''Ashes of Time'' (Chinese: 東邪西毒) is a 1994 Hong Kong film written and directed by
Wong Kar-wai
Wong Kar-wai (born 17 July 1958) is a Hong Kong film director, screenwriter, and producer. His films are characterised by nonlinear narratives, atmospheric music, and vivid cinematography involving bold, saturated colours. A pivotal figure ...
, and inspired by characters from
Jin Yong's novel ''
The Legend of the Condor Heroes
''The Legend of the Condor Heroes'' is a wuxia novel by Chinese writer Jin Yong (Louis Cha). It is the first part of the '' Condor Trilogy'' and is followed by '' The Return of the Condor Heroes'' and '' The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber''. I ...
''.
Background
The film's story is a prequel to the novel ''
The Legend of the Condor Heroes
''The Legend of the Condor Heroes'' is a wuxia novel by Chinese writer Jin Yong (Louis Cha). It is the first part of the '' Condor Trilogy'' and is followed by '' The Return of the Condor Heroes'' and '' The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber''. I ...
'' as it imagines the older characters when they were younger. It focuses on the main antagonist (
Ouyang Feng
Ouyang Feng is a fictional character in the wuxia novel ''The Legend of the Condor Heroes'' and its sequel, ''The Return of the Condor Heroes'', by Jin Yong. He is the "Western Venom" of the Five Greats of the '' wulin'' (martial artists' commun ...
) and humanizes him into a protagonist while retaining his despicable qualities. Feng, known as the Western Venom, crosses paths with the other powerful wuxia masters. Their backstories are depicted with great liberty and sometimes completely subvert the intended meaning from the novel.
During the film's long-delayed production, Wong produced a parody of the same novel with the same cast titled ''
The Eagle Shooting Heroes
''The Eagle Shooting Heroes'' (Chinese: 射鵰英雄傳之東成西就) is a 1993 Hong Kong comedy film directed by Jeffrey Lau. It is a parody of Louis Cha's novel ''The Legend of the Condor Heroes'', and a classic example of the mo lei tau come ...
''.
Because it received limited box office success, the parallels ''Ashes of Time'' drew between modern ideas of
dystopia imposed on a ''
wuxia
( ), which literally means "martial heroes", is a genre of Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists in ancient China. Although is traditionally a form of historical fiction, its popularity has caused it to be adapted ...
'' film have led critics to cite it as one of Wong Kar-wai's most under-appreciated works.
In the 1960s, King Hu's
Come Drink with me
''Come Drink with Me'' ( zh, t=大醉俠, l=Great Drunken Hero, p=Dà Zuì Xiá) is a 1966 Hong Kong ''wuxia'' film produced by Shaw Brothers Studio and directed by King Hu. Set during the Ming Dynasty, it stars Cheng Pei-pei, Yueh Hua and Ch ...
(Da zui xia) brought
Wu Xia Pian to a superior artistic level. Wong grew up immersed in Wu Xia culture. In 1972,
The Way of the Dragon
''The Way of the Dragon'' (, originally released in the United States as ''Return of the Dragon'') is a 1972 Hong Kong martial arts action comedy film written, co-produced and directed by Bruce Lee, who also stars in the lead role. This is Lee ...
(Meng long guo jiang), movie directed by
Bruce Lee, persuade
Jiang Hu
''Jianghu'' () is a term that generally refers to the milieu, environment, or sub-community in which many Chinese wuxia stories are set. The term is used flexibly, and can be used to describe a fictionalized version of Historical China (usually ...
culture to the global stage. In the mid-1990, Wu xia pian entered to a new stage. Wong selects characters from "new school" Wu xia novel writer
Jin Yong's work,
Legend of the Condor Heroes
''The Legend of the Condor Heroes'' is a wuxia novel by Chinese writer Jin Yong (Louis Cha). It is the first part of the ''Condor Trilogy'' and is followed by ''The Return of the Condor Heroes'' and ''The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber''. It w ...
, and created an unprecedented Wu xia story.
Due to the original prints being lost, Wong re-edited and re-scored the film in 2008 for future theater, DVD and Blu-ray releases under the title ''Ashes of Time Redux''. The film was reduced from 100 to 93 minutes. Both the original and ''Redux'' versions can still be found on Asian markets, while only the Redux version is available to western markets. Several criticisms of the Redux version have been noted, such as poor image quality and color mastering from the source material, cropping and removal of portions of the bottom image, poor English translations, and the re-scoring.
Cast
*
Leslie Cheung
Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing (12 September 1956 – 1 April 2003) was a Hong Kong singer and actor. Throughout a 26-year career from 1977 until his death, Cheung released over 40 music albums and acted in 56 films. He was one of the most prominent ...
as
Ouyang Feng
Ouyang Feng is a fictional character in the wuxia novel ''The Legend of the Condor Heroes'' and its sequel, ''The Return of the Condor Heroes'', by Jin Yong. He is the "Western Venom" of the Five Greats of the '' wulin'' (martial artists' commun ...
, the Western Venom
*
Tony Leung Ka-fai
Tony Leung Ka-fai (; born 1 February 1958) is a Hong Kong actor who is a four-time winner of the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor.
As he is often confused with actor Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Tony Leung Ka-fai is known as "Big Tony," while Tony Leu ...
as
Huang Yaoshi
Huang Yaoshi is a fictional character in the wuxia novel ''The Legend of the Condor Heroes'' and its sequel, ''The Return of the Condor Heroes'', by Jin Yong. He is one of the Five Greats of the '' wulin'' (martial artists' community) during the ...
, the Eastern Heretic
*
Brigitte Lin as Murong Yang / Murong Yin /
Dugu Qiubai
Dugu Qiubai is a fictional character who is mentioned by name in three wuxia novels by Jin Yong (Louis Cha). He does not appear in any of the novels because he lived in an era long before the events of the novels took place. Nicknamed "Sword D ...
*
Tony Leung Chiu-Wai
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, death_place =
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, resting_place =
, resting_place_coordinates =
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as Blind Swordsman
*
Carina Lau as Peach Blossom, Blind Swordsman's wife
*
Charlie Yeung
Charlie Yeung Choi-Nei (born 23 May 1974), is a Hong Kong actress. She was first noticed after appearing in a commercial with Aaron Kwok. Since then she has participated in the music videos of artists such as Hacken Lee, Jacky Cheung and made a nu ...
as Girl with mule
*
Jacky Cheung
Jacky Cheung Hok-yau (born 10 July 1961) is a Hong Kong singer and actor. Dubbed the " God of Songs", he is regarded as one of the Four Heavenly Kings of Hong Kong pop music. Cheung is known for his technically skilled vocals, lengthy tours, and ...
as
Hong Qigong
Hong Qi, better known as Hong Qigong,The "gōng" (), which means "grandfather", is not part of his name. His apprentices, followers and younger generations call him "Qīgōng" (; "Grandpa Qi") to show their respect for him as an elder and their ...
, the Northern Beggar
*
Maggie Cheung as Ouyang Feng's sister-in-law
* Li Bai as Hong Qigong's wife
* Siu Tak-fu
*
Collin Chou
Collin Chou (born 11 August 1967), sometimes credited as Ngai Sing, is a Taiwanese actor and martial artist.
Personal life
Chou attended Pierce Community College in Los Angeles, United States. In addition to his native Mandarin, he also spe ...
as Swordsman
* Lau Shun
Summary
The film follows the main antagonist Ouyang Feng, from the novel ''
The Legend of the Condor Heroes
''The Legend of the Condor Heroes'' is a wuxia novel by Chinese writer Jin Yong (Louis Cha). It is the first part of the '' Condor Trilogy'' and is followed by '' The Return of the Condor Heroes'' and '' The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber''. I ...
'', when he is a young man crossing paths with other important characters. The movie humanizes Feng and depicts the events that lead to his descent into villainy. It sometimes completely subverts the intended meaning of the novel, as in Feng's copulation with his sister-in-law, which is depicted as sinister and taboo in the book but is shown as true love in the film; the longing for her serves as a common theme that echoes throughout the movie.
Plot
Set in ancient China, the film consists of five short stories each featuring a main character from the novel; with the young
Ouyang Feng
Ouyang Feng is a fictional character in the wuxia novel ''The Legend of the Condor Heroes'' and its sequel, ''The Return of the Condor Heroes'', by Jin Yong. He is the "Western Venom" of the Five Greats of the '' wulin'' (martial artists' commun ...
serving as narrator and the common link.
Opening
The story begins with
Ouyang Feng
Ouyang Feng is a fictional character in the wuxia novel ''The Legend of the Condor Heroes'' and its sequel, ''The Return of the Condor Heroes'', by Jin Yong. He is the "Western Venom" of the Five Greats of the '' wulin'' (martial artists' commun ...
– known as the Western Venom due to his mercilessness and hailing from the western province – effortlessly toying with and disposing of a group of henchmen. He narrates that he is venomous because he is enraged with jealousy.
The story flashes back to a time when Feng is younger and working as a broker for assassins in a remote, desert region. He eagerly waits for his friend Huang, who visits him once a year around this time.
Act I – Huang Yaoshi (Eastern Heretic)
Huang Yaoshi
Huang Yaoshi is a fictional character in the wuxia novel ''The Legend of the Condor Heroes'' and its sequel, ''The Return of the Condor Heroes'', by Jin Yong. He is one of the Five Greats of the '' wulin'' (martial artists' community) during the ...
(Eastern Heretic) kills a band of bandits to take one of their horses because his has died. He arrives at Feng's and presents to him a bottle of wine called ''Drunken Alive, Perish in Dreams'' that was given to him by a close friend, who claims the wine can wipe a person's memory and allows that person to live a new life; he proceeds to drink the wine while Feng declines. That night, Huang begins to lose his memory, hurriedly leaves and chases after a shadowy woman who had awoken him in his sleep. She may have been a fragment of his dream.
Huang arrives at a shallow river. A woman (Cherry Blossom) is standing in the river and tending to her horse. Huang seemingly still retains memory of her, looks smugly at her while she steals glances at him. Neither one speaks.
In the next scene, Huang drinks with the Blind Swordsman inside an establishment. Huang asks how they know each other. The Blind Swordsman tells him they used to be best friends but Huang stole the former's wife. As he is leaving, the Blind Swordsman narrates that he would have killed Huang if he is not losing his sight and can still see at night.
Huang witnesses a group of men threatening Murong Yang. Huang interjects and stops Yang from drawing his sword but ends up inadvertently getting cut. Huang retreats outside, leans on a wall, and sees blood coming from his lower abdomen. Inside, Yang is laughing hysterically. Feng narrates that when Huang was young he was charming and rebellious - qualities that attracted many women and he has broken every one of their hearts.
Act II – Murong Yang / Murong Yin (Dugu Qiubai)
Yang arrives at Feng's looking to hire an assassin to kill Huang - angry that Huang had broken his sister's heart. Later, Yang's sister, Yin, arrives at Feng's and attempts to call off the assassination - claiming Huang is madly in love with her. It is revealed that Yang and Yin are the same person; with the female Yin playing dress up as Yang.
In a flashback, after rounds of drinking, Huang tells Yang that if the latter has a sister he will marry her. Yang, already infatuated with Huang, tells him he will present Yin to him. Yin arrives at the rendezvous, dressed as her natural sex, but Huang was a no-show. The event sends her into a rage and she seeks to have Huang killed but she is torn on killing the person who broke her heart and at the same time madly in love with. After a night of conversation with Feng where she fades in and out of character between Yang and Yin, she abandons the idea of killing Huang. That night, Feng dreams that someone is caressing him. The camera pans to Yin sneaking into Feng's bedroom - the person she envisions caressing is Huang while Feng dreams he is being touched by his ex-lover. Feng says that he has never seen Yin again after that night.
Feng narrates that people who have been deeply hurt in love sometimes invent strange narratives to protect their broken hearts. No one has seen Yang or Yin since, but shortly after her disappearance, a strange and powerful swordsman named
Dugu Qiubai
Dugu Qiubai is a fictional character who is mentioned by name in three wuxia novels by Jin Yong (Louis Cha). He does not appear in any of the novels because he lived in an era long before the events of the novels took place. Nicknamed "Sword D ...
(who likes to practice her swordplay with her own reflection) appears on the stage. The film then shows Dugu Qiubai as Yang and Yin interchangeably.
Act III – Blind Swordsman
The Blind Swordsman approaches Feng for a job to help pay for his journey back home to see the cherry blossom. Feng offers him the job of protecting the villages from the band of bandits seeking revenge for the comrades that Huang killed earlier in the film.
The Girl with a Mule solicits Feng's help in hiring an assassin to exact revenge on a group of imperial guards who killed her younger brother. She is a poor peasant who can only offer an old mule and a basket of eggs as payment. Feng coldly brushes her off and implies she should offer her body as compensation, a suggestion that disgusts her. Undeterred, she sits outside Feng's front gate hoping to solicit assassins who come to work with Feng. While observing her through his balcony, Feng laments that from this vantage point, she reminds him of his ex-lover.
Feng notes that The Blind Swordsman has a very orderly and rigid daily routine, but he knows that even though the later lights a candle at night, he cannot see in the dark.
During the course of fighting the bandits, the sky becomes overcast, and as a result the Blind Swordsman is unable to see and is killed in battle.
Act IV – Hong Qigong (Northern Beggar)
Feng comes across an exhausted and dirty young man (
Hong Qigong
Hong Qi, better known as Hong Qigong,The "gōng" (), which means "grandfather", is not part of his name. His apprentices, followers and younger generations call him "Qīgōng" (; "Grandpa Qi") to show their respect for him as an elder and their ...
) who has run out of food and money. He offers him food, shelter, and a job to work as an assassin. Hong begrudgingly accepts.
Hong's first job is to kill the bandits, who are returning to cause havoc after being impeded and suffering casualties in the battle with the Blind Swordsman. Hong successfully disposes of the bandits and receives compensation from Feng. Feng notes that Hong is a man with integrity and will not stay in this profession for long.
Hong's wife appears at Feng's looking for her husband. Hong angrily ushers her away to return home; instead, she stands outside and waits for him. Hong tells Feng that he cannot take her along while he is getting his hands dirty fighting and killing for a living, and notes that every wuxia master he knows rides alone. Feng replies that there are always exceptions and tells Hong he once had a woman waiting for him but she ended up marrying his brother.
Hong accepts an egg from the Girl with a Mule and kills the imperial guards to exact revenge for her brother. During the battle he suffers serious injuries, including losing a finger, and is nursed back to health by his wife. While Hong is still in critical condition, the Girl with a Mule begs Feng to hire a doctor to tend to Hong. Feng refuses, citing the costliness of a doctor visit and suggests again that she sells her body to raise money. A bedridden Hong relieves the Girl with a Mule from any responsibility to him by saying she owes him nothing since he has already accepted her egg as compensation.
Feng berates a bedridden Hong and asks if nearly dying for an egg was worth it. Hong smiles back and says using his wuxia for good instead of greed makes him feel alive; the cold and calculating Feng would never understand how good that feels. Feng leaves Hong's bedside speechless.
After Hong returns to health, he and his wife embark on their journey together and leave Feng. While watching them disappear over the horizon, Feng thinks of his own shattered love life and feels a great sense of jealousy.
Feng notes that Hong purposely heads north against the northerly wind. The caption narrates that Hong later becomes the leader of the Beggars Sect, becomes the Northern Beggar, and later engages in a fierce duel with Feng.
Act V – Ouyang Feng (Western Venom)
Feng pays a visit to the Blind Swordsman's hometown to see the cherry blossom and is surprised to learn that the place has no cherry blossom. Cherry Blossom turns out to be the name of the Blind Swordsman's wife, who breaks down crying after she learns from Feng that her husband has been killed in battle.
In a flashback, Feng tracks down his lover the day before she is to be married to his brother and offers to take her away with him. She steadfastly refuses, telling him that he is too late. Feng, not wanting to attend the marriage ceremony, leaves that night and never returns.
Feng receives a note from his family that his lover (now his sister-in-law) died almost two years ago. Feng figures that the wine ''Druken Alive, Perish in Dreams'' that Huang brought to him early in the film is a gift from her.
In a flashback, Huang is sitting and talking with Feng's lover in her beach-side hut. He narrates that he is in love with her but she only loves Feng. She sends him to visit Feng every year to gather his news for her; secretly, she hopes that he would reveal to Feng her whereabouts. After he tells her he will never disclose her location because he made a promise to her, she breaks down sobbing. She laments that she always thought she was the winner in love but she now realizes that she is the loser.
Huang narrates that he likes cherry blossom because he gets to see her every year during the season. She dies of illness soon after their last meeting and on her deathbed she gives Huang the ''Drunken Alive, Perish in Dreams'' to deliver to Feng.
In the present, Huang has lost a lot of his memory. One of the few things he remembers is that he likes cherry blossom and he proceeds to become a hermit, residing on an island filled with cherry blossom and acquiring the nickname Eastern Heretic.
Feng waits for Huang's visit even though deep down he knows Huang will not come now that she is gone. After two days of waiting, Feng drinks the remaining bottle of ''Drunken Alive, Perish in Dreams''; but instead of making him forget his past the wine makes his memory for her stronger. He narrates that the more a person wants to forget, the more he remembers; and deciphers that coaxing him to drink the wine is her method to make him never forget her.
Feng burns down his dwelling and returns to his hometown. The caption says he later becomes the leader of his clan and acquires the nickname Western Venom.
Ending
The film ends with brief appearances by the surviving main characters, and references scenes from the novel. It implies that the henchmen killed by Feng in the beginning of the film belong to the Beggars Sect led by Hong. Hong sets a trap to corner Feng, but Feng is unfazed and smiles manically at Hong. Hong and Feng then engage in a battle. The film then pans to an older Feng in grey beard and hair, fighting and disposing of his enemies.
Soundtrack
The music was composed by
Frankie Chan
Frankie Chan Fan-kei (born 1951) is a Hong Kong-born Chinese martial artist, actor, film director, producer, action director, and composer.
Chan is best known to Hong Kong action cinema fans as the main antagonist in Sammo Hung's '' The Prodiga ...
and Roel A. García, and produced by
Rock Records
The Rock Records Co., Ltd. () commonly known as Rock Records (), is a record label based in Taipei, Taiwan. Founded in the 1980s as the Rock Music Publishing (滾石有聲出版社; ) by Tuan Chung-tan and Tuan Chung-i, It is the largest record ...
in Hong Kong and Taiwan. It was released in 1994. The redux version features additional cello solos by
Yo-Yo Ma
Yo-Yo Ma ('' Chinese'': 馬友友 ''Ma Yo Yo''; born October 7, 1955) is an American cellist. Born in Paris to Chinese parents and educated in New York City, he was a child prodigy, performing from the age of four and a half. He graduated from ...
.
Reception
Critical response
When the film opened in Hong Kong it received mixed reviews. Critics found it so elliptical that it was almost impossible to make out any semblance of a plot, Wong Kar Wai made an introspective film that focuses on the main characters’ inner lives rather than their martial arts performances. This decision is very rare in a wuxia film (a genre of fiction about martial artists in ancient China).
In ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'',
Lawrence Van Gelder
Lawrence Ralph Van Gelder (February 17, 1933 – March 11, 2016) was an American journalist and instructor in journalism who worked at several different New York City-based newspapers in his long career. Until 2010, he was senior editor of the Ar ...
also gave ''Ashes of Time'' a mixed review:
The
review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
reported that 78% of critics have given ''Ashes of Time Redux'' a positive review based on 87 reviews, with an average rating of 6.80/10. The site's critics consensus reads, "Wong Kar Wai's redux, with a few slight changes from his 1994 classic, is a feast for the eyes, if a little difficult to follow." On
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
, the film has a weighted average score of 69 out of 100 based on 20 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
Awards and nominations
* 1995
Hong Kong Film Awards
The Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA; ), founded in 1982, is an annual film awards ceremony in Hong Kong. The ceremonies are typically in April. The awards recognise achievement in various aspects of filmmaking, such as directing, screenwriting, ...
** Won: Best Art Direction (
William Chang
William Chang Suk-ping ( zh, 張叔平; born 12 November 1953) is a Hong Kong production designer, costume designer and film editor. Along with cinematographer Christopher Doyle, Chang is an important collaborator with Hong Kong film director ...
)
** Won: Best Cinematography (
Christopher Doyle)
** Won: Best Costume and Make-up Design (
William Chang
William Chang Suk-ping ( zh, 張叔平; born 12 November 1953) is a Hong Kong production designer, costume designer and film editor. Along with cinematographer Christopher Doyle, Chang is an important collaborator with Hong Kong film director ...
)
** Nominated: Best Picture
** Nominated: Best Director (
Wong Kar-wai
Wong Kar-wai (born 17 July 1958) is a Hong Kong film director, screenwriter, and producer. His films are characterised by nonlinear narratives, atmospheric music, and vivid cinematography involving bold, saturated colours. A pivotal figure ...
)
** Nominated: Best Action Choreography (
Sammo Hung
Sammo Hung Kam-bo ( zh, t=洪金寶, j=Hung4 Gam1-bou2; born 7 January 1952) is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film producer and director, known for his work in martial arts films, Hong Kong action cinema, and as a fight choreographer for ...
)
** Nominated: Best Film Editing (
Patrick Tam, Kai Kit-wai)
** Nominated: Best Original Score (
Frankie Chan
Frankie Chan Fan-kei (born 1951) is a Hong Kong-born Chinese martial artist, actor, film director, producer, action director, and composer.
Chan is best known to Hong Kong action cinema fans as the main antagonist in Sammo Hung's '' The Prodiga ...
)
** Nominated: Best Screenplay (
Wong Kar-wai
Wong Kar-wai (born 17 July 1958) is a Hong Kong film director, screenwriter, and producer. His films are characterised by nonlinear narratives, atmospheric music, and vivid cinematography involving bold, saturated colours. A pivotal figure ...
)
* 1994
Golden Horse Awards
The Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards () is a film festival and awards ceremony held annually in Taiwan. It was founded in 1962 by the Government Information Office of the Republic of China (ROC) in Taiwan. The awards ceremony is u ...
** Won: Best Cinematography (
Christopher Doyle)
** Won: Best Editing (
Patrick Tam, Kai Kit-wai)
* 1995
Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards
The Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards () are the annual awards given by the Hong Kong Film Critics Society in Hong Kong since 1994. The awards are determined by votes cast in three rounds after a substantial discussion session between the mem ...
** Won: Best Film
** Won: Best Director (
Wong Kar-wai
Wong Kar-wai (born 17 July 1958) is a Hong Kong film director, screenwriter, and producer. His films are characterised by nonlinear narratives, atmospheric music, and vivid cinematography involving bold, saturated colours. A pivotal figure ...
)
** Won: Best Actor (
Leslie Cheung
Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing (12 September 1956 – 1 April 2003) was a Hong Kong singer and actor. Throughout a 26-year career from 1977 until his death, Cheung released over 40 music albums and acted in 56 films. He was one of the most prominent ...
)
** Won: Best Screenplay (
Wong Kar-wai
Wong Kar-wai (born 17 July 1958) is a Hong Kong film director, screenwriter, and producer. His films are characterised by nonlinear narratives, atmospheric music, and vivid cinematography involving bold, saturated colours. A pivotal figure ...
)
* 1994
Venice Film Festival
The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival h ...
** Nominated: Golden Lion (
Wong Kar-Wai
Wong Kar-wai (born 17 July 1958) is a Hong Kong film director, screenwriter, and producer. His films are characterised by nonlinear narratives, atmospheric music, and vivid cinematography involving bold, saturated colours. A pivotal figure ...
)
** Won: Best Cinematography (
Christopher Doyle)
* 1997
Fant-Asia Film Festival
Fantasia International Film Festival (also known as Fantasia-fest, FanTasia, and Fant-Asia) is a film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996. Regularly held in July of each year, it is valued by both hardcore ...
** Won: Best Asian Film – Third Place
Box office
''Ashes of Time'' grossed HK$9,023,583 during its Hong Kong run.
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ashes Of Time
1994 films
1990s adventure drama films
1994 martial arts films
1994 drama films
Hong Kong New Wave films
Hong Kong drama films
Hong Kong martial arts films
Wuxia films
Films based on Chinese novels
Films based on The Legend of the Condor Heroes
Films directed by Wong Kar-wai
Films set in 12th-century Song dynasty
1990s Hong Kong films