It's obvious that <Ashes of Time> is one of my most favorite movies.

Recently, I foregathered director Chenxunqi and took the chance of asking him many questions about the new < Ashes of Time>. Such as whether the film added the segments which acted by Wangzhuxian or not? What are the major modified parts of this new movie? Did they cut Mr. Zhangguorong’s acting segments? How about Mayouyou’s incidental music…

Mr. Chenxunqi matched the incidental music for the old < Ashes of Time>, similarly, he also matched the incidental music for the new < Ashes of Time> that directed by Mr. Wangjiawei.

< Ashes of Time: ultimate edition> posters of Cannes

Obviously, the ultimate edition cut segments acting by Liangchaowei

14 years ago, < Ashes of Time> is a movie that would make audiences sleepy and received negative criticisms. However, time went by, she became the classic Chinese movie.

Taking about the differences between the old and new < Ashes of Time>, Mr. Chen praises director Wangjiawei mightily. “He is no more than an artist. He loves his productions. Any director would like to lay down so much money to reproduce his own movies filmed several years ago. He devoted lots of time, finding the oversea acrobatic companies to renovate the movie frame by frame. He made every frame just like those beautiful canvas. They looked wonderful through the big screen. And there is another thing I want to mention is the timbre. The old < Ashes of Time> was single timbre, and he renovated it into 5.1 circle dimensional sound, sounded very powerful. The hardworking of Wangjiawei reminds us Stanley Kubrick，he also rack his brains to perfect his movie <Barry Lyndon>..

     Meeting the renovated of movie < Ashes of Time>, Zedong Company publicizes its new movie stills.

     ”Facts proved that Mr. Wang did many things ahead the time. < Ashes of Time>, which directed by him 14 years ago, does not out of day at all.” Mr. Chen said. Subsequently, he worried about the mainland movie fans. “I don’t know whether the new edition can show in the mainland, if can, you must go and see the wonderful film. If not, you can also by the video later.” Mr. Chen appreciate the new edition with high praise, listening his description, our journalist can only lick his chops and hope that after Cannes Film fest we can have chance to appreciate it in our mainland.

It’s reported that the new edition added many a number discarded segments, when our journalist asked Mr. Chen this question, he said: “Actually, there was few change, the whole movie still lasting an hour and a half. Some segments are even being cut, such as the cut of fighting between Liangchaowei and the heisters; I had to adjust the incidental music for them. They also redressed some segments in order to make the movie more logical and easier to understand.”

　  Some movie fans wanted to know which language the movie would use when it’s showed on Cannes Film Fest, French or Chinese. Mr. Chen answered that Mr. Wang will use Chinese. He would never match French to his films because they are showed on Cannes Film Fest. He always use original dub in his films when he shows them in other countries, because he suggests that only use original dub can manifest the connotation of his films.

The new movie stills, Zhangguorong is classic run true to form.

Zhangguorong is still the leading actor and WangZhuXian doesn’t come out.

When Mr. Wang directed the old edition, he mixed many feelings together, the scenes were scattered because of the intermittent screen. During the whole movie, except Zhangguorong, other actors, such as Liangchaowei and ZhangManYu, had little show time. So ZhangShuPing and Wangjiawei had to add many aside lines and bunched them into a story. Unexpectedly, those aside lines become classic lines nowadays.

Standing on the bothie

Zhangguorong was the leading actor of this movie and his aside lines penetrated and linked the whole story. Mournfully, he committed suicide in 2003. In this case, many movie fans feel worried about the aside lines of the new edition. Whether they would find other people to imitate his voice?

Mr. Chen expressed that “Brother Zhang” was still the leading actor and they used his own voice in the movie. It’s impossible that to find someone to imitate his voice or replace him.

The old edition, Wangzhuxian faced to Liangjiahun, none but a side face

In some special edition, Wangzhuxian had more segments, however, only added up to several seconds

In the old edition, among the eight leading actors, including Zhangguorong, Liangjiahui, Zhangxueyou, Zhangmanyu, Linqingxia, Liujialing and Wangzhuxian, Wangzhuxian’s segments were cut seriously. Market circulate edition was being cut and left none but a side face. So many people concern about whether they would add her segments in the new edition. According to this question, Mr. Chen said: “We didn’t add her segments in the new edition, because the story was integrated and any additional segments would destroy the whole story. On the other hand, many European do not familiar with her, she is not popular there…” It seems that added Wangzhuxian’s segment were only a hearsay.

About the incidental music

Many a number Wangjiawei ‘s movie fans think that the incidental music of < Ashes of Time> was perfect and left nothing to be desired. However, Wangjiawei decided to change them, so he invited the international musician Mayouyou to performance for the new edition. As the person in charge for the new edition’s incidental music, how did he deal with the performance of Mayouyou?  

Mayouyou and Wangjiawei remedy the incidental music for the new edition 

      I had decided not to make incidental music for any movie after I finished Movie <The lost of angel>. After several years, Wangjiawei and Liuzhenwei telephoned me and said:” Please come and help us。” They had some problems in their incidental music, in this case, I went and helped them for making the music for the movie <The Only One in the World>. He is severe about music, so we discuss intensely each time.

This time he asked me to cooperate with the incidental music of the new edition, I consented with pleasure but I asked for enough time, I didn’t want to make them in a hurry as before. He promised and asked me to prepare them as my please. And then, he asked the famous international musician Mayouyou to performance the music, I was working in Paris so I couldn’t come back. He said that he had invited Mayouyou to perform my music and asked my suggestions. Actually, I did not really care about whomever to perform my music, he could invite the famous international musician for me, of course, I felt very happy. And now the reserved incidental music consisted of mine and Mayouyou’s, I don’t know whether you can classify them.

When I matched incidental music for the old edition in 1994, Wangjiawei and I had many different ideas. For example, in the movie there was a segment described that Zhangmanyu stood along the beach, facing the ocean along. I added the sound of   sea-gulls and I though it can create a sorrow-stricken atmosphere which give prominence to the actress’s frame of mind. However, Wangjiawei did not agree with me, at last, he compromised to me. But this time, when he found there was no sea-gulls’ sound in that segment, he asked me to add them again. Ha ha (Mr. Chen smile) I came home to find the type but only to find that they were all got moldy.

Wangjiawei also got his frame in filmdom for changing his mind vertiginous, everyone has accustomed to his actions. We can not sure whether the edition Mr. Chen saw can be the real new edition which Wangjiawei would bring to Cannas. Our world become changeable because there is a man called Wangjiawei—no one could image that he would remake < Ashes of Time: ultimate edition> .