Ashes of Time Redux: ponderous, dreamlike, and waxing poetry, Wong Kar Wai’s wuxia film is a somewhat unusual entry into the genre. Even as the multiple stories that surround the narrating protagonist are told, it is clear that his intent is once more to look into isolation and romantic relationships on top of heroism. Shot by Christopher Doyle and Kwan Pun-leung, edited by Patrick Tam and William Chang Suk Ping, the film is visually striking: colors are saturated, and the combination of framing, slow-motion, and camera movement gives the images a strong sense of dream or memory. That is true even for the furious action scenes. Leslie Cheung, as the protagonist, is smooth, and the multitude of performers in the smaller roles (Brigitte Lin Ching-hsia, Maggie Cheung, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Tony Leung Ka-fai, among others) all leave a good impression. The music, by Frankie Chan, Roel A. García, and Wu Tong, is wonderfully beautiful.