Ashes of Time (1994)

A broken-hearted hit man moves to the desert where he finds skilled swordsmen to carry out his contract killings.

Director:

Kar-Wai Wong (as Kar Wai Wong)

Writers:

Louis Cha (novel), Kar-Wai Wong (screenplay) (as Kar Wai Wong)

Stars:

Brigitte Lin, Maggie Cheung, Leslie Cheung

9 wins & 13 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Brigitte Lin	...	Mu-rong Yin / Mu-rong Yang
Leslie Cheung	...	Ou-yang Feng
Maggie Cheung	...	The Woman
Tony Chiu-Wai Leung	...	Blind Swordsman (as Tony Chiu Wai Leung)
Jacky Cheung	...	Hung Chi
Tony Ka Fai Leung	...	Huang Yao-shi
Li Bai	...	Hung Chi's Wife
Carina Lau	...	Peach Blossom
Charlie Yeung	...	Young Girl
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Joey Wang	...	(scenes deleted)

Storyline

Ou-yang Feng lives in the middle of a desert, where he acts as a middle man to various swordsmen in ancient China. One of those swordsmen is Huang Yao-shi, who has found some magic wine that causes one to forget the past. At another time, Huang met Mu-rong Yin and under the influence of drink, promised to marry Mu-rong's sister Mu-rong Yang. Huang jilts her, and Mu-rong Yin hires Ou-yang to kill Huang. But then Mu-rong Yang hires Ou-yang to protect Huang. This is awkward, because Mu-rong Yang and Mu-rong Yin are in reality the same person. Other unrelated plot lines careen about. Among them is Ou-yang's continuing efforts to destroy a band of horse thieves. Oy-yang recruits another swordsman, a man who is going blind and wants to get home to see his wife before his sight goes completely. The swordsman is killed. Ou-yang then meets another swordsman who doesn't like wearing shoes. Oy-yang sends this man after the horse thieves, with better results. We then find out what a man must give...

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Plot Keywords:

swordsman | desert | china | wuxia | vengeance | 

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Genres:

Action | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some violence

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Spain]

Country:

Hong Kong Taiwan

Language:

Mandarin Cantonese

Release Date:

17 September 1994 (Hong Kong)

Also Known As:

Ashes of Time

Filming Locations:

China

Box Office

Budget:

HKD40,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$21,372, 12 October 2008

Gross USA:

$174,273

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,912,490

Company Credits

Production Co:

Jet Tone Production, Block 2 Pictures, Scholar Films Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min 93 min (Redux)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital (Redux version) Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In 2008, Kar-Wai Wong re-edited and re-scored the film, re-releasing it under the title "Ashes of Time Redux".

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Quotes

Hung Chi: I've known how to protect myself since young, the best way to avoid being rejected is to reject others first.

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Alternate Versions

Wong Kar-wai revisited the film and created the Redux version which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival 2008. This version has alternative footage and changes in the order of scenes. The Redux version has new opening titles, and the season's fade-ins introducing each chapter are new. It also has a new color-scheme and a new soundtrack. Some scenes from the original version have been deleted, for example the two main character's introduction in the beginning. The overall run time of the Redux version is slightly shorter than the original theatrical version.

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Connections

Spoofed in Chinese Odyssey 2002 (2002)

User Reviews

Life-stoppingly rich, soul-penetratingly haunting

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.