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

Writers:

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

Stars:

Brigitte Lin, Maggie Cheung, Leslie Cheung

9 wins & 16 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

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film had an exhausting effect on Kar-Wai Wong. While on hiatus during the editing process he wrote and shot Chungking Express (1994) (Chungking Express) to "clear his head".

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Quotes

Ou-yang Feng: Where are you going?
Hung Chi: Places I've never been. With luck, I'll be famous. If one day you hear of a nine-fingered hero, that'll be me.

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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

Follows The Eagle Shooting Heroes (1993)

User Reviews

Seasons Come Anjd Time Will Go

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.

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:

$1,977,198

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