Source: Some information on this page may have been sourced as part of the 2023 Wikimedia Australia Partnership Projects grant, with the purpose of improving and expanding the use of Wikidata on our website. Wikidata is a free and open knowledge base that can be read and edited by both humans and machines. Read more about this project here.
‘Ashes of Time’ is a highly original fantasy, swordplay movie from cult Hong Kong film director Wong Kar-Wai. The film skillfully weaves a handful of stories together through the device of the central character of Ouyang Feng (Leslie Cheung), a mercenary swordsman who owns an inn in the middle of a desert. With his usual flair Wong Kar-Wai (with the help of Australian cinematographer Chris Doyle), creates a visually sumptuous and highly original film. A stylish mix of spaghetti western, epic landscapes and Chinese fantasy folktales and swordfights the film includes a who’s who of Hong Kong film stars. Cast includes Leslie Cheung, Maggie Cheung, Brigitte Lin, Carina Lau, Tony Leung and Jacky Cheung. In Cantonese with English subtitles.
Content notification
Our collection comprises over 40,000 moving image works, acquired and catalogued between the 1940s and early 2000s. As a result, some items may reflect outdated, offensive and possibly harmful views and opinions. ACMI is working to identify and redress such usages.
Learn more about our collection and our collection policy here. If you come across harmful content on our website that you would like to report, let us know.
How to watch
Collection
In ACMI's collection
Credits
Collection metadata
ACMI Identifier
309077
Language
Chinese
Audience classification
M (15+)
Subject categories
Action & Adventure → Action films
Action & Adventure → Martial arts films
Advertising, Film, Journalism, Mass Media & TV → Foreign language films
Advertising, Film, Journalism, Mass Media & TV → Martial arts films
Fantasy & Science Fiction → Fantasy
Feature films → Feature films - Hong Kong
Sound/audio
Sound
Colour
Colour
Holdings
VHS; Access Print (Section 1)