Ash Is Purest White

Excellent, deep drama with touches of crime/romance, mysterious and full of surprises. Slow but constant build-up, if you let it in it will pay off. A bit of cultural tourism. The leading female is outstanding. Definitely recommended to get into new chinese cinema.

I guess life accumulates and there's no way to purify it, not even by fire, hence the title, maybe. You're up and down and up and down again, but this entanglement of meaning goes deep, as it may also apply to China's severeness, where it's hard to start over and one seems to be stuck on one path by law, pride and a sense of righteousness, or maybe stubborness.

We follow the evolution and the misguidance of a mafia couple for a decade. With highs (classically: money, feeling of power, ...) and lows (to be discovered!). I did not know Tao Zhao: she plays perfectly

Qiao is cool headed, smart, responsible and resourceful; good qualities to have when your boyfriend is a gangster. When Bin, her man, gets into trouble, Qiao gets him out of it. She fades into the background when Bin needs to take the spotlight. Qiao even takes a fall for Bin when he needs her in a pinch. And that is when he forgets her. Qiao emerges from five years in prison to cold indifference. To Bin, it is as if she did not exist. "People should keep their emotions in check" Bin's new woman tells Qiao. And even China seems to have forsaken her. This is a land where cities are swallowed whole by reservoirs, and the dark water is rising around Qiao. But this ingenious woman is going to get her groove back and do what is right, Bin or no Bin.

Such depth and beauty to each element of this enthralling film. The cinematography is luminous, characters are fascinating, the story is not predictable, and bits of modern China are revealed for the complex wonders that they are. Depth is everywhere. Surprises are constant. Analogies are all around; tigers lurk in cages, a volcano looms in the distance, and a street performer picks out Qiao from a crowd and sings to her "who knew I'd ever see you again." He speaks to her heart but does not know it. The actor who plays Bin has one expression in his bag of tricks, so he could have been better, but otherwise the acting is quite good. North American premiere seen at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival.

"Ash Is Purest White" (2018 release from China; 148 min.) brings the story of Qiao and Bin. As the movie opens, we are informed it is "April 4, 2001", and we see Qiao making her rounds at a magic show of some sort. Later on, she goes into a club, which it turns out she and Bin are running. Bin is the leader of the jianghu gang. They seem to make a good boyfriend/girlfriend team. Then one day, as they are confronted by another gang, Bin is almost beaten to death, and it is Qiao who manages to step in when she shoots a gun in the air several times. The opposing gang scurries away, but Qiao is arrested and jailed for possession of a gun and lying about who owns the gun... What will become of Qiao in jail? and of Bin's recovery? To tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: this is the last film from acclaimed Chinese writer-director Jia Zhanke, whose previous works includes the excellent "A Touch of Sin". With this latest film, Jia revisits many of the themes that have dominated his earlier films, and in that sense "Ash Is Purest White" is safe, almost predictable in a way. But that's like saying that Ingmar Bergman is safe and predictable for revisiting similar issues time and again in his movies. Given the film's running time of 2 1/2 hours and spanning over a decade and a half (from 2001 to 2017), just take it from me that a LOT is playing out (sorry, I don't want to spoil any further from the plot). The role of Qiao is played brilliantly by Zhao Tao (a/ka/ Mrs. Jia in real life), who of course has appeared in many of Jia's films. Much (but not all) of the movie is once again set in Jia's home province of Shanxi. And check out the scenery at the Three Gorges...

"Ash Is Purest White" premiered at last year's Cannes film festival to immediate acclaim, and it is currently rated 98% certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes for a reason. I had the good fortune of catching this while I was on a recent business trip to Washington, DC, where I saw it at the Landmark West End Cinema. The Friday evening screening where I saw this at was almost (but not quite) sold out. If you are in the mood for a top quality movie from China (yes, those words do go together nicely in this case), I'd readily suggest you check this out, be it in the theater (if you can), on VOD (more likely) or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion.

Ash is Purest White is a tumultuous story of two people who were lovers in a forgone life. After spending 5 years in prison for a man she loves dearly, she is finally released. Qiao (Tao Zhao) is a woman searching in the past for a life that no longer exists. Bin (Fan Liao), a gangster thrust into the role of mob boss, also faced the consequences of having to find a new life once he left prison. Disillusioned by his past gangster life he moved away from Shang Xi. Their return into each other's lives is difficult to navigate and highlights the societal and economic changes in China that has occurred from 2001 to 2006/2007.

Ash is Purest White is a reflective and poignant movie that beams with beautiful,subtle commentary on a changing world.