Ash is Purest White

Directed by Jia Zhangke

★★★★
“This sprawling epic is undeniably a gangster movie, but it is also something stranger and sadder, a haunting, transcendent and often downright weird meditation on transience, loyalty and the soul of modern China.” Nicholas Barber, BBC

Set in China’s underworld, Jia Zhangke’s tale of love and betrayal follows a self-sacrificial gangster’s moll as she comes out of prison and sets about tracking down her former lover. A work of epic ambition, it’s set against the backdrop of China’s embrace of capitalism. Featuring a brilliant central performance from Zhangke regular Zhao Tao, the film offers an impassioned portrait of national malaise.

 

Duration:
137 minutes

Translated title:
Jiang hu er nv

Languages:
Mandarin

Subtitles:
Full English

Country of origin:
China, France and Japan

Year of production:
2018