About 8 years ago, the Coolidge Corner theater showed a midnight screening of Ashes of Time. I was already a devout Wong Kar Wai fan, but I had never had a chance to see Ashes of Time. Certain cinematic moments stick in your mind. Seeing Ashes of Time on the big screen was a cinematic pinnacle for me. From the soundtrack to the visuals to the amazing cast, I loved Ashes of Time. I bought a shitty bootleg version of it in Chinatown and watched it multiple times, noticing small details, and finally wrapping my head around its challenging story line. When I heard that Wong Kar Wai was rereleasing Ashes of Time in the theater, I was ecstatic. Not many people had really had a chance to see this picture that I have privately treasured. So how did Redux compare to my original experience of seeing Ashes of Time in the theater? The general experience of seeing it on the big screen is still intact. Some minor qualms are the way Wong Kar Wai reedited the first scene changing its epic spaghetti western sword fight into a less than exciting scene. The music cues are different and not as strong in my opinion. The quality of the film changes from scene to scene, which can be jarring and take the audience out of the action. Also, the colors look a little off and not as strong as that original version I saw years ago. On the other hand, the translation is a little different and seems a bit stronger. Also, just the ability to see this classic on the big screen is cause for celebration and I strongly recommend seeing this while you can.
1 comment:
There used to be an epic swordfight in the beginning? I've never watched the original because there isn't a good version available. I would have liked to have seen it open with the swordfight. Who fights? Maybe both versions will be on a new DVD release.
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