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Ashes of Time
Directed by	Wong Kar-wai
Produced by	Tsai Sung-lin
Written by	Wong Kar-wai
Starring	Leslie Cheung Brigitte Lin Maggie Cheung Tony Leung Chiu Wai Tony Leung Ka Fai Jacky Cheung
Distributed by	HKFM
Release date(s)	1994
Running time	100 min
Country	Hong Kong
Language	Cantonese
Budget	HKD 40,000,000 (estimated)
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

Ashes of Time (Traditional Chinese: 東邪西毒; Simplified Chinese: 东邪西毒; Pinyin: Dōngxié Xīdú, literally "The Heretic East and the Venomous West") is a 1994 Hong Kong wuxia film directed by Wong Kar-wai, based very loosely on four characters from the Louis Cha novel The Legend of the Condor Heroes. Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links Ashes2. ... Wong Kar-wai (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; Cantonese Yale: Wòhng Gà Waih; Shanghainese Latin method: Wan Kawe; born July 17, 1958) is a Hong Kong film director known for his visually unique, highly stylized art films. ... Wong Kar-wai (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; Cantonese Yale: Wòhng Gà Waih; Shanghainese Latin method: Wan Kawe; born July 17, 1958) is a Hong Kong film director known for his visually unique, highly stylized art films. ... Leslie Cheung Kwok-Wing (September 12, 1956 – April 1, 2003) (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Cantonese IPA: , Jyutping: zoeng1 gwok3 wing4; Mandarin Pinyin: Zhāng Guóróng, Wade-Giles: Chang Kuo-jung; nickname Gor-gor (哥哥, Elder Brother in Cantonese), was an actor and a musician from Hong Kong. ... Brigitte Lin (Chinese: 林青霞; Pinyin: ) or Brigitte Lin Ching Hsia (born November 3, 1954) is a Taiwanese actress. ... Maggie Cheung Man-yuk (張曼玉; pinyin: Zhāng Mànyù; Cantonese: dzoeng1 maan6 juk9/juk2) (born September 20, 1964) is a multi award-winning Chinese actress from Hong Kong. ... Tony Leung Chiu-wai in a 2006 promotional photograph for the Hong Kong Entertainment Expo Tony Leung Chiu Wai (Chinese: ; pinyin: ) (born in Hong Kong on June 27, 1962) is a Hong Kong movie and ex-television actor. ... Tony Leung Ka-Fai (梁家輝) is a Hong Kong movie actor born on February 1, 1958. ... Jacky Cheung Hok Yau (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; born July 10, 1961 in Hong Kong with family roots in Tianjin) is a Hong Kong singer and film star from the mid-1980s to the present. ... A minute is a unit of time equal to 1/60th of an hour and to 60 seconds. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Hong_Kong_1959. ... This article is on all of the Yue dialects. ... The Hong Kong Dollar (ISO 4217: HKD) is the official currency of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) within the Peoples Republic of China. ... Traditional Chinese characters refers to one of two standard sets of printed Chinese characters. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Hanyu Pinyin (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ), commonly called Pinyin, is the most common variant of Standard Mandarin romanization system in use. ... // November 1 - George Lucas leaves the day-to-day operations of his filmmaking business and starts a sabbatical (while on sabbatical, he wrote the prequel Star Wars trilogy). ... Wǔxiá (Traditional Chinese: 武俠, Simplified Chinese: 武侠) literally meaning martial arts chivalry, is a distinct genre in Chinese literature and cinema. ... Wong Kar-wai (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; Cantonese Yale: Wòhng Gà Waih; Shanghainese Latin method: Wan Kawe; born July 17, 1958) is a Hong Kong film director known for his visually unique, highly stylized art films. ... Louis Cha or Zha Liangyong (sometimes Cha Leung Yung), OBE (born June 6, 1924), known to most by his penname Jinyong (Jin Yong) or Kam-yung (Cantonese), is one of the most influential modern Chinese-language novelists who is also the co-founder of the Hong Kong daily Ming Pao. ... A novel (from French nouvelle Italian novella, new) is an extended, generally fictional narrative, typically in prose. ... The Legend of Condor Heroes (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Hanyu Pinyin: ) is one of the most acclaimed wuxia novel by Jinyong, first published in 1957 in Hong Kong Commercial Daily. ...

Wong completely eschews any plot adaptation from Cha's novel, using only the names to create his own vision of an arguably unrelated movie.

Although it received limited box office success, the parallels Ashes of Time draws between modern ideas of dystopia imposed on a wuxia film has led many critics to cite it as one of Wong Kar-wai's most underappreciated works. This article is about the philosophical concept and literary form. ... Wǔxiá (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: , Mandarin IPA: , Cantonese Pinyin: mou5 hap6), literally meaning martial (arts) heroes, is a distinct quasi-fantasy sub-genre of the martial arts genre in literature, television and cinema. ...

Cast and roles includes

• Leslie Cheung - Ouyang Feng, a.k.a Venomous West
• Brigitte Lin - daugther of Murong clan, later known as Beggars' Sect
• Maggie Cheung - Ouyang Feng lovers
• Jacky Cheung - Hong Qigong, a.k.a North Begger, founder of Begger Sect.
• Tony Leung Chiu Wai - Blind Swordsman
• Tony Leung Ka Fai - Huang Yaoshi, a.k.a Heretic East
• Li Bai
• Carina Lau - Peach blossoms, blind swordsman wife
• Charlie Yeung - a woman that request Ouyang Feng to revenge for her brother death

Leslie Cheung Kwok-Wing (September 12, 1956 – April 1, 2003) (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Cantonese IPA: , Jyutping: zoeng1 gwok3 wing4; Mandarin Pinyin: Zhāng Guóróng, Wade-Giles: Chang Kuo-jung; nickname Gor-gor (哥哥, Elder Brother in Cantonese), was an actor and a musician from Hong Kong. ... One of the The Five Supreme Martial Artists (五絕) in Jinyongs novel, The Legend of the Condor Heroes, being named Ouyang Feng of the West (西毒 歐陽鋒). He is the illiginate father of Ouyang Ke (歐陽克). He and Yang Kang (楊康) murdered six of the original seven Jiangnan Qi Guai (江南七怪) on the Peach Blossom... Brigitte Lin (Chinese: 林青霞; Pinyin: ) or Brigitte Lin Ching Hsia (born November 3, 1954) is a Taiwanese actress. ... Beggars Sect (丐帮) is a fictional organisation, often appearing in Chinese wuxia novels, most notably those by Jinyong. ... Maggie Cheung Man-yuk (張曼玉; pinyin: Zhāng Mànyù; Cantonese: dzoeng1 maan6 juk9/juk2) (born September 20, 1964) is a multi award-winning Chinese actress from Hong Kong. ... Jacky Cheung Hok Yau (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; born July 10, 1961 in Hong Kong with family roots in Tianjin) is a Hong Kong singer and film star from the mid-1980s to the present. ... Hong Qigong (洪七公) is a fictional character in Jinyongs wuxia novels, appearing in both The Legend of the Condor Heroes and its sequel The Return of the Condor Heroes. ... Tony Leung Chiu-wai in a 2006 promotional photograph for the Hong Kong Entertainment Expo Tony Leung Chiu Wai (Chinese: ; pinyin: ) (born in Hong Kong on June 27, 1962) is a Hong Kong movie and ex-television actor. ... Tony Leung Ka-Fai (梁家輝) is a Hong Kong movie actor born on February 1, 1958. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... Carina Lau Kar-ling (Traditional Chinese: 劉嘉玲, Simplified Chinese: 刘嘉玲, pinyin: Liú Jiālíng;Wu Chinese (Suzhou Dialect) IPA:[liY][kÉ’][lin]; born December 8, 1965 in Suzhou, China with family roots in Rongxian, Guangxi, China), is a Hong Kong actress. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ...

Plot

In this film, set in ancient times in China, Leslie Cheung plays an agent, Ouyang Feng, hiring famous bounty-hunters. His character is portrayed as a fallen swordsman driven by greed and heartless to both friend and foe. He was perpetually being spiteful of love as his own love history was not nearly so beautiful. His bounty-hunters came and went as was narrated by Ouyang Feng himself as based on the Tung Shu predictions. A swordsman is one skilled in the use of swords. ...

In essence, he was a loner with little love, but the bounty hunters that worked for Ouyang Feng, like 'Blind Swordsman' (Tony Leung Chiu Wai) and another of his best fighters, Hung Chi (Jacky Cheung), discovered the intangible secret of true love while Ouyang retained his attitude towards his fighters and the precious lessons that they have taught. However, the thread that runs through the entire narrative has clearly the spirit of refusal in the sense that one should reject another before he gets to be rejected in the future. To illustrate, nearly every character in this story has resorted to being selfish and malignant in order to prevent being rejected by others, be it in love or in comradeship as their individual hardships have moulded their attitude turning them into heartless and cold individuals in order to survive in the uncompromising desert where the story is set.

It has many moral implications but is less evident since the main character is Ouyang himself and most of the narration would unquestionably be centred on him.

Connections to Chinese Odyssey 2002

Chinese Odyssey 2002 which is a movie produced by Wong Kar-wai has used the the theme and style, music. Chinese Odyssey 2002 (Simplified Chinese: 天下无双, Tianxia Wushuang) is a 2002 Hong Kong movie directed by Jeffrey Lau and produced by Wong Kar-wai. ... Wong Kar-wai (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; Cantonese Yale: Wòhng Gà Waih; Shanghainese Latin method: Wan Kawe; born July 17, 1958) is a Hong Kong film director known for his visually unique, highly stylized art films. ...

Critical reception

When the film opened in Hong Kong it received a mixed review. Critics found it so elliptical it was almost impossible to make out semblance of a plot, something very unlikely in a wuxia movie. Look up plot in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Wǔxiá (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: , Mandarin IPA: , Cantonese Pinyin: mou5 hap6), literally meaning martial (arts) heroes, is a distinct quasi-fantasy sub-genre of the martial arts genre in literature, television and cinema. ...

In the New York Times, Lawrence van Gelder gave Ashes of Time a somewhat mixed review: The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ...

"For those who seek metaphors, Ashes of Time... presents the eye as well as the illusions of vision. One character is nearly blind. Another, a swordsman, goes blind in the middle of a horrendous battle. Two characters, Yin and Yang -- one presented as a man, the other as his sister -- are identical. And there is a brief appearance by a legendary sword fighter who hones his skills against his own reflection. For those who seek battle, Ashes of Time offers intermittent blurs of action, streaks of flying figures, flashing steel, and rare spatters and gouts of moist crimson, all washing across the screen like hurried brush paintings. Like the attainment of wisdom, Ashes of Time requires a long journey through testing terrain."[1]

Awards and nominations

• 1995 Hong Kong Film Awards
  • Won: Best Art Direction (William Chang)
  • Won: Best Cinematography (Christopher Doyle)
  • Won: Best Costume and Make-up Design (William Chang)
  • Nominated: Best Picture
  • Nominated: Best Director (Wong Kar-wai)
  • Nominated: Best Action Choreography (Sammo Hung)
  • Nominated: Best Film Editing (Patrick Tam, Kai Kit-Wai)
  • Nominated: Best Original Score (Frankie Chan)
  • Nominated: Best Screenplay (Wong Kar-wai)

• 1994 Golden Horse Awards
  • Won: Best Cinematography (Christopher Doyle)
  • Won: Best Editing (Patrick Tam, Kai Kit-Wai)

• 1995 Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards
  • Won: Best Film
  • Won: Best Director (Wong Kar-wai)
  • Won: Best Screenplay (Wong Kar-wai)

• 1994 Venice Film Festival
  • Won: Best Cinematography (Christopher Doyle)

• 1997 Fant-Asia Film Festival
  • Won: Best Asian Film - Third Place

Hong Kong Film Awards (香港電影金像獎), is the most prestigious film awards in Hong Kong. ... Christopher Doyle Christopher Doyle (born May 2, 1952 in Sydney, Australia; Chinese name: 杜可風) is an Australian-born cinematographer and member of the HKSC. Doyle has worked with Chinese directors like Wong Kar-wai (for which he has done the cinematography of all his movies but the first one), Zhang Yimou... Wong Kar-wai (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; Cantonese Yale: Wòhng Gà Waih; Shanghainese Latin method: Wan Kawe; born July 17, 1958) is a Hong Kong film director known for his visually unique, highly stylized art films. ... Sammo Hung (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: ; Cantonese: Hung4 Gam1 Bou2) (born January 7, 1952) is a Chinese actor, producer and director known for his work in many Kung fu films and Hong Kong action cinema. ... Not to be confused with actor Patrick Tam Yiu-Man Patrick Tam Kar Ming (Chinese: 譚家明; Pinyin: ; born March 25, 1948) is a Hong Kong film director. ... Wong Kar-wai (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; Cantonese Yale: Wòhng Gà Waih; Shanghainese Latin method: Wan Kawe; born July 17, 1958) is a Hong Kong film director known for his visually unique, highly stylized art films. ... This article needs cleanup. ... Christopher Doyle Christopher Doyle (born May 2, 1952 in Sydney, Australia; Chinese name: 杜可風) is an Australian-born cinematographer and member of the HKSC. Doyle has worked with Chinese directors like Wong Kar-wai (for which he has done the cinematography of all his movies but the first one), Zhang Yimou... Not to be confused with actor Patrick Tam Yiu-Man Patrick Tam Kar Ming (Chinese: 譚家明; Pinyin: ; born March 25, 1948) is a Hong Kong film director. ... The Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards (Traditional Chinese: 香港電影評論學會大獎) are an annual award given by the Hong Kong Film Critics Society in Hong Kong, China since 1995. ... Wong Kar-wai (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; Cantonese Yale: Wòhng Gà Waih; Shanghainese Latin method: Wan Kawe; born July 17, 1958) is a Hong Kong film director known for his visually unique, highly stylized art films. ... Wong Kar-wai (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; Cantonese Yale: Wòhng Gà Waih; Shanghainese Latin method: Wan Kawe; born July 17, 1958) is a Hong Kong film director known for his visually unique, highly stylized art films. ... The Venice Film Festival (it: Mostra Internazionale dArte Cinematografica) is the oldest Film Festival in the World (began in the 1932) and takes place every year in late August/early September on the Lido di Venezia in the historic Palazzo del Cinema on the Lungomare Marconi, in Venice, Italy. ... Christopher Doyle Christopher Doyle (born May 2, 1952 in Sydney, Australia; Chinese name: 杜可風) is an Australian-born cinematographer and member of the HKSC. Doyle has worked with Chinese directors like Wong Kar-wai (for which he has done the cinematography of all his movies but the first one), Zhang Yimou...

Box office

Ashes of Time grossed HK$9,023,583 during its Hong Kong run. The tally was a huge disappointment considering the film's big budget of roughly HK$40 million. The Hong Kong Dollar (ISO 4217: HKD) is the official currency of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) within the Peoples Republic of China. ...

See also

• Cinema of Hong Kong
• List of Hong Kong films

The cinema of Hong Kong is one of the three major threads in the history of Chinese language cinema, alongside the cinema of China, and the cinema of Taiwan. ... Cinema of Hong Kong This is an A-Z list of films produced in Hong Kong and in the in alphabetical order. ...

External links

• Ashes of Time at the Internet Movie Database