Ashes of Time Redux

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Finn S Mar 14, 2019 The Hong Kong wuxia films are well-known for strong bonds with traditional Chinese legends and philosophy. These features are also marked with plenty of bizarre martial arts scenes, crazy stunts, tricks, and symbolism. However, Kar-wai decided to test the water from a different angle. Ashes of Time is an eclectic and grotesque tale of grief and romance told in a tonally complex way, thanks to the cinematography of Christopher Doyle and Kar-wai's aesthetics. The viewers have never seen wuxia in such light before Ashes of Time. The martial arts scenes in Ashes of Time are not something we associate the film with. The combat moments look totally different from what we are used to watching wuxia. The heroes remain engaged with the romance and inner conflicts even while fighting. We see them being emotional over something and ruminating, rather than getting focused on the fight. Sometimes, these martial arts scenes are lensed in a slow-motion to emphasize the emotions we see on the protagonists' faces. The camera is focused on the mood of characters, utilizing the brilliance of light and colours that become a distinctive part of Wong Kar-Wai's work. The fights in this film are employed only to add something into the romantic mood and story. This is why Ashes of Time remains one of the most unusual wuxia films ever created. The plot of Ashes of times is non-linear and quite coherent. The protagonist martial arts master Ouyang Feng who is portrayed by Leslie Cheung encounters a few other great sword masters and wanderers. Listening to their stories about emotional dramas and disappointment, employing them or helping them out, he slowly immerses into his own anxiety and woe realizing how lonely he is. As it always happens in the films of Wong, none of the heroes is delighted to be happy in love, they all suffer from heartbreaks, under different circumstance. The encounters between Ouyang Feng and other protagonists are divided into 5 acts, based on different legends and stories. The stories are just loosely related to each other, but they all disclose peculiarities of Ouyang Feng's feelings and emotions. This is the first time Kar-wai develops and uses this approach comprising the stories in one film which are loosely connected. He would make something similar in his 2 next films and repeat the division into acts concerning the protagonist in the film 2046. Ashes of Time was praised for brilliant Christopher Doyle's cinematography once again as he claimed the best cinematographer reward at 1995 Hong Kong Film Awards. With this new success, it became clear Wong-Doyle collaboration will stand for years. In addition to this success, William Chang had won two rewards for the best art direction and best costume and make-up design. The visual part of Ashes of Times is fascinating and gorgeous, and the important credits go to William Chang for his work with costumes. Kar-wai would return to martial arts films again within almost twenty years working on The Grandmaster, which will be certainly pretty much influenced by Ashes of Time. See more

Kylo P Mar 6, 2013 Wong Kar-wai personifies pretension with "Ashes of Time" a slow meditation on what it means to be a swordsman some where in the desert during the 19th Century. Wong assembles a powerhouse cast, recruits Sammo Hung to choreograph the action, and brings back Christopher Doyle from "Days of Being Wild" to photograph what is by all accounts a specious self-indulgent mess. See more

Hermione P Oct 17, 2008 Wong Kar Wai's wuxia film is typical of the director, in that it's more of a love story that happens to have martial arts in it, but it's still well worth checking out and something I'm pleased to have crossed off the list. Rental! See more

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Ashes of Time Redux

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