Ashes of Time Redux (2008)

Ashes of Time is a highly stylized Wuxia Western featuring an all star cast. The themes of love, loss, memory, regret, and redemption are played out in a tiny run-down inn/tavern in the middle of the desert run by Ouyang Feng. Swordsmen and swordswomen and the people who love and left them deal with their feelings, losses and the band of bandits that seem to go on forever.

There are times this film tries too hard to be "artistic" and other times it succeeds. The fight scenes are blurry using a slide-show technique I wasn't overly fond of because it was nearly impossible to tell what was going on. Other times the grainy colorization worked and was beautiful.

Most of the characters are dealing with the consequences of the bad choices they've made or the problems created by inaction. Only one character seems to overcome this dilemma by making choices that guide him away from being simply a cold-blooded killer and able to love as well.

Yo Yo Ma does a great job of re-imagining Frankie Chan's original score from the 1994 movie. The music enhanced the scenes and the emotions being played out.

This film can be confusing as the characters' faces are often half-hidden and the story doesn't always play out in chronological order, making heavy use of flashbacks. I honestly need to watch it again to make better sense of the story.

Ashes of Time is often thrown into the love it or revile it category because of it's different artistic take on the classic wuxia tales. If you enjoy wuxias it's worth a try, you might be pleasantly surprised.

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