Ashes of Time Redux (1994)

Synopsis: Two years after forming his own production company, Jet Tone, Hong Kong director Wong Kar Wai released ASHES OF TIME, a martial-arts epic based on THE EAGLE-SHOOTING HEROES, a series of novels by... Two years after forming his own production company, Jet Tone, Hong Kong director Wong Kar Wai released ASHES OF TIME, a martial-arts epic based on THE EAGLE-SHOOTING HEROES, a series of novels by Louis Cha writing under the pseudonym Jin Yong. The film was set in jianghu, an imaginary world with its own views of good and evil. In 2008, unhappy with the many alternate versions of ASHES OF TIME available, Wong reedited and restored the film, working with the original negative and soundtrack, which were in severe disrepair. The new version, called ASHES OF TIME REDUX, which screened at such prestigious international gatherings as the Cannes, Toronto, and New York Film Festivals, is a breathtaking example of Wong's masterly storytelling technique, combined with the stunning cinematography of Christopher Doyle and gorgeous new cello solos recorded by Yo-Yo Ma. Leslie Cheung stars as Ouyang Feng, a mysterious man living alone in the desert, where people come to him when they need someone eliminated. He is visited annually by Huang Yaoshi (Tony Leung Ka Fai), who brings him stories from the outside world--and especially his lost love (Maggie Cheung). Meanwhile, Murong Yang (Brigitte Lin) has contracted to have Huang killed, and Murong Yin (also Lin) wants her brother taken care of. For a film that examines the role of memory in people's lives, Wong assembled an all-star cast that also includes Tony Leung Chiu Wai as a blind swordsman, Carina Lau as his wife, Charlie Young as a young girl seeking vengeance, and Jacky Cheung as a poor swordsman looking for work. ASHES OF TIME REDUX is a visual treat, with Doyle (who has also teamed with Wong on such well-regarded films as DAYS OF BEING WILD and IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE) capturing swirling sands and beautiful, treacherous landscapes, resulting in a stirring sensory experience. [More]

Starring: Leslie Cheung, Tony Leung Ka Fai, Brigitte Lin, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai

Starring: Leslie Cheung, Tony Leung Ka Fai, Brigitte Lin, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Carina Lau, Charlie Young, Jacky Cheung, Maggie Cheung

Director: Kar Wai Wong

Director: Kar Wai Wong
Screenwriter: Kar-Wai Wong
Producer: Kar-Wai Wong, Jeff Lau
Composer: Tong Wu
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics

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