Ashes of Time Redux [Blu-ray]

The big guns of Hong Kong Cinema in millenium are all here and its a classic to be ssen for the ages

Using the hero archetype as a vehicle, this film is at its core a beautiful exploration on choices and regret, a meditation on loss, sacrifice and what it means to be human; our need to feel love and the fragility of the human soul. As a Wong Kar Wai fan, this is a film that requires multiple viewings to fully appreciate its textures and layers.

Looking forward to watching it tonight.

Which dvd of Wong Kar Wai's original Ashes of Time should you seek out?The OOP Hong Kong Ah Mei dvd is dreadful. The OOP PRC DVD is better.The OOP French TF1 Video dvd "Les Cendres du temps" looks better than the PRC DVD, and has French subtitles, but no English subtitles. There is also a French 5 disk Blu Ray set from ARP Sélection "Coffret La Révolution Wong Kar-wai" set which includes "Les Cendres du temps," but don't be fooled--it's the Redux version.The best looking dvd is OOP Japanese Pony Canyon dvd, but that has no English subtitles.The OOP Taiwan dvd has a good transfer and hard coded English subtitles. So for English speakers who do not speak Chinese, this is the one for you.

This film has no plot and no time frame. It's about living with lost love, and has flashbacks, surreal images, incredible swordfights, dialogue that makes no sense at all mixed with pearls of wisdom, all put together with a poet's vision. There is a lot that reminds me of early Sergio Leone, and the terrific soundtrack adds to the "Spaghetti Western" feeling. the cast is GORGEOUS: Leslie Cheung, one of the world's greatest actors, is fabulous as always. Brigitte Lin is stunningly beautiful and so strong..and Tony Leung, who's eyes speak volumes, is wonderful. The screen presence of these 3 actors is so powerful, they don't need a plot ! Don't try to figure out who is killing who and why, that will all fall into place on about the 10th viewing...just watch this film with your heart.

This is an exquisite film visually, phenomenally, and a great entertainment to the mind, superbly erotic. It is a pity Amazon has loaded it in such a low resolution that quite simply makes one blind.

I love Wong Kar Wai and his movies, 2046 and this movie especially. It's difficult to explain if you haven't seen his movies before but the stylistic nature and meditation on life and love that his movies are typified by are completely unusual. You don't see this anywhere else (that I know of) and, if it's your bag, it's incredible.As for the Redux versus the original - I've watched both. The original (DVD) was almost unwatchable due to poor resolution and choppy picture. The Redux was much easier on the eyes and cut out scenes that were utterly confusing.That isn't to say that Ashes of Time Redux is NOT confusing - it is. But, as with any excellent form of art, it is improved when revisited.

This DVD is a botched production job, and Amazon will charge you to return it because it's "not the result of our error." Amazon's error is to distribute this dog of a product. Wait for a better release. Caveat emptor.The sound track lags several seconds behind the picture (and the subtitles) for the first 45 minutes of the movie. And there's a lot of dialog. It's almost impossible to figure out who is saying what to whom.But maybe the visuals alone are worth it? Not really: The bottom quarter of the picture is blacked out, to cover the Chinese subtitles -- which nonetheless peek out from time to time when there are two lines of them. This provides a nice black background for the English subtitles (which contain the predictable dumb typos), but wouldn't you like to see the whole picture? I know I would.Only a couple of times, there are pixilated intrusions of images from some other movie, with white people in it, for a second or two. Spoils the willing suspension of disbelief, you know?And only once, there is a snatch of dialog in English -- not likely part of this movie, whose setting is earlier than the advent of English.You don't need to spend any money on this product. Amazon should be ashamed of itself for selling it.

Très bon film, bon état du CD. Parfait!

Nuevo corte con otra banda musical.Una historia extraña ante tanta poesía visual y amores imposibles que se diluye demasiado ante tanto buen gusto y estilo.La fotografía y la múscia destilan buen gusto y delicadezaAnte una anécdota sosa de ualgo que parece una leyenda

Questo Ashesh of time, diretto da Wong Kar Wai, è un vero capolavoro con un cast eccellente che include tante delle principali star del cinema orientale come Leslie Cheung, Maggie Cheung, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Brigitte Lin, Jacky Cheung e altri. Occorre però segnalare un paio di cose sul dvd in vendita: la prima è che il film è parlato in lingua originale coi sottotitoli in italiano. La seconda è che questa è la versione redux del film ( come scritto nel titolo )mancano quindi alcune delle spettacolarissime sequenze d' azione dell' edizione originale, non trovabile in lingua italiana. La storia vede Leslie Chenung nel ruolo di Ou Yang Feng, uno stimato spadaccino ritiratosi nel deserto, dopo che la donna che amava scelse di sposare suo fratello. Ora vive da eremita svolgendo la professione sicario, dalla sua capanna in mezzo al nulla passano così vari personaggi, ognuno con la sua storia personale. Nel frattempo scorrono le stagioni del calendario cinese. Il film è molto ben realizzato, con una recitazione di alto livello, splendide scenografie e intense atmosfere drammatiche. Il genere è quello dei più famosi Hero o La tigre e il dragone, anche se qui il ritmo è più lento, con lunghi momenti meditativi giocati sugli sguardi dei personaggi e sui paesaggi circostanti, tipico dello stile del regista. Ad ogni modo è un film di grande spessore, dove non mancano diversi momenti spettacolari, spiace però per quel paio di scene d' azione mancanti che erano visivamente molto notevoli. Il coereografo delle arti marziali è Sammo Hung.

Ashes of time è senza ombra di dubbio uno degli esperimenti più interessanti del maestro Wong Kar-wai.Qui la sua poetica,i suoi sentimenti e la sua malinconia sentimentale si fondono con il genere Wuxia fino a creare qualcosa di innovativo,splendente e sublime.Ritmo incalzante,luci sparate,colonna sonora splendida e storia da brividi.Edizione DVD ottima in lingua originale con sottotitoli in italiano.Goduria per la menta e per il corpo.

Bien qu''il ait été tourné en 1994 « Les cendres du temps » est le film le plus proche de « 2046 », le dernier film de Wong Kar Wai, tout aussi indéfinissable, mélancolique, sentimental et esthétiquement sublime. Il s''agit d''un récit faussement narratif , comme le laissent croire l''omniprésence de la voix off et toute une arabesque d'histoires sentimentales dont le pivot est le personnage incarné par Leslie Cheung. Celui-ci est en effet une sorte d''étrange chevalier ermite , qui s''est retiré dans un désert pour faire exécuter des contrats de vengeance . Le décor tient du western et du wu xia pian mais il s''agit surtout d''un désert fantasmatique , intemporel, image absolue de la solitude et du détachement. Il n''est pas le théâtre d''actions spectaculaires comme dans le traditionnel wu xia pian mais plutôt un lieu de méditation . Entre rêves, souvenirs et réalité, passé et présent, différents personnages assez fantomatiques (les interprètes célèbres favoris de Wong Kar Wai ) viennent trouver Leslie Cheung , chacun apportant son histoire d'amour impossible, trahison , douleur et désir de vengeance. Très vite toutes les trames narratives se superposent, se recoupent et s'entrelacent pour donner naissance à une sorte de poème polyphonique incantatoire, romantique et passionné, sur l''éternelle souffrance amoureuse, avec quelques plans d''une extrême sensualité . Les récits s''estompent d''ailleurs derrière les images de pure beauté offertes par Christopher Doyle et le spectateur,hypnotisé une fois encore, s''installe dans la contemplation . Seul point faible : une piètre musique !