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Ashes of time Redux
Oct. 18th, 2008 09:45 pmMy husband and I watched this re-edited version of 1994's film by Wong Kar Wai a week ago. We both loved the film. This is something I would love to recommend to everyone. If you are interested in Asian cinematography and haven't seen this film yet - this is a must-see. If you haven't seen any films from Asia yet and want to know what is the fuss all about and why nowdays even the best of Hollywood directors re-make Asian movies - this is a very good film to start.
It is hard to begin explaining what I like about this film because I like EVERYTHING. The photography is exquisite and translates the sense of yearning and regret and the undertones of approaching changes. Many Wong Kar Wai's films are built around a certain colour. For example, "In the Mood for Love" uses red. "Ashes of time" is built around yellow, a special, royal colour.I was told that the colours in China represent the five primary elements, the directions and the seasons. The role of yellow is the centre, the earth. This is what the role of the main character, Feng Ou-yang, is - he is the centre of the four different stories about four different swordsmen who represent four different directions - North, South, East and West.
The story is is based on a Chinese novel, "The Eagle-Shooting Heroes". Each of the main four arcs adds a new piece to the puzzle of the main storyline and at the end, when the last peice is in, the structure is perfect.
The action elements in "Ashes of Time" pre-date the era of flying swordsmen. The film was originally made in 1994, prior to "Crouching tiger, hidden dragon" and escaped this overwhelming trend of the current period action movies from China and Hong Kong. I found this to be very refreshing. Take me right, I like to watch well-choreographed fight scenes as much as any other person, but when they aren't the main point of the film. And there is only so much of contradicting the laws of physics that I can take. People can fight beautifully and show their real selves through their swords, but levitation is impossible.
The film's cast is out of this world: Brigitte Lin, Leslie Cheung, Maggie Cheung, Tony Leung, Jacky Cheung.
( I found some most excellent promotional pictures. Every shot is a photographic masterpiece )
It is hard to begin explaining what I like about this film because I like EVERYTHING. The photography is exquisite and translates the sense of yearning and regret and the undertones of approaching changes. Many Wong Kar Wai's films are built around a certain colour. For example, "In the Mood for Love" uses red. "Ashes of time" is built around yellow, a special, royal colour.I was told that the colours in China represent the five primary elements, the directions and the seasons. The role of yellow is the centre, the earth. This is what the role of the main character, Feng Ou-yang, is - he is the centre of the four different stories about four different swordsmen who represent four different directions - North, South, East and West.
The story is is based on a Chinese novel, "The Eagle-Shooting Heroes". Each of the main four arcs adds a new piece to the puzzle of the main storyline and at the end, when the last peice is in, the structure is perfect.
The action elements in "Ashes of Time" pre-date the era of flying swordsmen. The film was originally made in 1994, prior to "Crouching tiger, hidden dragon" and escaped this overwhelming trend of the current period action movies from China and Hong Kong. I found this to be very refreshing. Take me right, I like to watch well-choreographed fight scenes as much as any other person, but when they aren't the main point of the film. And there is only so much of contradicting the laws of physics that I can take. People can fight beautifully and show their real selves through their swords, but levitation is impossible.
The film's cast is out of this world: Brigitte Lin, Leslie Cheung, Maggie Cheung, Tony Leung, Jacky Cheung.
( I found some most excellent promotional pictures. Every shot is a photographic masterpiece )
