Ashes of Time Redux

Wong’s typically dreamy take on the martial arts genre barely bothers with the actual action (even if it was choreographed by the legendary Sammo Hung), focusing instead on the pure sensuality of movement and landscape. Breathtakingly photographed by Christopher Doyle in a concussive Day-Glo swirl of sand and silk, the film follows a desert loner (Leslie Cheung) who connects swordsmen to vengeance seekers, with a who’s who of Hong Kong superstars—Maggie Cheung, Brigitte Lin, both Tony Leungs—looking for either blood or love, if they can tell them apart. Wong’s 2008 Redux restoration heightened the cinematography and added a Yo-Yo Ma score.