The poetic sounding title of writer/director Jia Zhang-ke’s hard-edged film refers to the purity of ash residue produced by the intense heat of a volcano. An apt description for Zhang-ke at his best, in films so varied he might be a different director on each title. This one starts at the Mah Jongg clubhouse of a fading town’s local mob hangout, a den of racketeers run by Bin (Fan Liao) and partner in crime Qiao (Tao Zhao), his tough, honest Gal Friday/girlfriend. But the times they are a’changing. A new, young gang of thugs is moving in, murdering Bin’s boss and then going after him and Qiao. Barely surviving an attack, they land in jail; Bin for a year/Qian serving five as she used a gun in defense. When the story picks up again, they are changed people. Only, Bin knows it; Qian doesn’t. All this in the first act. The rest of the film sees them trying to keep apart and get back together, Zhang-ke orchestrating the moves and frustration with a precision that runs the gamut thru suspense, ironic comedy, revenge, scams, hope and occasional humiliation. Mostly centered on Qiao (actress Zhao masterful in all moods) while Bin/Liao mostly out of the picture in this act. The last act changes moods again, as a possible new start/new romance is replaced by something on the order of you can’t go home again no matter how close you think you’ve come. Easy to imagine this playing in a totally different key as an OTT Hong Kong actioner, but this isn’t that movie. Splendid, and leaning ever more realistic as the end game comes into view.
DOUBLE-BILL/LINK: The rising waters behind Three Gorges Dam, which Zhang-ke used to motivate the plot of STILL LIFE/’06, also used in this film. The earlier film, more an art house pic, a good example of Zhang-ke’s chamaeleon like nature as director. https://maksquibs.blogspot.com/2025/05/still-life-san-xia-hao-ren-2006.html
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