‘Ashes in Time Redux’ Fights for Big Screen
Wong Kar Wai painstakingly restores his martial arts masterpiece forr American viewers to finally see it on the big screen - 4 stars ****
By W. H. Bourne
‘Ashes in Time’ , which led to ‘Chungking Express’
HOLLYWOOD, CA (Hollywood Today) 10/09/08 – “At first we wanted to do a simple restoration because otherwise the film would only exist on DVD or videotapes,” says director Kar Wai Wong. “And, I just wanted the film to be seen on the big screen.” Kar Wai Wong, also known as Wong Kar Wai, is about to release his upcoming martial arts epic ‘Ashes in Time Redux’.
“The lab didn’t store the film the way it was supposed to in a warehouse,” says Wong. “They put it on the roof. We spent a lot of time trying to find the missing material overseas and in Chinatown cinemas. The film could not be restored 100%. Some material was too bad to be restored, so we had to make some editorial choices…to cut the film in a certain way and replace the film with alternatives.”
“When you compare this film with the original it’s ten minutes shorter,” says Wong. “It’s not like ‘Apocalypse Now Redux’, where it’s longer. Pieces were too damaged. We had to create some shots like the first shot of the film, which is done digitally, a shot that I had always wanted. But now with technology, it is easy to fix.”
“As a principle, I didn’t want to look at it [the original] with the experience we have today,” says Wong. “I just wanted to keep it what it was supposed to be because we were very happy with what we had achieved at that point. For audiences that haven’t seen the original, they don’t have to carry the baggage of the original.”
“I believe that some films need time to reach the audience and maybe now is a better time then fifteen years ago because people have more knowledge now about the genre and the cast,” says Wong.
It’s a treat to see ‘Farewell My Concubine’ actor/musician Leslie Cheung on the big screen again. Tragically, Cheung ended his own life on April 1, 2003. Retired Hong Kong cinema veteran Brigitte Lin of ‘Chungking Express’ is wonderful as Murong Yin and Murong Yang. Tony Leung Ka Fai of ‘Lost in Beijing’ and Tony Leung Chiu Wai of ‘Lust, Caution’ shine. Maggie Cheung of ‘Hero’ delivers a wonderful performance, shot exclusively for ‘Redux’.
“It’s more like Shakespeare vs. Sergio Leone…but in Chinese,” says Wong. ‘Ashes in Time Redux’ follows Ouyang Feng, a self proclaimed “problem solver” who lives in the rugged desert. People travel from all over seeking his help to avenge someone who has suffered from wrong-doing. Ouyeng Feng finds able and willing swordsmen who will take up their causes for a price.
‘Ashes in Time Redux’ is based on Louis Cha’s famous four volume epic novel ‘Eagle Shooting Heroes’. “We wanted to differentiate it from other adaptations, which is why we chose to shoot in China, which was rare,” says Wong.
“I start as a writer,” says Wong. “I have a starting point and I have to figure out how it ends and that is the more difficult part. Regarding his adaptation of ‘Eagles Shooting Heroes’, Wong says that no one wants to be a villain. “So how do they end up like this? The creation of these two characters are like a Shakespeare play.”
For ‘Ashes in Time’, story was added beyond the novel. “By creating younger days [for the Lords of the East and West], we had to invent story backwards,” says Wong. “The film is sort of fatalistic because we know how it will end [based on the novel].”
‘Ashes in Time Redux’ differs from traditional martial arts films with its impressionistic-looking fight scenes. “We wanted to make a difference,” says Wong. “Action is like a dance. It’s not about the stunts. It’s about rhythm. It should have emotion. Action is not really about looking at stunts clearly but about your imagination. Sometimes you will see more by not seeing exactly what happened.”
Using Yo-Yo Ma and Silk Road artists, Wong made new arrangements of higher quality based on the original music. “The original score is cool…not like a traditional martial arts score but more like ‘Tangerine Dreams’,” says Wong. “But, the recording became very bad over time,”
“It’s more than just a film,” says Wong. “It’s about the process of making this film. We realized that either we had to make films that the market wanted or we had to finance films and make films the way we wanted to do them…so this marked the beginning. ‘Ashes in Time’ is the first film we produced ourselves. Without ‘Ashes in Time’ there wouldn’t be ‘Chungking Express’. It’s where we came from.”
‘Ashes of Time Redux’
Running Time: 1 hr. 33 min.
Language: Cantonese and Mandarin with English Subtitles
Limited Release Date: October 10, 2008
Rated R for Violence.
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classic