Les Éternels

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.

I felt privileged to watch this on its premier at the Cannes Film Festival 2018, with Zang-ke Jia and the cast. The film revolves around Qiao (Played by Tao Zhao) who is the girlfriend of Bin (Fan Liao) a mobster in a small town, who likes to believe he is a big fish in this small pond.

The film shows how the couple drift away along with their youth and optimism, captured in a three act structure, the undying love of Qiao for Bin and how it remains just as strong through the passing of time. Both Qiao and Bin are very well written characters and the cinematography is flawless, on a lighter note Carl and Biddu's 'Kung Fu Fighting' plays a vital role in this movie.

You should definitely watch this movie if you are a fan of Zhao and Liao, also watch this if you liked 'Mountains May Depart'.

This is an intense movie. It's is less about the story, which is long, both in terms of movie length but also the time period of 2001 to 2018, than it is about the lead character and her protagonist, her love. Both Tao and Fan are exceptional. Understated yet convey such power. The hotel scene is superb.

This is a film of character. Of stoicism. Of progress but indomitable tradition. A pseudo love story but rather one of belief and strength. An excellent and absorbing character study.

An enjoyable journey into a land and character unfamiliar.

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.

Qiao (Zhao Tao) lives in a mining town in the Chinese province of Shanxi. Her boyfriend Bin (Liao Fan) is a mob boss. As years go by, crime life brings consequences to their lives - individually and as a couple.

Though the film is long at two and a quarter hours, it is rarely dull. The two lead performers, especially Zhao, are engaging as are the occasional rural landscapes especially the ones captured by train travel.

The middle sequence is the most fascinating. When Qiao is on a mission in a strange place, she might act in terrible ways but it is still tempting to root for her; she's not much different from the corruption that surrounds her.

Overall, "Ash Is Purest White" is a fascinating journey albeit a cynical one that begins in 2001 and finishes seventeen years later. Whether it's taking place in a corrupt small town, a prison, or a chaotic travel experience, it is always intriguing in a mostly quiet way. - dbamateurcritic