Absurdity of Love: Wong Kar Wai's "Ashes of Time, Redux"

Wong Kar Wai's films (those that I've seen, anyway) are light-hearted, nostalgic affairs that portray the absurdities to which we subject ourselves in the name of love. Ashes of Time, Redux presents this theme with a twist: the film is set in the sword-filled hinterlands of ancient China.



Plot-wise, this is an enigmatic film, but to my mind plot is almost incidental... mood takes precedence here, and I'd recommend not taking the more cryptic aspects of the story too seriously. It's a ravishingly beautiful movie - Christopher Doyle's cinematography steals the show, the landscapes being particularly spectacular, and the costumes are great.

All in all, a highly memorable, vaguely tongue-in-cheek tale of forsaken love, longing, and epic desert sword-fights. Just watch it!

Artificial Eye's UK DVD is brilliant. There's also a Blu-ray version available.