The Cinematheque

“If Ashes of Time Redux is not the most beautiful movie ever made, then at least its beauty is sufficient to obliterate, for the moment, the memory of all others.”

Amy Taubin, Artforum

Wong Kar-Wai’s 1994 epic Ashes of Time, an ambitious art-house entry into the world of wuxia, the swords-and-sorcery martial arts genre, went underappreciated. Years later, Wong decided to trim and refurbish it, releasing Redux in 2008. Dreamy and deliriously beautiful, the film weaves a complex tale of cynicism and sword fighting in ancient China. Leslie Cheung and Tony Leung Ka-Fai play old warriors embittered by betrayal and loss. The high-voltage cast also includes Brigitte Lin, Maggie Cheung, Jacky Cheung, and Tony Leung Chiu-Wai. The Sammo Hung-choreographed swordplay is dazzling; the film’s mood, as Wong explores favourite themes of yearning, regret, memory, and time’s relentless passage, is melancholic. Redux includes a new score featuring Yo-Yo Ma (replacing the original’s synth music), a re-mastering of Chris Doyle’s stunning visuals (the 1994 version won Venice’s cinematography prize), and a tweaking of the film’s structure to correspond to the seasons of Chinese almanac.

“One of the Hong Kong auteur’s most gorgeous and alluring works, especially in this newly revamped form .… A grandly sumptuous viewing experience.”

Jason Anderson, EYE Weekly

“A major reconstruction … Redux is furious, exhilarating, a tornado of desire steeped in swoony sensuality and regret.”

Michael Koresky, IndieWire