Ashes of Time (1994) poster
Poster: TMDB
FilmR1994

Ashes of Time

DramaAction

Ouyang Feng is a heartbroken and cynical man who spends his days in the desert, connecting expert swordsmen with those seeking revenge and willing to pay for it. Throughout five seasons in exile, Ouyang spins tales of his clients' unrequited loves and unusual acts of bravery. From TMDB

52 reactions from 2 sources (Bluesky, Mastodon) · newest Oct 14, 2026 · last updated Oct 15, 2026 · How this works

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52 of 52 · most liked first
  • J.A.Tallon @tallon.bsky.socialBluesky · May 2, 2026

    Christopher Doyle (with images from the Wong Kar-wai film "Ashes of Time", "Happy Together", "Hero" and "2046" where Doyle was the cinematographer) - BOTD

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  • gamedotfilm @gamedotfilm.bsky.socialBluesky · Jun 5, 2026

    #NowWatching Ashes of Time Redux (1994, 2008) dir. Wong Kar-wai 2nd viewing, a film i don't understand but looks absolutely stunning #filmsky

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  • YTSL @ytsl.bsky.socialBluesky · May 13, 2025

    Desert epic "Ashes of Time" is my favourite Wong Kar-wai film; "Chungking Express" my favourite set-in-Hong Kong Wong Kar-wai film. (And BTW, I do like pineapple.)

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  • Charbovari @charbovari.bsky.socialBluesky · Apr 1, 2025

    And then a few years later when he was shooting the melancholy and meditative wuxia film ASHES OF TIME, he spoofed his own film using the same actors in EAGLE SHOOTING HEROES. it also outgrossed the "actual" movie.

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  • YTSL @ytsl.bsky.socialBluesky · Oct 14, 2026

    I was okay with it when I watched it but I have never felt compelled to re-watch it... the way that I was with "Ashes of Time" (my favourite Wong Kar-wai film), "Chungking Express", "Happy Together", etc.

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  • YTSL @ytsl.bsky.socialBluesky · Aug 23, 2026

    Worth noting that "The Eagle Shooting Heroes" was no straight to video affair. Rather, it was a star-studded Chinese New Year movie made to make money, some of which got plowed into Wong Kar-wai's "Ashes of Time" (which took two years to make. A VERY long time by Hong Kong movie standards).

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  • Maid & Lion @maidandlion.bsky.socialBluesky · Mar 10, 2026

    Ashes of Time Redux is an amazing movie about the color yellow. Truly a gift to the lover of Yellows, Oranges. And sometimes blues. 10/10 Yellows. i think maybe there were also some actors.

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  • Terracotta Distribution @terracottadist.bsky.socialBluesky · Jan 15, 2026

    Filmed as a side project whilst taking a break from ASHES OF TIME, and shot as a quick guerrilla style production, CHUNGKING EXPRESS has become an iconic must-watch for film fans. And probably one of the best side quests ever! #wongkarwai #cinema #moviecollection #chungkingexpress #terracottastore

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  • Nick @heyimnick.bsky.socialBluesky · Dec 15, 2025

    Holy shit! I didn't even realise that this had gotten a criterion release! I was just thinking of The Blade and Ashes of Time last week and was going to rewatch them both, but can't find my old DVDs. Such an awesome, brutal wuxia film!

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  • Valerie Fairlight @valree.bsky.socialBluesky · Jul 10, 2025

    This stupid rare double sized Ashes of Time poster from the UC Theatre! posteritati.com/poster/1952/... Going to try another poster guy who may be able to remove it. I'd be happy with a Chinese Ghost Story or Chungking Express poster to replace it, but it's just another relic of a time that's gone.

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  • It's Lilly Time @lillybee.bsky.socialBluesky · Jun 21, 2025

    #166: The Eagle Shooting Heroes Maybe the greatest opening sequence to any movie. A movie created to hide the budget/production problems of Ashes of Time. This is basically kung-fu Lonney Tunes, or "what if The Muppets was a shonen anime?". One of the greatest movies ever made. #filmsky 10/10

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  • Richard Hayes @rmhayes.bsky.socialBluesky · Apr 20, 2025

    This is a brilliant film that everyone should see, especially on blu ray... (I would quibble that “Ashes of Time” is his least talked about film by a wide margin)

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  • Maximum Mary @maximummary.bsky.socialBluesky · Feb 23, 2025

    I love the fact that I have seen several Condor Heroes adaptations and none of them seem to be remotely the same story. I guess my feeling that the original theatrical cut of ASHES OF TIME was a 2 hour trailer for a 25 hour movie that will never be made was closer than I knew.

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  • Classic McDavid @henchman21.bsky.socialBluesky · Aug 20, 2026

    Ashes of Time was great, but I was not in the mood to focus on a deep, contemplative Chinese language film. But it's good. But it took me 2 1/2 hours to watch a 90 minute movie with pausing and back tracking.

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  • William Avery @willavery.netBluesky · Aug 15, 2026

    I've never seen Ashes of Time, but I would be quite hopeful about finding it, as it's a Wong Kar-Wai film.

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  • Hayley Winter @zeroville.bsky.socialBluesky · Aug 13, 2026

    Ashes of Time is my favorite movie. If there is such a thing as 'a favorite'.

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  • DarkLonelyWater @darklonelywater.bsky.socialBluesky · Jul 22, 2026

    Certain aspects of the film put me in mind of Wong Kar-wai's Ashes of Time, which is also about deciding whether it's better to remember or forget.

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  • Maid & Lion @maidandlion.bsky.socialBluesky · Mar 10, 2026

    In all honesty, I feel a lot less bad about "The Grandmaster" being my guilty-pleasure Wong Kar Wai film now, because Ashes of Time is also an attempt at a kung fu movie and well.. it makes you appreciate that The Grandmaster is pretty much just better at it?

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  • cole d'arc @coledarc.bsky.socialBluesky · Jan 22, 2026

    Movie #22 of 2026: Ashes of Time Redux (1994/2008)

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  • Nicole @cyn-cedilla.bsky.socialBluesky · Dec 25, 2025

    i don't have strongly trained Film Criticism instincts, but Ashes of Time Redux is a pretty good movie to half-pay-attention-to while doing something else. also i have no idea why i have a copy of it or how long i've been carting it around

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  • teddy long five minute white boy challenge @nowstartthegame.bsky.socialBluesky · Dec 22, 2025

    Ashes of Time (1994, dir. Wong Kar-Wai) the WKW wuxia film it’s got all of his hallmarks, Christopher Doyle’s cinematography is astonishing, and has a great cast (Maggie Cheung’s performance is otherworldly) but I found it hard to connect to any of the characters, which is rare for WKW 6/10

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  • Libitina @libitina.bsky.socialBluesky · Dec 10, 2025

    I haven't seen that Ashes of Time, either. Bah. I saw Everlasting Regret... which was very much an Art Movie Made by a Man. But I have on my list to watch: Center Stage, He & She, and Cold War.

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  • Casey Stegman @caseystegman.comBluesky · Aug 9, 2025

    Wong Kar-Wai’s ASHES OF TIME is hard to follow. But that’s not the point of this visually inventive historical action movie. Make sure to see the redux if you can.

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  • (Miss) Moneypenny Coins 🏳️‍⚧️ @sheeppf.bsky.socialBluesky · Jul 10, 2025

    Finished watching the Ashes of Time. Trippiest Hong Kong movie I've ever seen. Very good writing, too. The ending slogged on, though.

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  • Kimberly Hahn @firesky1118.bsky.socialBluesky · Mar 18, 2025

    Should I focus more on their youth? Idk, I don't need linear plots. For example, I love the movie Ashes of Time, which inter-loops time, & I loved The First Frost, which jumps back & forth beautifully. It seems like a lot of focus is given to separate time periods of life, so my focus is scattered.

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  • arpad okay @arpadokay.bsky.socialBluesky · Feb 22, 2025

    yeah i agree w this list alllll over the place. i love the first couple king hu films. and yes CHINESE ODYSSEY 2002 is jeffrey lau's best movie. i want to see ASHES OF TIME, but i want to see the first cut not the recut and that seems to be impossible

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  • YTSL @ytsl.bsky.socialBluesky · Jan 22, 2025

    A back-to-back screening of the original and redux versions of "Ashes of Time" seems hardcore cinephile! Though I do remember that my first two viewings of the film (the original, years before the redux version came out) occurred within 24 hours of each other!

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  • YTSL @ytsl.bsky.socialBluesky · Jan 2, 2025

    Am not sure if you've seen Swordsman II. Sadly, I can't find a good trailer of it to share but here's a Brigitte Lin highlights video (from when she got a lifetime achievement award at the Far East Film Festival in Udine) featuring scenes from it and other films (e.g., Ashes of Time, Red Dust).

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  • Matt Carton @mattcarton.bsky.socialBluesky · Dec 8, 2024

    If you haven’t yet, look for his performance for Wong Kar-Wai’s movie Ashes of Time Redux.

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  • Maximum Mary @maximummary.bsky.socialBluesky · Dec 7, 2024

    Putting it in the category of the original cut of Ashes of Time. A brilliant trailer for a ten hour movie that will never be made.

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  • Movie Reviews by Siskoid @reviews-by-siskoid.bsky.socialBluesky · Nov 16, 2024

    My ★★★½ review of Ashes of Time (1994) boxd.it/nwfLn #Letterboxd #FilmSky

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  • Blob Costas @blobcostas.chronolympics.comBluesky · Aug 4, 2024

    Katie, have you seen Ashes of Time (redux) yet? It's an incredibly dense movie, but I'm curious about your opinion on it.

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  • Gaijin "Jiangshi" Rando @gaijinrando.bsky.socialBluesky · Jul 17, 2024

    I saw ASHES OF TIME REDUX at the New York Film Festival in 2008. Wong Kar-wai was there for a q & a. I remember he never took off his sunglasses.

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  • Daxtreme @daxtreme.bsky.socialBluesky · Feb 9, 2024

    I love the ever hazy Hong Kong movie Ashes of Time (Dir. Wong Kar-Wai).

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  • YTSL @ytsl.bsky.socialBluesky · Sep 3, 2023

    Periodic reminder that "Ashes of Time" (1994) is my favourite Wong Kar Wai film of all time.

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  • Classic McDavid @henchman21.bsky.socialBluesky · Aug 17, 2026

    Movie watch thru on pause, as I reached Wong Kar-wai's Ashes of Time Redux and about 5 minutes in was lost due to work + subbed. Will try to watch it tonight.

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  • Rich Burroughs @somewhattolerable.comBluesky · Aug 1, 2026

    I didn’t know about Patrick Tam at all. He was apparently one of the major figures in what’s known as Hong Kong’s New Wave. After this film he edited Wong Kar-Wai’s Days of Being Wild and Ashes of Time, back to back.

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  • Today In Movies @todayinmovies.comBluesky · May 17, 2026

    🎬 The Top 4 Action Movies Released on May 17! What's your fave? 1. John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum 2. Ashes of Time 3. The Duel 4. Dirty Mary Crazy Larry Check out all 52 movies released on this day at https://todayinmovies.com #TodayInMovies #Movies #Film #Action

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  • Brandon Williams @stupidartpunk.bsky.socialBluesky · May 13, 2026

    I don't know Ashes of Time?! I do love Crouching Tiger... its my favorite Star Wars movie.

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  • Lucas @lph13.bsky.socialBluesky · Apr 24, 2026

    Ashes of Time Redux was the wrong movie to watch on too little sleep.

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  • hinesd24.bsky.social @hinesd24.bsky.socialBluesky · Apr 13, 2026

    2026 Film Reviews 247. It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley (2025) - 5.0 248. Ashes of Time Redux (2008) - 4.5 249. Guilty Bystander (1950) - 4.0 250. The Blue Gardenia (1953) - 4.0 #2026FilmsDH

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  • Jim? @ocronlives.bsky.socialBluesky · Mar 18, 2026

    Sometimes you've got nothing to do but yearn and I see the need for fiction depicting that. At the same time yep it would have been great if they did fuck. Ashes of Time is the best WKW film about yearning and missed chances anyway

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  • Frank Helwig 🇨🇦 @accelerateddragon.bsky.socialBluesky · Mar 7, 2026

    Ashes of Time is still Wong Kar Wai's most gorgeous film. And much of the credit goes to Christopher Doyle.

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  • Boooooooooooooooowerks @bauwerks.netBluesky · Sep 25, 2025

    Wait, was this something Wong originally had in mind to make during the 2-month break from Ashes of Time? I've never heard about this film.

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  • bradluen @bradluen.bsky.socialBluesky · Jun 3, 2025

    - Series is a sequel to Legend of the Condor Heroes, best known to film nerds as the book WKW kinda sorta adapted into Ashes of Time - Xiao Yao (逍遥) comes from the title of the first chapter of Zhuangzi and yeah I'm not going to try to explicate that within the character limit

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  • Rick - Vulcan As A Mother F**ker 🖖 @jovialvulcan.bsky.socialBluesky · Jan 19, 2025

    Ashes of Time may not be my favorite Wong Kar-wai film, but my god is it gorgeous. Maybe cliché to say but it looks like a freaking painting. Not just because the shots are beautiful, but there is a texture to the movie that almost looks like brush strokes.

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  • Joseph Kuby @incognoscente.bsky.socialBluesky · Jan 15, 2025

    Leslie Cheung once remarked in an interview that "Ashes of Time" is visually delightful but a disaster of storytelling due to the improvisation. Action movie analogy: I prefer the sort of camerawork that's as elegant as Tai Chi, not the hand-held style which has the grappling of Judo.

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  • Christian @christianbclark.bsky.socialBluesky · Jan 6, 2025

    now watching one of my all time favorite sword movies from 1994 - Ashes Of Time (1994) - this movie is an Amazing classic Chinese sword movie. It's Very Different movies from the rest, Very Good, with Brigitte Lin and Maggie Cheung and Leslie Cheung.

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  • AngelsArcanum/NabariNoBro @angelsarcanum.bsky.socialBluesky · Dec 30, 2024

    205. Ashes of Time (film): Redux Cut - aesthetically not my thing as much from WKW, a little TOO abstracted and with a lot of tight corridors of dingy, minimalist interiors and plagued with some bad film noise in part. A romantic unearthed mythic tablet with too much dust on it so to speak. 6/10

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  • Jason Morehead @opus.ingBluesky · Sep 23, 2024

    30 years ago this month, Wong Kar-wai’s Ashes of Time — an obtuse, melancholy, and highly atmospheric deconstruction of the wuxia genre — arrived in Hong Kong theaters. Here’s my review from 2003:

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  • Ciri the Film Enjoyer 🏳️‍⚧️ @cirikino.bsky.socialBluesky · Jul 6, 2023

    And of course to watch the directors that have done only one Wuxia film with Wong Kar Wai's "Ashes of Time", Ang Lee's "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", and the Wuxia inspired "Red Cliff" duology by John Woo after I have the context of how the genre progressed from Hu to Hark. Exciting year for me.

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  • John Cutting @[email protected]Mastodon · Feb 28, 2023

    Ashes of Time This is in many ways the polar opposite of the Princess Bride. This is an incredibly hard movie to approach, but I find the cinematography, acting, and the shadow of the stories we can see to be truly fascinating. #ashesofTime

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Official Trailer

Top Cast

Leslie Cheung actor profile photo
Leslie Cheung
Ouyang Feng / Western Venom
Brigitte Lin actor profile photo
Brigitte Lin
Murong Yang / Murong Yin / Dugu Qiubai
Tony Leung Ka-fai actor profile photo
Tony Leung Ka-fai
Huang Yaoshi / Eastern Heretic
Carina Lau actor profile photo
Carina Lau
Peach Blossom
Tony Leung Chiu-wai actor profile photo
Tony Leung Chiu-wai
Blind Swordsman
Charlie Yeung Choi-Nei actor profile photo
Charlie Yeung Choi-Nei
Girl with Mule
Jacky Cheung Hok-Yau actor profile photo
Jacky Cheung Hok-Yau
Hong Qi / Northern Beggar
Maggie Cheung actor profile photo
Maggie Cheung
Feng's Sister-in-Law

Cast from TMDB.

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