self-absorbed. The audience will be split. I know I was. I didn't especially enjoy the movie-going experience, but I learnt a lot from it, and remembered something I thought I had forgotten... In this honest and heart-wrenching mood piece, love's memory, on the big screen, is burnt into ashes of time.
Best known for his "In the Mood for Love" and "2046", this stylish director has established his reputation among Asians and Westerners alike through his dreamy, poetic romances and metaphysical dramas. Here, in Ashes of Time, an earlier film remade, the director's teamwork with cinematographer Christopher Doyle is already in full bloom. The film offers the same colour palette and style that we find in their more recent collaborative works. This film is beautiful to look at, a mystery to behold and a genre-breaking ode to love and loss. Clearly, it looks and feels like a 21st century movie, but its origins go back some years.
Based on a film originally released back in 1994, Ashes of Time Redux is a retelling a story that most of us missed the first time around. The "redux" is more than a remastered version of the original. Apparently it features significant alterations to the basic structure of the narrative as well a new musical score. More than that, it stands as the definite version of the movie, a true director's cut. It's almost a kind of second birth, because finally the movie can become known for what it truly is. Even though I have not seen the original, I will take the director's word for it and trust his judgment.
And it is very easy to trust his judgment when the result is as strong as this relatively short (93 min) film. It feels like a labour of love. There must be heaps and heaps of discarded film on the editing floor, because it is clear that all the little details and cuts were hand-crafted to perfection. My main problem with the film is that it is unforgiving to its audiences, even "careless" about how they might feel about being bombarded with constant, overloaded verbiage. The result, full of symbolic links and razor-thin internal connections, may feel over-stylized and over-worked, but this kind of approach to film-making is admirable because it is so rare. Films that demand a lot also reward the viewer for paying attention. But don't get me wrong: this is not a puzzle or a mystery like some Lynch film; nor is it surrealistic dream logic like some Buñuel. No, it conveys a surprisingly simple poetic truth, encompassing love, manhood, relationships, struggle, perseverance, betrayal, fantasy, hate, jealousy, remembrance, forgetfulness, loss and loneliness. It is a movie about forgetting, and about the forgetting of having forgotten in the first place. It portrays characters as duplicates, mirages and psychic phantoms. Identities are mixed up. Friendships are won and lost, mainly lost. Love is first fleeting, then impossible and finally a memory.
Memory, and time, and the passing of time: these are the central themes of this tale divided up into (non-linear) seasons. Nature is cyclical, and so is human life and especially human memory, which is always obsessed about some recurring dream or fantasy. Memory is not a time-line of events but a force of inertia, a dead weight and a curse. Time is the archnemesis of happiness, and love is proved impossible by the accidents of nature. Love that once was is no more. Nor was there any love to get around to begin with, if memory serves me correctly. Have another sip of wine, it'll help you remember/forget...
The performances are through and through superb. Both the male characters and the elusive female characters are perfectly cast, and the fact that it's an all-star cast does not make it feel any less authentic. Especially female charms (and the ambivalent androgyny of one of them) are given such full force that we are left with a sea of emotions, an ocean of desire. The wailing soundtrack reaches melodramatic heights even when you expect nothing but calm and quiet; this signals that the characters are still haunted by their past. There IS no quietude, only the passing of time and the lingering-on of memory.
The sword-fights are stylish (thanks to Sammo) but peripheral. Action is more often than not a piercing flash of violence that only deepens the emotional wounds carried in the hearts of the protagonists. The physical dagger in the heart of man is nothing compared to the deep soul wound inflicted in love. In death, some lucky ones lose their anxiety, while others lose nothing but their chance for redemption. Still others are driven to death by precisely this impossibility of redeeming themselves. Living and death become equally mortifying.
These themes, such as the passion of unrequited love, and the wounding of lonely hearts, will be familiar from films like Mood and 2046. In fact, the director is as obsessed about these themes as are the characters in his movies. The setting does not matter: human heart is always the same - desiring, hurt and lonely. But it is not pure darkness that we encounter, there are also a few authentic flashes of pure passion and empathy (although less in Ashes than in many of his other films). To call Wong Kar-Wai a pessimist is to call outer space cold: it is rather to miss the point, to understate the case. He is not a pessimist but an explorer of love's tragic journey in life, from conception to annihilation. He takes us, as it were, beyond the here into the yonder, and gives us intimations of love's afterlife.
The film is not perfect. It is oftentimes too self-absorbed. The audience will be split. I know I was. I didn't especially enjoy the movie-going experience, but I learnt a lot from it, and remembered something I thought I had forgotten... In this honest and heart-wrenching mood piece, love's memory, on the big screen, is burnt into ashes of time.
A slow dance of color and regret
susan-2691 May 2005
Without a doubt, Ashes of Time is a beautiful, deeply felt movie. The acting and cinematography are outstanding. The color and camera angles are poetic. But the DVD quality is barely acceptable and the plot, what there is of it, is very confusing. The movie is less a journey from point A to point B than it is a dream-like dance around a central theme: regret for the way we treat those we love.
For those who would watch the movie for the martial arts-- the main characters are mostly swordsmen and martial artists-- the movie is less than satisfying. The fight scenes are highly stylized, employing fast cuts, blurs of motion, and disorienting lighting and camera angles. The fight scenes are more about camera technique than martial arts technique.
Ashes of Time is not a movie that can be absorbed in one viewing. For many viewers, though, it will be worth a second or even third.
For those who would watch the movie for the martial arts-- the main characters are mostly swordsmen and martial artists-- the movie is less than satisfying. The fight scenes are highly stylized, employing fast cuts, blurs of motion, and disorienting lighting and camera angles. The fight scenes are more about camera technique than martial arts technique.
Ashes of Time is not a movie that can be absorbed in one viewing. For many viewers, though, it will be worth a second or even third.
my favorite Kar Wai Wong movie
guneo2 February 2008
As a Chinese, I had chance to watch Kar Wai Wong's movies in my childhood. One of them is Dung che sai duk. But at that time, I couldn't even understand any of the actor's lines. Didn't understand why they people fight or cry. Then I fell asleep.
But after many years, when I went to university, when the girl I deep in love with left me to another country. I saw DVD of this film again, alone. And this time I cannot help enjoying it. Every actor's line touched me very very much.
What's behind the mountain? May be another mountain, and another. How wonderful it'd be to forget the past. Everyday would be a new beginning. Isn't that great? What's love? Maybe love is to leave the one you love, to win the one then finally find you have lost everything including yourself.
Now I have my job and new life. Many things have been past for a long time. And this movie, I cannot remember some of the scenes. But sometimes I still recall lots of words they say. When I am alone, when I feel gloomy or a little bit sad, the words will come to my mind with beautiful music and the scene of huge desert.
In this world, something's gonna change, something's not. If you cannot have someone, the only thing you can do is not to forget.
I will never forget.
But after many years, when I went to university, when the girl I deep in love with left me to another country. I saw DVD of this film again, alone. And this time I cannot help enjoying it. Every actor's line touched me very very much.
What's behind the mountain? May be another mountain, and another. How wonderful it'd be to forget the past. Everyday would be a new beginning. Isn't that great? What's love? Maybe love is to leave the one you love, to win the one then finally find you have lost everything including yourself.
Now I have my job and new life. Many things have been past for a long time. And this movie, I cannot remember some of the scenes. But sometimes I still recall lots of words they say. When I am alone, when I feel gloomy or a little bit sad, the words will come to my mind with beautiful music and the scene of huge desert.
In this world, something's gonna change, something's not. If you cannot have someone, the only thing you can do is not to forget.
I will never forget.
All Along the Watchtower
tedg19 July 2005
Kar-Wai is one of the three best directors working today. Many feel this is his best work. Surely it is the greatest leap since his previous, but I find the Mood-2046 pair more important, even lifealtering.
If you come into this expecting a story that unfolds in good order and makes sense, you will be disappointed. The overlapping of layers, the folding of narrative, the merging of images is what we're in for.
There are two famous stories about this. The first is that at some point he quit work, then quickly went off to make "Chunking Express," during which he "found himself" ...
The other story has to do with "Pulp Fiction." Tarantino is a huge borrower of ideas. Having already written a couple "raw" movies that people admire, he stumbled upon Kar-Wai in the midst of making this a long affair. All the clever bits in the structure of "Pulp" are from this, just as surely as all the clever bits in "Star Wars" are from Kurosawa.
What are those bits? Multiple persons in one body. Multiple bodies for one person. Circular storytelling where any part is the beginning. Nested narrative where one story tells another. Characters that imagine and forget each other, bringing them into our world and out.
Death, love, yearning, accident, encounter.
All of this at the beginning of a luscious partnership between Kar-Wai and Christopher Doyle. They are today what Greenaway and Sacha Vierny were: dangerous adventures in cinematic imagination coupled with mastery of cinematic expression.
This takes a few too many chances and you can see precisely where Kar-Wai abandoned it to search for sense. (He always shoots in order of what you see.) But if you are ready for the transcendental thrills of his later work, you might want to start here.
Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.
If you come into this expecting a story that unfolds in good order and makes sense, you will be disappointed. The overlapping of layers, the folding of narrative, the merging of images is what we're in for.
There are two famous stories about this. The first is that at some point he quit work, then quickly went off to make "Chunking Express," during which he "found himself" ...
The other story has to do with "Pulp Fiction." Tarantino is a huge borrower of ideas. Having already written a couple "raw" movies that people admire, he stumbled upon Kar-Wai in the midst of making this a long affair. All the clever bits in the structure of "Pulp" are from this, just as surely as all the clever bits in "Star Wars" are from Kurosawa.
What are those bits? Multiple persons in one body. Multiple bodies for one person. Circular storytelling where any part is the beginning. Nested narrative where one story tells another. Characters that imagine and forget each other, bringing them into our world and out.
Death, love, yearning, accident, encounter.
All of this at the beginning of a luscious partnership between Kar-Wai and Christopher Doyle. They are today what Greenaway and Sacha Vierny were: dangerous adventures in cinematic imagination coupled with mastery of cinematic expression.
This takes a few too many chances and you can see precisely where Kar-Wai abandoned it to search for sense. (He always shoots in order of what you see.) But if you are ready for the transcendental thrills of his later work, you might want to start here.
Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.
Strange martial arts film
dbborroughs2 September 2008
Warning: Spoilers
This review is of the original cut
Martial Arts film as spaghetti western.
Wong Kar-Wai makes a martial arts film that is a visual wonder-though its mostly close ups-and a bit hard to decipher because the story is told in what could be generously said to be a fragmented style (and has a great number of close ups). Its has something to do with two friends who meet every year to drink, wine that makes you forget your past, revenge, another swordsman and some other things that I didn't quite pick up. I'm not sure what to make of the film. The dialog is really great, but at the same time walks that knowing sort of edge that makes me wonder what Kar-Wai was up to. Apparently breaking down since in the middle of making this he wandered off to clear his head by making Chungking Express. I liked it as pieces because I can get my hands around the pieces but as a whole I'm not to sure of the plot-if its good-if it means anything.
Kar-Wai has cut the film once more which from reports seems to be close to the original cuts with a few changed shots, some image manipulation and a slight alteration in music. I have no idea if this will improve or detract from the film which some people see as a a masterpiece. Some things I've read have tried to put the film into a context based upon Wong Kar-Wai's other films, implying that if you've seen other films by the same director this film will be easier to digest. Maybe, but I'm not too sure since it plays differently than any of his other films (and I've seen most of them).
I don't know. I'm going to have to ponder this.
Martial Arts film as spaghetti western.
Wong Kar-Wai makes a martial arts film that is a visual wonder-though its mostly close ups-and a bit hard to decipher because the story is told in what could be generously said to be a fragmented style (and has a great number of close ups). Its has something to do with two friends who meet every year to drink, wine that makes you forget your past, revenge, another swordsman and some other things that I didn't quite pick up. I'm not sure what to make of the film. The dialog is really great, but at the same time walks that knowing sort of edge that makes me wonder what Kar-Wai was up to. Apparently breaking down since in the middle of making this he wandered off to clear his head by making Chungking Express. I liked it as pieces because I can get my hands around the pieces but as a whole I'm not to sure of the plot-if its good-if it means anything.
Kar-Wai has cut the film once more which from reports seems to be close to the original cuts with a few changed shots, some image manipulation and a slight alteration in music. I have no idea if this will improve or detract from the film which some people see as a a masterpiece. Some things I've read have tried to put the film into a context based upon Wong Kar-Wai's other films, implying that if you've seen other films by the same director this film will be easier to digest. Maybe, but I'm not too sure since it plays differently than any of his other films (and I've seen most of them).
I don't know. I'm going to have to ponder this.
A successfully gilded lily
Chris Knipp3 October 2008
This classic ultra-stylized and (in the words of the NYFF blurb) "insanely gorgeous" 1994 martial arts or 'wuxia' film based on the Louis Cha novel 'The Eagle-Shooting Horses' needs no introduction to film fans now, though before Tarantino's release of 'Chungking Exrpess' Americans had to go to Chinatown theaters or rent pirated videotapes to see it; I saw it in Chinatown in a double bill with 'As Tears Go By' (1988). A cinematic icon today, Wong Kar-wai didn't get international recognition till 1997 at Cannes (for 'Happy Together'), and the majority of US art-house viewers didn't notice him till 'In the Mood for Love' (2000). Now ironically since the huge blowout and exhaustion of Wong's epic '2046' (2004), a summing-up of his 60's nostalgia themes and characters, he seems to have reached a point of exhaustion, and his English-language romance 'Blueberry Nights' (2007) was a critical failure. Re-editing 'Ashes of Time' looks like another example of treading water, but it's still great to have it; many have still not seen it, and any films as visually magnificent as Wong's are best seen in theaters. It's also fortunate that all his films can be seen on decent DVD's now with readable subtitles for English speakers, instead of the weird earlier Hong Kong prints with flickering titles in Chinese and peculiar English that disappeared before you could read them. 'Ashes of Time Redux' has the best English subtitles yet both visually and linguistically.
According to Wong, 'Ashes of Time' negatives weren't in very good shape, and a search of various versions led him to a huge warehouse somewhere near San Francisco's Chinatown that contained the entire history of Hong Kong movies. He and his team put together various versions, adding a bit to what we already know, digitally cleaning up the images and "enhancing" some of the color and doing things with the sound, adding a new score and "re-arrangement" by Wu Tong including cello solos by Yo Yo Ma.
Experts will have to comb over all this to explain the differences. The cinematographer Christopher Doyle, who was present at the press screening of the film at the NYFF, doesn't like the enhancing of the color and neither do I. A lot of yellows and oranges are heightened, greenish-turquoise touches are set in, and many of the desert sand landscapes seem to have lost their surface detail. This seems unnecessary and even obtrusive, but it's not enough to spoil the experience. Other images simply look more pristine and clear. Wong wouldn't say what specific changes were made in the editing. He preferred to talk about how he adapted Louis Cha's novel and how this film relates to his oeuvre. Both for him and for Doyle it was an essential milestone. The cast features the late Leslie Cheung, both Tony Leungs (Chiu Wai and Ka Fai) and Jacky Cheung, and has Maggie Cheung as The Woman and martial arts film great Brigitte Lin as Murong Yin and Murong Yang, the sister and brother. Lin, now retired, was responsible for the revival of the genre and is central to this film, though Maggie Cheung is its diva, its dream lover.
Cha's novel is a complicated 4-volume wuxia genre epic, very popular but little known or appreciated in the West. Wong studied it carefully (and made a parody of it called 'Eagle-Shooting Heroes') but then though he says this film unlike all his others had a fixed plan (and thus made for a story full of fatalism), he threw away the story and just took a couple of the main characters and made up another simpler story imagining what the characters' lives were like when they were young. A simpler story. Well. The story has always seemed completely incomprehensible to me but after re-watching 'Redux' it obviously is nonetheless a coherent narrative; it's just intricate and, above all, cyclical. It ends as it begins, with the narrator looking into the camera and repeating the opening lines.
'Ashes of Time' was shot in the desert. Doyle had never done that. The film was long delayed and the shoot was difficult. Doyle knew nothing about martial arts or 'Jianghu,' the parallel universe of martial arts fiction. He was under extreme constraints, having very little artificial light. Nonetheless he produced some of the most beautiful sequences in modern film, because he's a great cinematographer, perhaps the greatest of recent decades, as Wong Kar-Wai is one of the defining contemporary cinematic geniuses.
Wong is notable for his meditative and arresting voice-overs. Here is a sample: "People say that if a sword cuts fast enough, the blood spurting out will emit a sound like a sigh. Who would have guessed that the first time I heard that sound it would be my own blood?" "You gained an egg, but lost a finger. Was it worth it?" There are aphorisms or bits of advice: "Fooling a woman is never as easy as you think." The film is anchored and structured by the Chinese calendar: the Chinese almanac is divided into 24 solar terms and the narrative moves forward selectively through these terms, which contain weather descriptions (naturally) and advice as to what is propitious or unlucky and in what regions and directions. There is also a great deal about oblivion and forgetfulness (which are linked with wine, including a magic wine that eliminates memory). The desert and drinking are visual touchstones throughout as are pairs, opposites, and contrasts; and there is cross-dressing and perhaps bisexual love. The images are full of flickering light. The sword fights, which do not begin until more than half way into the film, are without the acrobatic feats actually performed or digitally faked as in current martial arts films, though they are elaborately staged by the action choreographer Sammo Hung. They are a symphony of fast cutting, closeups, blurs, and slow motion (which Wong intended particularly to express the fatigue of the Blind Swordsman in the film).
According to Wong, 'Ashes of Time' negatives weren't in very good shape, and a search of various versions led him to a huge warehouse somewhere near San Francisco's Chinatown that contained the entire history of Hong Kong movies. He and his team put together various versions, adding a bit to what we already know, digitally cleaning up the images and "enhancing" some of the color and doing things with the sound, adding a new score and "re-arrangement" by Wu Tong including cello solos by Yo Yo Ma.
Experts will have to comb over all this to explain the differences. The cinematographer Christopher Doyle, who was present at the press screening of the film at the NYFF, doesn't like the enhancing of the color and neither do I. A lot of yellows and oranges are heightened, greenish-turquoise touches are set in, and many of the desert sand landscapes seem to have lost their surface detail. This seems unnecessary and even obtrusive, but it's not enough to spoil the experience. Other images simply look more pristine and clear. Wong wouldn't say what specific changes were made in the editing. He preferred to talk about how he adapted Louis Cha's novel and how this film relates to his oeuvre. Both for him and for Doyle it was an essential milestone. The cast features the late Leslie Cheung, both Tony Leungs (Chiu Wai and Ka Fai) and Jacky Cheung, and has Maggie Cheung as The Woman and martial arts film great Brigitte Lin as Murong Yin and Murong Yang, the sister and brother. Lin, now retired, was responsible for the revival of the genre and is central to this film, though Maggie Cheung is its diva, its dream lover.
Cha's novel is a complicated 4-volume wuxia genre epic, very popular but little known or appreciated in the West. Wong studied it carefully (and made a parody of it called 'Eagle-Shooting Heroes') but then though he says this film unlike all his others had a fixed plan (and thus made for a story full of fatalism), he threw away the story and just took a couple of the main characters and made up another simpler story imagining what the characters' lives were like when they were young. A simpler story. Well. The story has always seemed completely incomprehensible to me but after re-watching 'Redux' it obviously is nonetheless a coherent narrative; it's just intricate and, above all, cyclical. It ends as it begins, with the narrator looking into the camera and repeating the opening lines.
'Ashes of Time' was shot in the desert. Doyle had never done that. The film was long delayed and the shoot was difficult. Doyle knew nothing about martial arts or 'Jianghu,' the parallel universe of martial arts fiction. He was under extreme constraints, having very little artificial light. Nonetheless he produced some of the most beautiful sequences in modern film, because he's a great cinematographer, perhaps the greatest of recent decades, as Wong Kar-Wai is one of the defining contemporary cinematic geniuses.
Wong is notable for his meditative and arresting voice-overs. Here is a sample: "People say that if a sword cuts fast enough, the blood spurting out will emit a sound like a sigh. Who would have guessed that the first time I heard that sound it would be my own blood?" "You gained an egg, but lost a finger. Was it worth it?" There are aphorisms or bits of advice: "Fooling a woman is never as easy as you think." The film is anchored and structured by the Chinese calendar: the Chinese almanac is divided into 24 solar terms and the narrative moves forward selectively through these terms, which contain weather descriptions (naturally) and advice as to what is propitious or unlucky and in what regions and directions. There is also a great deal about oblivion and forgetfulness (which are linked with wine, including a magic wine that eliminates memory). The desert and drinking are visual touchstones throughout as are pairs, opposites, and contrasts; and there is cross-dressing and perhaps bisexual love. The images are full of flickering light. The sword fights, which do not begin until more than half way into the film, are without the acrobatic feats actually performed or digitally faked as in current martial arts films, though they are elaborately staged by the action choreographer Sammo Hung. They are a symphony of fast cutting, closeups, blurs, and slow motion (which Wong intended particularly to express the fatigue of the Blind Swordsman in the film).
Moody
wlee0822 August 2010
I had the same issues with Wang Kar Wai's other movie "2046". Whats this all about? Mortality, love, existence. It's somehow about all of this. In other movies these themes are dealt with in the background of a plausible or implausible story. Here they are dealt with head-on, in what feels like a long hypnotic "dream poem" that is more symbol than story. There is the deep Camus-like narrator voice in the background saying stuff like "She waited frozen under deep unrelenting waves and the smell of eucalyptus" (not a line from the movie, but it could be). Maybe there is a lot that isn't easily translated. So it's confusing both intentionally and unintentionally. At the same time there is some kind of majestic beauty to it. It is mostly quiet and moody but erupts occasionally with little bouts of violence. To be honest I hardly understood any of this movie (full credit to whoever wrote the IMDb synopsis) but I was left with an impression - a feeling, a mood, an emotional state - which may have been the whole point.
Slow, beautiful and intense... best viewed if you are alone
vid-1025 April 2004
Although I enjoy them, I seldom re-watch slow and introspective movies. Ashes of Time is the exception to the rule, as it haunts me so much that I have already given it three viewings! It may be because of the wonderful pictures, the essential yet poignant dialogues or the grave & epic music, nevertheless Ashes of Time is a fascinating movie!
Set in a tavern in the middle of the desert, it tells us stories of different swordsmen and deals with the theme of unrequited love. All the people, in fact, had to face a rejection.. and now strive to find a way to overcome the delusion and go on with their life. Swordsmanship is mostly viewed as an outlet to bring out the inner passions and frustrations.
The protagonist, Ouyang Feng [Leslie Cheung] is one of those swordsmen, who left his lady [Maggie Cheung] and his village to pursue fame and glory, convinced that she would have waited for him to return. Now instead he faces loneliness and the fact that she has married his elder brother.
The most peculiar aspect of the movie is the pictures, so beautifully shot that each still can make a wonderful portrait. Even the battles, rather than being filmed continuously, are rendered as a sequence of separate shots, thus remaining more indelibly impressed in our head. Indeed, the movie also focuses about memory (whom the movie title probably refers to) and its power to keep alive moments of the past, that otherwise would perish in the flow of time. Highly recommended! 9/10
Set in a tavern in the middle of the desert, it tells us stories of different swordsmen and deals with the theme of unrequited love. All the people, in fact, had to face a rejection.. and now strive to find a way to overcome the delusion and go on with their life. Swordsmanship is mostly viewed as an outlet to bring out the inner passions and frustrations.
The protagonist, Ouyang Feng [Leslie Cheung] is one of those swordsmen, who left his lady [Maggie Cheung] and his village to pursue fame and glory, convinced that she would have waited for him to return. Now instead he faces loneliness and the fact that she has married his elder brother.
The most peculiar aspect of the movie is the pictures, so beautifully shot that each still can make a wonderful portrait. Even the battles, rather than being filmed continuously, are rendered as a sequence of separate shots, thus remaining more indelibly impressed in our head. Indeed, the movie also focuses about memory (whom the movie title probably refers to) and its power to keep alive moments of the past, that otherwise would perish in the flow of time. Highly recommended! 9/10
Non-Linear story of Isolation and Lost Love among Swordsman
ChungMo22 June 2006
A strange production with a strange history. Based on a famous story, "Eagle Shooting Heros" and apparently part of the film crew shot the equally strange comedy film called, "Eagle Shooting Heros" during one of the lengthy lulls in shooting this film. And the director created his much more famous "Chungking Express" during another production lull.
A jigsaw puzzle story recounts the thoughts and turning-points in the lives of three swordsman and the man who hires them for his assassin service. At least that's how I could fathom it. Plus there are five women who are involved with the four men in some way. The story unfolds like you are taking apart a particularly complex origami sculpture, it takes awhile before you get a square piece of paper again. And then the paper seems distinctly unsquare anyway. Slow, oblique, confusing, this one is work to watch. Possibly rewarding work but it's work. I am still trying to place two scenes into the context of the story.
Beautiful photography and sense of space. The music is very good but occasionally annoying. The martial arts are reduced to "blur fu" so don't expect much in the action department. In the context of the film the blur works.
The person I saw it with walked out but I enjoyed it enough. An experiment which you should see only if ready.
A jigsaw puzzle story recounts the thoughts and turning-points in the lives of three swordsman and the man who hires them for his assassin service. At least that's how I could fathom it. Plus there are five women who are involved with the four men in some way. The story unfolds like you are taking apart a particularly complex origami sculpture, it takes awhile before you get a square piece of paper again. And then the paper seems distinctly unsquare anyway. Slow, oblique, confusing, this one is work to watch. Possibly rewarding work but it's work. I am still trying to place two scenes into the context of the story.
Beautiful photography and sense of space. The music is very good but occasionally annoying. The martial arts are reduced to "blur fu" so don't expect much in the action department. In the context of the film the blur works.
The person I saw it with walked out but I enjoyed it enough. An experiment which you should see only if ready.
Beautiful but incoherent and boring
Enchorde18 February 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Recap: A lone swordsman, living in the desert and acting as an agent to other swordsmen, recollects how his life turned out to be as it is. It started with that the woman he loved chose to marry his brother instead, causing him to leave his home town. One of the swordsmen is Huang who is himself in the middle of a complicated love story, where a woman wants to have him killed for having ran away from a promise to marry her younger sister. But the sister wants to hire a swordsman to have Huang protected, and everything is put to an edge when the woman and her sister is really the same person.
Comments: I've seen the Redux version released in 2008 of the original that was released in 1994. How the two versions differ I can't say, but the Redux is very heavily stylized in the way of Chinese Wuxia action. That is unfortunate as that style to me seems to have forgotten one of the most important elements of a successful and entertaining movie. A comprehensible story. But true to its style scenery and visual elements seem much more important and much more in focus of writer and director Kar Wai Wong. Therefore there are lots of colorful, very beautiful scenes, that are completely unrelated to the story.
The editing and timeline of the story is also mishandled. Much is left out in the scenes, the time line is broken and rearranged in a confusing way. Very slow and calm scenes are suddenly relieved by surprisingly brutal and seemingly unmotivated fights, only to themselves being relieved by something else and unrelated. The result is a confusing and very uninteresting movie.
Thanks to these brutal but very few fights, the movie is put into the action genre. The poster and photographs also imply this but could almost be regarded as false marketing. Only a few minutes out of the 90 could be considered as anything like action, the other couldn't be farther away from it. The movie in its entirety is very slow, dull and hence very boring. Not even the rare action filled scenes help since they are so disconnected from the rest of the movie.
I might say that I'm not a fan of this Chinese style, since they often seem to be afflicted of these same problems, most importantly that the visual is more important than the story, but Ashes of Time Redux is perhaps the worst example I've seen.
3/10
Comments: I've seen the Redux version released in 2008 of the original that was released in 1994. How the two versions differ I can't say, but the Redux is very heavily stylized in the way of Chinese Wuxia action. That is unfortunate as that style to me seems to have forgotten one of the most important elements of a successful and entertaining movie. A comprehensible story. But true to its style scenery and visual elements seem much more important and much more in focus of writer and director Kar Wai Wong. Therefore there are lots of colorful, very beautiful scenes, that are completely unrelated to the story.
The editing and timeline of the story is also mishandled. Much is left out in the scenes, the time line is broken and rearranged in a confusing way. Very slow and calm scenes are suddenly relieved by surprisingly brutal and seemingly unmotivated fights, only to themselves being relieved by something else and unrelated. The result is a confusing and very uninteresting movie.
Thanks to these brutal but very few fights, the movie is put into the action genre. The poster and photographs also imply this but could almost be regarded as false marketing. Only a few minutes out of the 90 could be considered as anything like action, the other couldn't be farther away from it. The movie in its entirety is very slow, dull and hence very boring. Not even the rare action filled scenes help since they are so disconnected from the rest of the movie.
I might say that I'm not a fan of this Chinese style, since they often seem to be afflicted of these same problems, most importantly that the visual is more important than the story, but Ashes of Time Redux is perhaps the worst example I've seen.
3/10
A haunting postmodern genre revision...
zdac16 June 1999
Loosely based on the Chinese heroic literature classic, "The Eagle-Shooting Heroes" by prolific Wuxia author Louis Cha, ASHES OF TIME is conspicuous for the unusual and postmodern approach it takes to a genre so firmly entrenched in Hong Kong cinema.
The "story" consists interactions between various characters as they weave in and out of each other's lives, with a small village in a bleak desert wasteland as the crossroads. These vignettes are not always sequential, and we must gradually piece together the relationships and backgrounds of the protagonists, some of which contribute to a larger story, while others do not. The all-star cast portrays a varied palette of characters, perfectly flawed incarnations of fantastical beings, with performances teetering on the line between disarming humanity and iconic romanticism.
One thing to love about this movie is the way that director Wong Kar-Wai takes the reflective internal monologues and quirky, alienated losers from his other films and transposes them to the world of Chinese heroic fantasy. It's an interesting idea that both ennobles and deconstructs the genre. Martial-arts superheroes who can literally shear mountainsides with a wave of the sword, mired in their own personal conflicts and bouts with inadequacy, in the points of time that occur between the legend-worthy events. This unusual treatment lends these mythic characters a familiar dimension that is both poetic and banal. The cast and the desert are wrenchingly beautiful in the same starkly desolate way. The music consists of odd synth dirges, like a moody clash of Ennio Morricone and Vangelis (particularly the 1492 soundtrack), but it is nonetheless hauntingly atmospheric.
ASHES OF TIME is a truly beautiful movie. The cinematography is a lush blend of stunningly arid vistas, iconic posturing, minute sensual gestures, grainy documentary-style camera-work, and stylish, impressionistic fight sequences. A visual metaphor for textiles and tapestry persists, with the various interwoven plots echoed in the camera's almost tactile attention to fabric and texture throughout... sometimes tightly bound like an inescapable net, others fraying apart like elusive memories.
That said, this movie is not going to appeal to everyone. The disjointed dreamlike narrative can be confusing initially, with so many characters behaving in obscure ways, backwards and forwards in time. Still, in the end, if you take some time to retrace your steps, it all does fit together remarkably well. The puzzle pieces really do form a coherent picture, but for most people it will probably take a second viewing to see it all.
Also, those looking for the action sequences Hong Kong movies are famous for, will find the emphasis is on the characters and their meandering thoughts. When the (nonetheless exciting and very cool) action scenes do take place, they are blurred hyperkinetic washes of motion. While Hong Kong action films have some of the greatest choreography captured on film, ASHES OF TIME attempts to capture an impressionistic, psychological aspect as well, sometimes obscuring the action as much as displaying it.
This movie takes many of its cues from Sergio Leone's revisionist westerns. The stylized desert environment is the wastes of New Mexico revisited through Chinese legend, complete with tormented superhumanly-skilled anti-hero swordsmen/gunslingers, lost, deromanticized ideals, melodramatic showdowns, and roving hundreds-strong gangs of horse thieves. Still, Ashes of Time manages to be its own beast, a technical, artistic, visual, sentimental masterpiece, that gives a new twist on old conventions, while simultaneously managing to belong very much to Wong Kar-Wai's thematic oeuvre. A movie you won't easily forget.
The "story" consists interactions between various characters as they weave in and out of each other's lives, with a small village in a bleak desert wasteland as the crossroads. These vignettes are not always sequential, and we must gradually piece together the relationships and backgrounds of the protagonists, some of which contribute to a larger story, while others do not. The all-star cast portrays a varied palette of characters, perfectly flawed incarnations of fantastical beings, with performances teetering on the line between disarming humanity and iconic romanticism.
One thing to love about this movie is the way that director Wong Kar-Wai takes the reflective internal monologues and quirky, alienated losers from his other films and transposes them to the world of Chinese heroic fantasy. It's an interesting idea that both ennobles and deconstructs the genre. Martial-arts superheroes who can literally shear mountainsides with a wave of the sword, mired in their own personal conflicts and bouts with inadequacy, in the points of time that occur between the legend-worthy events. This unusual treatment lends these mythic characters a familiar dimension that is both poetic and banal. The cast and the desert are wrenchingly beautiful in the same starkly desolate way. The music consists of odd synth dirges, like a moody clash of Ennio Morricone and Vangelis (particularly the 1492 soundtrack), but it is nonetheless hauntingly atmospheric.
ASHES OF TIME is a truly beautiful movie. The cinematography is a lush blend of stunningly arid vistas, iconic posturing, minute sensual gestures, grainy documentary-style camera-work, and stylish, impressionistic fight sequences. A visual metaphor for textiles and tapestry persists, with the various interwoven plots echoed in the camera's almost tactile attention to fabric and texture throughout... sometimes tightly bound like an inescapable net, others fraying apart like elusive memories.
That said, this movie is not going to appeal to everyone. The disjointed dreamlike narrative can be confusing initially, with so many characters behaving in obscure ways, backwards and forwards in time. Still, in the end, if you take some time to retrace your steps, it all does fit together remarkably well. The puzzle pieces really do form a coherent picture, but for most people it will probably take a second viewing to see it all.
Also, those looking for the action sequences Hong Kong movies are famous for, will find the emphasis is on the characters and their meandering thoughts. When the (nonetheless exciting and very cool) action scenes do take place, they are blurred hyperkinetic washes of motion. While Hong Kong action films have some of the greatest choreography captured on film, ASHES OF TIME attempts to capture an impressionistic, psychological aspect as well, sometimes obscuring the action as much as displaying it.
This movie takes many of its cues from Sergio Leone's revisionist westerns. The stylized desert environment is the wastes of New Mexico revisited through Chinese legend, complete with tormented superhumanly-skilled anti-hero swordsmen/gunslingers, lost, deromanticized ideals, melodramatic showdowns, and roving hundreds-strong gangs of horse thieves. Still, Ashes of Time manages to be its own beast, a technical, artistic, visual, sentimental masterpiece, that gives a new twist on old conventions, while simultaneously managing to belong very much to Wong Kar-Wai's thematic oeuvre. A movie you won't easily forget.
Weak film by Wong Kar Wai's standards
squelcho12 March 2006
I watched Eagle Shooting Heroes a few months before this movie, and enjoyed every farcical HK in-joke and cliché that was shovelled into it. The cast seemed to be enjoying every minute of it, and the fight scenes were well up to HK standards. Unfortunately, Wong Kar Wai, while he is an excellent director of modern themes, completely missed the point with Ashes of Time. It tries to be a philosophical martial arts movie, but lacks the adrenal rush of even the most basic Tsui Hark Wu Xia movies. Brigitte Lin reprises a role that martial arts fans would have seen a great many times previously, and the exploding cliffs and erupting lake are by no means original. Swordsman 2 and East is Red both played the supernatural card to the hilt, with the added benefit of some fantastic fight scenes.
Much as I admire Doyle's camera-work in Fallen Angels, Chungking Express, In the Mood For Love, Away With Words, and Last Life in the Universe, I feel that martial arts action cinematography is sufficiently specialised as to be a little beyond his reach. It's not that difficult to see why the shooting schedule went out of the window, or why the cast rushed off to make Eagle Shooting Heroes during the hiatus.
The freezeframe action sequences just look weak in comparison to 99% of HK action sequences, and rather than driving the narrative, they almost drag it to a standstill. I can only assume that there was either no action director on the set, or that the person doing that job was seriously inept, and the jerky style was used to cover the weakness of the fight scenes. A shame really, because Eagle Shooting Heroes shows that the cast were very capable of performing complicated fight scenes with their eyes shut. They weren't exactly novices at the genre, and with a competent action director, they are far more convincing as fighters.
And therein lies the problem with this movie. None of the fighters are convincing, because we never really see them fight. We see some blurry slow-mo, and greyed out freezeframes, but never get a real sense of what makes them so fearsome. And because of that, the grand sentiments expressed by the leads are rendered almost meaningless.
I like some of Wong Kar Wai's films, but not all of them, and I certainly don't place him on a pedestal where criticism is not permitted. He makes great original films, but his attempts to cover well worn traditional HK genres (Heroic bloodshed in As Tears Go By, and martial arts in Ashes of Time) have resulted in his weakest movies. Action films require as many, if not more, thought processes as more artistic character-driven movies, and also demand a certain quality threshold in the action scenes, which an auteur might mistakenly assume comes naturally. It doesn't.
Much as I admire Doyle's camera-work in Fallen Angels, Chungking Express, In the Mood For Love, Away With Words, and Last Life in the Universe, I feel that martial arts action cinematography is sufficiently specialised as to be a little beyond his reach. It's not that difficult to see why the shooting schedule went out of the window, or why the cast rushed off to make Eagle Shooting Heroes during the hiatus.
The freezeframe action sequences just look weak in comparison to 99% of HK action sequences, and rather than driving the narrative, they almost drag it to a standstill. I can only assume that there was either no action director on the set, or that the person doing that job was seriously inept, and the jerky style was used to cover the weakness of the fight scenes. A shame really, because Eagle Shooting Heroes shows that the cast were very capable of performing complicated fight scenes with their eyes shut. They weren't exactly novices at the genre, and with a competent action director, they are far more convincing as fighters.
And therein lies the problem with this movie. None of the fighters are convincing, because we never really see them fight. We see some blurry slow-mo, and greyed out freezeframes, but never get a real sense of what makes them so fearsome. And because of that, the grand sentiments expressed by the leads are rendered almost meaningless.
I like some of Wong Kar Wai's films, but not all of them, and I certainly don't place him on a pedestal where criticism is not permitted. He makes great original films, but his attempts to cover well worn traditional HK genres (Heroic bloodshed in As Tears Go By, and martial arts in Ashes of Time) have resulted in his weakest movies. Action films require as many, if not more, thought processes as more artistic character-driven movies, and also demand a certain quality threshold in the action scenes, which an auteur might mistakenly assume comes naturally. It doesn't.
When Audacity becomes Pretension...
auberus7 July 2003
"Ashes of Time" was an audacious project but ended up being a pretentious movie. This film is a good example of how to tell a simple story in a complex manner. The plot of "Ashes of Time" is fairly simple and comes down to two words: "love triangle". Because of those "love triangles" crossing stories, jealousy, hate and love are the main dynamics displayed by the characters. The narrative part is seen through Ou-yang Feng's eyes (Leslie Cheung). Ou-yang Feng lives in the desert, where he acts as middleman to various swordsmen and becomes the tool of Destiny through which vengeance is achieved. Unfortunately "Ashes of Time" fails in telling these simple stories of love and hate. Wong Kar-wai lost himself driven by a desire to make each frame of the film a painting and an aesthetic experience. In fact beside the casting of beautiful actors (men and women) everything else is a failure in this movie. Dialogs are minimalists and not original at all. Picture's quality is very much unequal, the editing is one of the worst ever seen (at least by me) in the "swordplay" genre and finally the filming of the rare sword fight is very confusing and unappealing. Even the attempt of building artistic scenes is not always achieved: the so call erotic "women on a horse" scene is ridiculous, not erotic and useless. Wong Kar-wai wanted to deliver 100 minutes of pure aesthetic experience and forgot that a film is first about how a plot is told. By forgetting that he delivers an awkward movie that doesn't even fulfill its artistic objective.
Life-stoppingly rich, soul-penetratingly haunting
PiranianRose4 June 2005
Without a doubt, Ashes of Time is the most special film I have ever seen. It is also the most artistic, which naturally means it is more challenging than entertaining. Indeed, I was not comfortable watching it for the first time, but I was so mesmerized that now it has become the movie I have revisited the most. Nevertheless, Ashes is still a very difficult piece to sit through in its entirety. In my opinion, due to its disjointed storytelling, it is a film where parts are better than the whole, and those parts simply take my breath away.
Interestingly enough, the most breathtaking and spellbinding film to me is not one I so much "like" or enjoy, but is one that I cherish for its evocative artistry. This majestic collection of disjointed heartbreaking tales is complemented to perfection by unrivaled and unforgettable imagery, music, and performances that penetrate the soul.
Interestingly enough, the most breathtaking and spellbinding film to me is not one I so much "like" or enjoy, but is one that I cherish for its evocative artistry. This majestic collection of disjointed heartbreaking tales is complemented to perfection by unrivaled and unforgettable imagery, music, and performances that penetrate the soul.
The Ballads Within The Ballad Of Ou-yang Feng
Chrysanthepop4 March 2009
'Dung Che Sai Duk' (aka 'Ashes of Time') is a beautiful visual tapestry. It is another fine example of poetry on canvas. The story does not follow a linear structure but at the same time the dazzling visuals grip the viewer and involve us in the characters' life. The first time I watched 'Dung Che Sai Duk' I was engaged throughout the entire duration but by the end I was left a little confused. This is because I overlooked the layers and some of the important details. It also didn't help that the subtitles were poor. After second viewing, this time with better subtitles, it became a lot more clearer and my appreciation has increased much more.
Almost the entire film is set in the desert. There are plenty of swordfights to enjoy but this is secondary to the story which is mainly about unrequited love and how the fights are a projection of their anger and way of dealing with rejection. The fight scenes are well choreographed. However, I felt slow motion was overused. The editing is good but I was disappointed that so many sequences were cut from the Redux version. The dialogues are marvelously poetic. The tricky cinematography is conducted through various angles and so astonishingly effective. The soundtrack is superb and atmospheric. The cast boasts of top talented names like, Leslie Cheung, Maggie Cheung, Brigitte Lin, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Jacky Cheung and Carina Lau all of whom do full justice to their roles with subtle performances.
Kar Wai Wong is known for experimenting with different themes and here he does that with unrequited love. Although the treatment of the story is slightly different when compared to his other works, the same essence remains within the characters. It is a movie that stays with you and invites you to revisit.
Almost the entire film is set in the desert. There are plenty of swordfights to enjoy but this is secondary to the story which is mainly about unrequited love and how the fights are a projection of their anger and way of dealing with rejection. The fight scenes are well choreographed. However, I felt slow motion was overused. The editing is good but I was disappointed that so many sequences were cut from the Redux version. The dialogues are marvelously poetic. The tricky cinematography is conducted through various angles and so astonishingly effective. The soundtrack is superb and atmospheric. The cast boasts of top talented names like, Leslie Cheung, Maggie Cheung, Brigitte Lin, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Jacky Cheung and Carina Lau all of whom do full justice to their roles with subtle performances.
Kar Wai Wong is known for experimenting with different themes and here he does that with unrequited love. Although the treatment of the story is slightly different when compared to his other works, the same essence remains within the characters. It is a movie that stays with you and invites you to revisit.
Beautiful and mesmerizing...
paul_haakonsen2 April 2013
"Ashes of Time" is a definitive movie in this particular genre that should be on the shelves of any movie collector - especially those who are interested in Asian movies.
The movie, though it is labeled as a martial arts epic, is driven more by the storyline, the acting and the dialogue, than it is by the actual swordsplay and martial arts. And this was a risk on director Wong Kar Wai's part - but a risk that was well worth it in many ways. Because the end result is a heavier movie that punches harder and leaves a lasting impression.
Not only is the movie driven by an appealing story that is riveting and captivating, but the movie also has a good amount of iconic Hong Kong actors and actresses on the cast list; Leslie Cheung (playing Ou-yang Feng), Tony Leung Chiu Wai (playing the blind swordsman), Bridgette Lin (playing Mu-rong Yin/Mu-rong Yang), Tony Leung Ka Fai (playing Huang Yao-shi) and of course Maggie Cheung (playing the woman). It is indeed a grand ensemble of acting talents put together in one movie. And especially the performance of Leslie Cheung - whose death was a hard blow to Hong Kong cinema - really put on a marvelous performance in "Ashes of Time".
The dialogue is good and fluently, keeping the movie well up in pace. And the dialogue is a great core of the movie, so it is an important aspect of the movie, an aspect that just has to work out. And it did!
"Ashes of Time" is also a visually spectacular movie, filmed on location in the harsh deserts of western China, near Mongolia. And the scenery tells a thousand tales in this movie, and it is in itself a major center piece for the movie.
If you haven't seen "Ashes of Time" by now, I can only encourage you to get to it, because this is a very important and defining movie in Hong Kong cinema. This movie is breathtakingly exceptional in many ways.
The movie, though it is labeled as a martial arts epic, is driven more by the storyline, the acting and the dialogue, than it is by the actual swordsplay and martial arts. And this was a risk on director Wong Kar Wai's part - but a risk that was well worth it in many ways. Because the end result is a heavier movie that punches harder and leaves a lasting impression.
Not only is the movie driven by an appealing story that is riveting and captivating, but the movie also has a good amount of iconic Hong Kong actors and actresses on the cast list; Leslie Cheung (playing Ou-yang Feng), Tony Leung Chiu Wai (playing the blind swordsman), Bridgette Lin (playing Mu-rong Yin/Mu-rong Yang), Tony Leung Ka Fai (playing Huang Yao-shi) and of course Maggie Cheung (playing the woman). It is indeed a grand ensemble of acting talents put together in one movie. And especially the performance of Leslie Cheung - whose death was a hard blow to Hong Kong cinema - really put on a marvelous performance in "Ashes of Time".
The dialogue is good and fluently, keeping the movie well up in pace. And the dialogue is a great core of the movie, so it is an important aspect of the movie, an aspect that just has to work out. And it did!
"Ashes of Time" is also a visually spectacular movie, filmed on location in the harsh deserts of western China, near Mongolia. And the scenery tells a thousand tales in this movie, and it is in itself a major center piece for the movie.
If you haven't seen "Ashes of Time" by now, I can only encourage you to get to it, because this is a very important and defining movie in Hong Kong cinema. This movie is breathtakingly exceptional in many ways.
His style is back
wl32312 October 2008
Warning: Spoilers
It is a must-see for Kar-wai Wong's fans. I guarantee that you will not be disappointed as you might have felt towards My Blueberry Nights, which is not bad but just missing something that makes the movie a bit shy of the director's usual style the lingering melancholy and subtle poignancy. Surely it is not easy for non-Chinese viewers to be convinced by wuxia stories, which is usually quasi-historical and surrealistic. But, I hope westerners will not be deterred by the genre because what is more important is the characters' thoughts and feelings. Those in wuxia stories are just as real as any other dramas. There are seven characters and the relationships among them seem a bit complicated. Judging from the Chinese title of the movie, one can tell that the story between Ouyang Feng and Huang Yaoshi is the main plot and others are just the subplots.
Huang Yaoshi is deeply in love with The Woman (Maggie Cheung), but she never loves him. Her love is Ouyang Feng who disappointed her however by allegedly taking her love for granted. So she married to his older brother. Ouyang Feng then moved to the desert and lived in solitude. To give himself an excuse for seeing The Woman, Huang Yaoshi befriended with Ouyang Feng and visited him every year. He collected stories about Ouyang Feng and reported back to The Woman. The interesting things are: how much did Ouyang Feng know about the friendship between Huang Yaoshi and The Woman? Could he guess the intention of the annual visit? Did he always know that the (so-called memory erasing) Magic Wine is from his sister-in-law when it was first brought to him by Huang Yaoshi? Did he refuse to try it simply because he does not believe in magic? Or, because he did not want to forget The Woman even she caused so much pain? He however drank it after finding out that The Woman had died. Does it mean that he was secretly hoping for a chance to see her again and so willing to bear the pain associated with his memory?
Huang Yaoshi claimed himself to be the loser (in love) at the very beginning because he never got the love from The Woman and probably also because he did not even dare to express his love to her. He is a good seducer, but he could only acts as a gentleman confidant in front of The Woman. His bitterness is evidenced by his withdrawal to live as a hermit after her death. Ouyang Feng says Huang Yaoshi wanted to know how it feels when being loved and that is why he would make women like him. It is sad to Huang Yaoshi because he totally missed the point. He does not need to know how it feels when being liked. He just needs to know how it feels when being liked by a woman he cares.
Maggie Cheung stole the show with her performance at the scene where she confessed that she lost to herself as well as Ouyang Feng in their relationship. For her, her love was not appreciated and the only way she could earn her pride back was to shun him altogether. No wonder she was drawn to Ouyang Feng because he is just egoistic as her. For him, he avoids rejection by rejecting others first. But, were they manipulating each other? No, they were just protecting themselves. Sadly they did not know that acting against their own true feelings was actually hurting themselves and each other. Again, no wonder only Ouyang Feng (not Huang Yaoshi) can see through the meaning of the Magic Wine to know what you have forgot, you have to remember what to forget.
The subplot of Murong Yan/Yin is really confusing. And, personally, I am hardly sympathized with her. As to the purpose of the subplot, towards the end, as Ouyang Feng said that it is not difficult to say "You are the one I love the most" if you are not speaking for yourself. This remark foretells that he is incapable of expressing his love. The subplot also brings in the main plot when Ouyang Feng was imagining his sister-in-law was touching him. The bird cage is a funny prop in the movie. It seems to be suggesting that the characters are just like the birds trapped.
The Blind Swordsman is the most interesting figure outside the main plot. Like Ouyang Feng, he ran away from home after heartbreak. What is different is that his wife, Peach Blossom still loves him and waiting for him. But, he could not forgive her betrayal. He wants to kill Huang Yaoshi (whom his wife falls for) but failed. When the swordsman found Huang Yaoshi, he could not see due to night blindness. After that, he started to work for Ouyang Feng as a contract killer. (It is unclear whether he knew about the relationship between Ouyang Feng and Huang Yaoshi.) Apparently, he just took it as a job, but how much did he do it for money; how much was it of self-destruction and how much did he do it for helping The Girl revenge her brother?
Hong Qi is the only character who is not troubled by women. The subplot about him is to show the unreachable ideal of Ouyang Feng, that is, to be true to oneself and do what the heart tells. It is Hong Qi's attitude to life in jianghu as well as to his woman.
Desert is the best choice for the setting of the story. The harshness and scarcity of lives in desert parallel the emptiness of the characters' souls; the climatic extremity corresponds to the contradicted feelings harbored in each of their minds. Last but not least, the music is marvelous. It trembles your emotions. As to the cinematography, did Christopher Doyle ever disappoint you? Just fantastic as always!
Huang Yaoshi is deeply in love with The Woman (Maggie Cheung), but she never loves him. Her love is Ouyang Feng who disappointed her however by allegedly taking her love for granted. So she married to his older brother. Ouyang Feng then moved to the desert and lived in solitude. To give himself an excuse for seeing The Woman, Huang Yaoshi befriended with Ouyang Feng and visited him every year. He collected stories about Ouyang Feng and reported back to The Woman. The interesting things are: how much did Ouyang Feng know about the friendship between Huang Yaoshi and The Woman? Could he guess the intention of the annual visit? Did he always know that the (so-called memory erasing) Magic Wine is from his sister-in-law when it was first brought to him by Huang Yaoshi? Did he refuse to try it simply because he does not believe in magic? Or, because he did not want to forget The Woman even she caused so much pain? He however drank it after finding out that The Woman had died. Does it mean that he was secretly hoping for a chance to see her again and so willing to bear the pain associated with his memory?
Huang Yaoshi claimed himself to be the loser (in love) at the very beginning because he never got the love from The Woman and probably also because he did not even dare to express his love to her. He is a good seducer, but he could only acts as a gentleman confidant in front of The Woman. His bitterness is evidenced by his withdrawal to live as a hermit after her death. Ouyang Feng says Huang Yaoshi wanted to know how it feels when being loved and that is why he would make women like him. It is sad to Huang Yaoshi because he totally missed the point. He does not need to know how it feels when being liked. He just needs to know how it feels when being liked by a woman he cares.
Maggie Cheung stole the show with her performance at the scene where she confessed that she lost to herself as well as Ouyang Feng in their relationship. For her, her love was not appreciated and the only way she could earn her pride back was to shun him altogether. No wonder she was drawn to Ouyang Feng because he is just egoistic as her. For him, he avoids rejection by rejecting others first. But, were they manipulating each other? No, they were just protecting themselves. Sadly they did not know that acting against their own true feelings was actually hurting themselves and each other. Again, no wonder only Ouyang Feng (not Huang Yaoshi) can see through the meaning of the Magic Wine to know what you have forgot, you have to remember what to forget.
The subplot of Murong Yan/Yin is really confusing. And, personally, I am hardly sympathized with her. As to the purpose of the subplot, towards the end, as Ouyang Feng said that it is not difficult to say "You are the one I love the most" if you are not speaking for yourself. This remark foretells that he is incapable of expressing his love. The subplot also brings in the main plot when Ouyang Feng was imagining his sister-in-law was touching him. The bird cage is a funny prop in the movie. It seems to be suggesting that the characters are just like the birds trapped.
The Blind Swordsman is the most interesting figure outside the main plot. Like Ouyang Feng, he ran away from home after heartbreak. What is different is that his wife, Peach Blossom still loves him and waiting for him. But, he could not forgive her betrayal. He wants to kill Huang Yaoshi (whom his wife falls for) but failed. When the swordsman found Huang Yaoshi, he could not see due to night blindness. After that, he started to work for Ouyang Feng as a contract killer. (It is unclear whether he knew about the relationship between Ouyang Feng and Huang Yaoshi.) Apparently, he just took it as a job, but how much did he do it for money; how much was it of self-destruction and how much did he do it for helping The Girl revenge her brother?
Hong Qi is the only character who is not troubled by women. The subplot about him is to show the unreachable ideal of Ouyang Feng, that is, to be true to oneself and do what the heart tells. It is Hong Qi's attitude to life in jianghu as well as to his woman.
Desert is the best choice for the setting of the story. The harshness and scarcity of lives in desert parallel the emptiness of the characters' souls; the climatic extremity corresponds to the contradicted feelings harbored in each of their minds. Last but not least, the music is marvelous. It trembles your emotions. As to the cinematography, did Christopher Doyle ever disappoint you? Just fantastic as always!
Epic, Yet Overrated, Ashes Of Time Still Charms!!
Movie-Misfit17 April 2020
In an era of flying swordsmen, desert battles and adaptations of Louis Cha novels, art-house film-maker, Wong Kar Wai, was not going to be left behind and set out to create on of the most revered, overrated, and beautiful wu xia films from Hong Kong cinema. In fact, the project became so exhausting to him, Wong managed to write and make Chungking Express during the editing process in a bid to 'clear his head'...
I can understand that, having done the same thing during post-production of my 4th film Splash Area. Clogged up with the struggle of the production, and exhausted, I took two of my actors to Norway for a week and shot my 5th film, Onus scripting their lines only the night before each days shoot. Turned out to be one of my favourites!
Ashes Of Time was a much bigger success of course, which makes me think I tried to hard (with Splash Area) and should have adapted a treasured story instead. With an all star cast, most of who probably spent most of their days alone shooting their scenes, the film may seem like a convoluted mess to most, with some scenes and moments making no sense. This is supposedly cleaned up in the Redux version released for Cannes in 2008, with clearer changes in seasons, alternative footage, deleted scenes, and a change of order in what this original offers - leaving it with a shorter running time, but apparently, a much better viewing experience with new soundtrack and enriched colours.
There is no denying how incredible each of the cast members are, many of who are Wong regulars. The film is shot beautifully with cinematography by Christopher Doyle and Andrew Lau (director of Infernal Affairs). I'd love to see a 4K restored version to allow for the true beauty of what they captured, to be seen...
In terms of swordplay action, we have the legend that is Sammo Hung in charge of making the stars look good. Assisting Hung is martial arts power-house and star of Flashpoint, Collin Chou. Along with him is Hong Kong movie veteran and Shaw Brothers actor Foo Siu Tak, first-timer Wong Ming Kin, who went on to work as a choreographer on films such as Shaolin Soccer, An Empress And The Warriors, and Call Of Heroes, and Derek Cheung who actually was assistant choreographer on The Eagle Shooting Heroes, which is a spoof of this from its producer, Jeff Lau.
You would think with that many great names involved, Ashes Of Time would deliver some of the greatest wu xia action ever committed to film. And while it looks great when it comes about, there isn't as much as one would hope. To top it off, the fights are more about camera-techniques, fast cuts and blurred action, jumping between slow motion and over-cranking as if it doesn't know what it wants to be. If its martial arts, wire-fu action you are looking, I'd go straight for something like Tsui Hark's New Dragongate Inn, Moon Warriors, The Swordsman Trilogy, or The Assassin with Max Mok, which were better offerings from the same period!
Ultimately, Ashes Of Time is a love story. Its a beautiful and poetic movie, full of heart and tragedy with an incredible cast and charm. While I have yet to see the Redux version, I do still find the original version somewhat entertaining, and enjoy it more each time I watch.
Overall: Definitely well worth the watch, Ashes Of Time is an epic Marmite movie for fans of the genre, yet at the same time, stunningly beautiful to watch!
I can understand that, having done the same thing during post-production of my 4th film Splash Area. Clogged up with the struggle of the production, and exhausted, I took two of my actors to Norway for a week and shot my 5th film, Onus scripting their lines only the night before each days shoot. Turned out to be one of my favourites!
Ashes Of Time was a much bigger success of course, which makes me think I tried to hard (with Splash Area) and should have adapted a treasured story instead. With an all star cast, most of who probably spent most of their days alone shooting their scenes, the film may seem like a convoluted mess to most, with some scenes and moments making no sense. This is supposedly cleaned up in the Redux version released for Cannes in 2008, with clearer changes in seasons, alternative footage, deleted scenes, and a change of order in what this original offers - leaving it with a shorter running time, but apparently, a much better viewing experience with new soundtrack and enriched colours.
There is no denying how incredible each of the cast members are, many of who are Wong regulars. The film is shot beautifully with cinematography by Christopher Doyle and Andrew Lau (director of Infernal Affairs). I'd love to see a 4K restored version to allow for the true beauty of what they captured, to be seen...
In terms of swordplay action, we have the legend that is Sammo Hung in charge of making the stars look good. Assisting Hung is martial arts power-house and star of Flashpoint, Collin Chou. Along with him is Hong Kong movie veteran and Shaw Brothers actor Foo Siu Tak, first-timer Wong Ming Kin, who went on to work as a choreographer on films such as Shaolin Soccer, An Empress And The Warriors, and Call Of Heroes, and Derek Cheung who actually was assistant choreographer on The Eagle Shooting Heroes, which is a spoof of this from its producer, Jeff Lau.
You would think with that many great names involved, Ashes Of Time would deliver some of the greatest wu xia action ever committed to film. And while it looks great when it comes about, there isn't as much as one would hope. To top it off, the fights are more about camera-techniques, fast cuts and blurred action, jumping between slow motion and over-cranking as if it doesn't know what it wants to be. If its martial arts, wire-fu action you are looking, I'd go straight for something like Tsui Hark's New Dragongate Inn, Moon Warriors, The Swordsman Trilogy, or The Assassin with Max Mok, which were better offerings from the same period!
Ultimately, Ashes Of Time is a love story. Its a beautiful and poetic movie, full of heart and tragedy with an incredible cast and charm. While I have yet to see the Redux version, I do still find the original version somewhat entertaining, and enjoy it more each time I watch.
Overall: Definitely well worth the watch, Ashes Of Time is an epic Marmite movie for fans of the genre, yet at the same time, stunningly beautiful to watch!
Seasons Come Anjd Time Will Go
crossbow01064 October 2008
I saw this at the New York Film Festival in which Bridgette Lin, who was in the first segment of the film, was there. She still looks beautiful. This film is not a remake, it is a redone version of the film, a 1992 drama set and shot in the Chinese desert in which Ouyang Feng (the late Leslie Cheung) plays a person for hire, mostly to kill others. Through the film, you see various people enter his life, and their stories are told in the passing of the seasons. This absolutely stellar casts includes Maggie Cheung, both Tony Leungs, Carina Lau and Jacky Cheung, along with Bridgette Lin and Leslie Cheung. The film chronicles tales of love, lust, betrayal, vengeance, pain and yearning admirably. There is also excellent swordplay in this film, but the real brilliance of this film is the cinematography by Christopher Doyle. The desert is punctuated with wind & sandstorms, and many images are purposely blurred. Really, if you are a film buff of any kind, this film is essential viewing for the cinematography alone. The film is more dramatic than violent and you are filled with a sense of foreboding throughout, wondering what will happen next. I never saw the film in its original incarnation, so I can't compare, but if you did see the film and liked it you have to see this. If you're a fan of director Wong Kar Wai, this is also essential viewing. Do yourself a favor and try to catch this film in a theater, where you can enjoy the overall majesty of it. Not a perfect ten only because at times it is a bit hard to follow, but stay with it and you'll be rewarded with a great cinematic experience.
Ashes for dust
politic198314 September 2022
Warning: Spoilers
To say "Ashes of Time" is a problematic film is an understatement. Epic in its ambition, it was a difficult film for cast and crew alike; Wong taking a break from post-production to get a breath of fresh air with "Chungking Express". Though it is a film equally problematic for the audience, as while easy on the eye, following its plot is far from simple.
Feng (Leslie Cheung) is a fixer who lives in a remote desert where people come to have their problems solved. Which essentially means he finds them a hired killer. And that is essentially that. Sitting in his house, people come to him and tell him their stories of woe over a drink. Via flashbacks, we learn of their pasts and what brought them to this place. With the occasional action sequence thrown in.
Framed to be a martial arts epic, this is more indulgent than grand-scale. To start, this looks absolutely stunning. The cinematography from Christopher Doyle and Kwan Pung-leung is exquisite, and combines two techniques which would prove key in his two best films: "Happy Together" and "In the Mood for Love". The use of colour would be furthered in the former, giving each frame the look of a work of art. The blues and yellows are bold, bright and beautiful, giving this a distinctive look. The use of shadow, which was perfected in the latter, makes this look stylish beyond style.
Though perhaps so much thought has gone into these two elements that as a film, particularly a martial arts film, this leaves a lot to be desired. Fight scenes are shot from an artistic perspective, using the slow frame speed seen in "As Tears Go By" and "Chungking Express", so they look good, but with enough artistic flourish to make it almost impossible to figure out what is actually happening. The overall slow pace makes them feel like they don't belong here.
The story, well stories, are also hard to follow, coming in the form of flashback and re-telling. This lack of a clear, linear narrative, therefore, can make it easy to become lost. While this features Wong's standard tales of a love unfulfilled, as they pop-by one-by-one, they feel more like agony aunt tales than the cool or developed love of his other films.
The cast also work to create a feel of indulgence. Perhaps inspired by their roles in the Wong-produced "The Eagle Shooting Heroes", they take it in turns to over-act. In fact, here they all appear to be in love with the camera. They gaze into it, with close-ups held just a little too long. All are guilty of this.
All-in-all, it is a film that is great to just look at and not concern yourself too much with what is going on. Perhaps Wong was trying to push in too many elements here, losing some focus, as the visuals dazzle us, but make us forget where we were. As a piece of visual cinema, it is a triumph. But as an enjoyable watch, and more importantly a martial arts film, you can't quite see the ashes for the dust.
Feng (Leslie Cheung) is a fixer who lives in a remote desert where people come to have their problems solved. Which essentially means he finds them a hired killer. And that is essentially that. Sitting in his house, people come to him and tell him their stories of woe over a drink. Via flashbacks, we learn of their pasts and what brought them to this place. With the occasional action sequence thrown in.
Framed to be a martial arts epic, this is more indulgent than grand-scale. To start, this looks absolutely stunning. The cinematography from Christopher Doyle and Kwan Pung-leung is exquisite, and combines two techniques which would prove key in his two best films: "Happy Together" and "In the Mood for Love". The use of colour would be furthered in the former, giving each frame the look of a work of art. The blues and yellows are bold, bright and beautiful, giving this a distinctive look. The use of shadow, which was perfected in the latter, makes this look stylish beyond style.
Though perhaps so much thought has gone into these two elements that as a film, particularly a martial arts film, this leaves a lot to be desired. Fight scenes are shot from an artistic perspective, using the slow frame speed seen in "As Tears Go By" and "Chungking Express", so they look good, but with enough artistic flourish to make it almost impossible to figure out what is actually happening. The overall slow pace makes them feel like they don't belong here.
The story, well stories, are also hard to follow, coming in the form of flashback and re-telling. This lack of a clear, linear narrative, therefore, can make it easy to become lost. While this features Wong's standard tales of a love unfulfilled, as they pop-by one-by-one, they feel more like agony aunt tales than the cool or developed love of his other films.
The cast also work to create a feel of indulgence. Perhaps inspired by their roles in the Wong-produced "The Eagle Shooting Heroes", they take it in turns to over-act. In fact, here they all appear to be in love with the camera. They gaze into it, with close-ups held just a little too long. All are guilty of this.
All-in-all, it is a film that is great to just look at and not concern yourself too much with what is going on. Perhaps Wong was trying to push in too many elements here, losing some focus, as the visuals dazzle us, but make us forget where we were. As a piece of visual cinema, it is a triumph. But as an enjoyable watch, and more importantly a martial arts film, you can't quite see the ashes for the dust.
A 95 Minute Smokescreen
ebossert9 May 2006
Disclaimer: During my ventures into foreign cinema, I have taken a liking to a wide variety of movies that span different genres that include horror, action, drama, comedy, and romance, to name a few. Thus, I have enjoyed the thoughtful, serious tone of dramas as well as the mindless, popcorn fun of action films. With a wide array of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean movies under my belt, I am confident in my ability to recognize bright spots in movies to appreciate and complement. Unfortunately, Ashes of Time has nothing to recognize. It is one of the worst Chinese movies I have ever seen.
To start off, this overrated swordplay epic showcases the infamous "slideshow" action sequence throughout, which is nothing more than an ultra-cheap and pathetic form of action choreography. One simply needs to show a series of close-up pictures of grimising faces, swords, legs and/or arms, and then a dead body. Bravissimo! You now have an action sequence for Ashes of Time. The problem lies not only in its poor quality but also in the fact that the scenes are so chaotic and disjointed that the viewer has no idea what the hell is going on.
The dramatic element of this film is nonexistent, as it relies on the characters telling the viewer that they love someone or hate someone instead of actually developing and showing such elements on screen, which renders all characters generic and colorless, leaving the viewer completely indifferent to their actions. In fact, the storyline itself is an absolute disaster, introducing way too many characters way too quickly with way too many plot devices. Plot complexities in films can be used very advantageously (i.e., A Tale of Two Sisters), but Ashes of Time becomes exploitative trash when it does nothing more than convolute a very simple plot for no apparently good reason.
In fact, this entire movie acts like a series of smokescreens to cover up its deficiencies. Horrible action choreography is covered up by "slideshow" tricks and chaotic camera movements. Non-existent character development is covered up by the characters overtly saying how they feel. And a thoughtless storyline is covered up by confusing the viewer with convolution.
As if this weren't bad enough, this movie was extremely boring, seeming more like 150 minutes instead of the actual 95.
Rating = A rarely given 0/5 Stars.
To start off, this overrated swordplay epic showcases the infamous "slideshow" action sequence throughout, which is nothing more than an ultra-cheap and pathetic form of action choreography. One simply needs to show a series of close-up pictures of grimising faces, swords, legs and/or arms, and then a dead body. Bravissimo! You now have an action sequence for Ashes of Time. The problem lies not only in its poor quality but also in the fact that the scenes are so chaotic and disjointed that the viewer has no idea what the hell is going on.
The dramatic element of this film is nonexistent, as it relies on the characters telling the viewer that they love someone or hate someone instead of actually developing and showing such elements on screen, which renders all characters generic and colorless, leaving the viewer completely indifferent to their actions. In fact, the storyline itself is an absolute disaster, introducing way too many characters way too quickly with way too many plot devices. Plot complexities in films can be used very advantageously (i.e., A Tale of Two Sisters), but Ashes of Time becomes exploitative trash when it does nothing more than convolute a very simple plot for no apparently good reason.
In fact, this entire movie acts like a series of smokescreens to cover up its deficiencies. Horrible action choreography is covered up by "slideshow" tricks and chaotic camera movements. Non-existent character development is covered up by the characters overtly saying how they feel. And a thoughtless storyline is covered up by confusing the viewer with convolution.
As if this weren't bad enough, this movie was extremely boring, seeming more like 150 minutes instead of the actual 95.
Rating = A rarely given 0/5 Stars.
Memories mightier than the Sword
DaturaD19 May 2001
(May contain spoilers) This film is definitely no typical martial arts film. Dealing more with a warrior's psyche rather than physical prowess (although there are plenty of interesting action scenes for those interested). The beautiful desert scenery made me think of an hour glass where the sand is time. The characters in the film all symbolically slip through Leslie Cheung's fingers like sand because they all fail to connect with one another and isolation and loneliness prevail.The film shows how memories can be used as weapons, to manipulate, empower or weaken. Great camera work and performances, (Tony Leung Chiu Wai at his most tortured as a blind swordsman, Brigitte Lin gives a powerful voice to all our inner duels with our Yin and Yangs) Wong KAr Wai-as always, has produced a real work of art. The themes of memory and loss can also been seen in (the amazing) Chungking Express, which KAr Wai shot and completed while editing Ashes of Time.The many story lines may be hard to follow, however Ashes of Time is still definitely well worth the watch.
Solitary soul(s) on a quest for redemption
kluseba15 January 2016
''Ashes of Time'' is a unique art film which is loosely bound upon Jin Yong's wuxia novel ''The Legend of the Condor Heroes''. Despite two blurry action choreographies, this movie can't be considered as a martial arts movie at all. Due to its philosophical content, its numerous metaphors and examples of symbolism and its calm episodic script, this movie could best be categorized as an art-house drama. The movie is separated into five fragments according to the four seasons with the spring season representing both introduction and coda of this piece of art. The director doesn't offer any conclusion to its vague story and challenges the audience to make sense of this film on its own.
The only guiding lines of the movie are the changes of season, the transformation of colourful landscapes and the topic of unrequited love and how to deal with this depressing fate. Each character has faced, currently faces or will face a desperate love relationship and everyone of them tries to find a different solution: one of them simply tries to forget the past, another one seeks refuge in isolation and another one wants to assassinate the one who causes all the emotional and mental suffering. In the end, none of the characters can find a satisfying answer on their quest for redemption. Despite the depressing tone, the beginning of the movie can be interpreted as the origin of a quest for redemption while the coda might be seen as an optimistic attempt at renaissance.
This film can be interpreted in at least two ways. One possibility is that the main location in form of a bare cabin in the desert is a meeting point for solitary souls who feel outcast from society and who are absorbed by their mental problems. The main character listens to their different stories and often manages to find solutions for them but he is still unable to solve his own problems. Another possibility is that this movie is only about the main character and that the side characters only exist on his confused mind and represent different sides of his shattered soul looking for salvation.
Despite its colourful journey, inspiring philosophical content and revolutionary visual component, this courageous piece of art is not appropriate for mainstream audiences and might even be hard to digest for passionate cineasts. The movie's pace is extremely slow and it contains several noticeable lengths towards the middle. While the few fight choreographies could have spiced things up a little bit, they happen to be rather redundant, slow and unspectacular.
In the end, you should absolutely watch this if you have an open mind for philosophical art-house experiments that request your intellectual participation in the movie. You should avoid it if you are expecting a vivid wuxia movie or a tense martial arts film because your expectations won't be met and you will end up being disappointed.
The only guiding lines of the movie are the changes of season, the transformation of colourful landscapes and the topic of unrequited love and how to deal with this depressing fate. Each character has faced, currently faces or will face a desperate love relationship and everyone of them tries to find a different solution: one of them simply tries to forget the past, another one seeks refuge in isolation and another one wants to assassinate the one who causes all the emotional and mental suffering. In the end, none of the characters can find a satisfying answer on their quest for redemption. Despite the depressing tone, the beginning of the movie can be interpreted as the origin of a quest for redemption while the coda might be seen as an optimistic attempt at renaissance.
This film can be interpreted in at least two ways. One possibility is that the main location in form of a bare cabin in the desert is a meeting point for solitary souls who feel outcast from society and who are absorbed by their mental problems. The main character listens to their different stories and often manages to find solutions for them but he is still unable to solve his own problems. Another possibility is that this movie is only about the main character and that the side characters only exist on his confused mind and represent different sides of his shattered soul looking for salvation.
Despite its colourful journey, inspiring philosophical content and revolutionary visual component, this courageous piece of art is not appropriate for mainstream audiences and might even be hard to digest for passionate cineasts. The movie's pace is extremely slow and it contains several noticeable lengths towards the middle. While the few fight choreographies could have spiced things up a little bit, they happen to be rather redundant, slow and unspectacular.
In the end, you should absolutely watch this if you have an open mind for philosophical art-house experiments that request your intellectual participation in the movie. You should avoid it if you are expecting a vivid wuxia movie or a tense martial arts film because your expectations won't be met and you will end up being disappointed.
Difficult film experience
poikkeus14 October 2008
Your ability to enjoy The Ashes of Time may depend on our expectations before stepping into the theater. Even its most strident supporters seem to agree that audiences can be split right up the middle in their appreciation of this unique film.
Unlike most HK actioners, the battle scenes are curiously kept at a distance. When they do happen, they're rendered in a jerky style in which it's difficult to make out exactly what's occurring on screen. The dramatic scenes can be extravagantly beautiful, with the of Maggie Cheung, Brigitte Lin, and a roll-call of HK's top acting talent chewing up the scenery. As with some of Wong Kar-wai's early work, the dialog could be more precise.
In short, The Ashes of Time requires a forgiving attitude. Released around the same time as Wong Kar-wai's spectacularly successful Chungking Express, it's clear that the director isn't as confident working with the elements of the martial arts film. Anyone looking for tense action is likely to be disappointed. But those intrigued by the director's aesthetic will likely find this a unique experience at the very least.
Unlike most HK actioners, the battle scenes are curiously kept at a distance. When they do happen, they're rendered in a jerky style in which it's difficult to make out exactly what's occurring on screen. The dramatic scenes can be extravagantly beautiful, with the of Maggie Cheung, Brigitte Lin, and a roll-call of HK's top acting talent chewing up the scenery. As with some of Wong Kar-wai's early work, the dialog could be more precise.
In short, The Ashes of Time requires a forgiving attitude. Released around the same time as Wong Kar-wai's spectacularly successful Chungking Express, it's clear that the director isn't as confident working with the elements of the martial arts film. Anyone looking for tense action is likely to be disappointed. But those intrigued by the director's aesthetic will likely find this a unique experience at the very least.
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