The Official Trailer For Wong Kar Wai’s ASHES OF TIME REDUX Arrives!

Reader Comments

1. Rhythm-X 07/31/2008 @ 8:05am

   It looks good as a collection of images.  But all the stuff he’s chopped out of it really murdered my enthusiasm.  Yay, something kind of like ASHES OF TIME is coming soon.

2. kenixfan 07/31/2008 @ 8:08am

   Do we know yet what is different?  It’s only about 5 minutes shorter, right?

   The images in the trailer look INFINITELY better than the old HK DVD that I got years ago.

   So at least it will look better and maybe sound better with the Yo-Yo Ma score, eh?

3. Rhythm-X 07/31/2008 @ 10:21am

   From someone who saw it in cannes and posted to IMDB forum:

   - the redux version is 93 minutes, shorter than the others editions;
   - the entire movie is restored in digital and the colors are a bit sature;
   - the first images are a little different: Wong has inserted a big yellow-moon in a storm;
   - Wong has removed the first two battle scene!!! So we can’t see the first appearence of the horse thieves…
   - the main titles & ending titles are different;
   - the music is a lot different: Wong has removed the fantastic music from 3 important sequences;
   - the editing is a little different in 2-3 scenes: for example, the flashback of the night of the marriage of Maggie Cheung is a bit longer;
   - Brigitte Lin doesn’t scream in the impressive lake scene;
   - Wong has removed the (dead) cat hanged on the wall in the sequence of Huang and Yin;
   - Wong has removed the shot in witch Tony jump on the roof in the battle with the thieves;
   - the battle scene of Tony and the thieves is a lot different in the sound and in color-correction;
   - the splitting blood of the poor Tony (sigh!) is a bit more detailed, probably digitally corrected;
   - Wong has removed one shot (of two!) where the sick Hong Qui is helped by his wife;
   - Wong has inserted 2 short (and not very well cut) images of peach blossoms;
   - the editing of the very final sequence is different: in this new one there is only Leslie Cheung with long hair;
   - 2 shots rumor-corrected: the stop-frame of Tony Leung at sunset and the close-shot of Tony with blue sky in the background;
   - Wong has added the 4 season didascalie on black background;
   - a shot of the White Camel Mountain has been added;
   - there is non sign of Joey Wang that appeared for 2 seconds in the original version (I think...)
   - the shot where the girl with the mule leaves is changed a bit of position
   - there is some blood in the water from where jump out Hong Qi, in the old version I didn’t noticed that…
   - the subtitles are sometimes a bit different.

   and unfortunantly..... THE BEST PIECE OF MUSIC OF THE WHOLE MOVIE HAS BEEN REMOVED !!!!

   ----------------

   Make of that what you will.

4. TheDoug 07/31/2008 @ 1:55pm

   Well, having not seen the original cut, I still am impressed by both and visual and aural impact of the redux version of Ashes of Time new trailer.
   Eventually maybe Criterion might consider putting out a box set representing both versions of this controversial Wong Kar Wai film.

5. Rhythm-X 07/31/2008 @ 3:43pm

   Well, he is the only Hong Kong director Criterion gives a damn about, so I guess it’s not beyond the realm of possibility.  But I wouldn’t hold my breath.

6. kenixfan 08/01/2008 @ 7:11am

   Criterion does seem to be Japanese-centric sometimes don’t they?  What—only 2 Chinese films—Yi Yi and In The Mood for Love?  What else they have from Chinese directors so far?

   The Criterion laserdiscs had a few more I recall.

7. Rhythm-X 08/01/2008 @ 8:01am

   They famously had THE KILLER and HARD BOILED DVDs, ported from their laserdiscs, but you could almost hear the yawns of indifference as those rights slipped away. There’s also the forthcoming CHUNGKING EXPRESS Blu-ray.  On LD they had the hacked-up version of SUPERCOP, which I believe had the deleted scenes included as bonus material. Someone probably told them it was Japanese.  And they had AKIRA - it might be Japanese, but more importantly, it’s animated and therefore not worthy of serious consideration.  A man with no hands could count the number of Criterion releases of Korean films on his fingers.  It’s best not to think too much about the choices Criterion makes, since they’re obviously not gonna change a damn thing for the ignorant peons like me.

8. neoplasia200x 09/07/2008 @ 9:40pm

   @ Rhythm -X

   I really hope you don’t let your enthusiasm be squashed by some of these inconsequential details ... I mean these are just silly “ the shot where the girl with the mule leaves is changed a bit of position “ and “ Wong has inserted 2 short (and not very well cut) images of peach blossoms; “

   Granted, taking out major sequences would get me slightly upset as well...but I have faith in WKW and in his vision. I think it will be a great release

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