The basic plot revolves around a man who plays the agent for bounty-hunters in ancient China. He finds out-of-work swordsmen of skill and then peddles their services to those who need it, such as those having trouble with bandits and those who just want somebody killed for personal reasons. All this comes with a price, of course.
The underlying story focuses on the agent, Ouyang Feng (played by the brilliant Leslie Cheung), and his various relationships with the people around him. This includes an old friend, the mercenaries that work for him and those seeking to procure his services. Each person has a tale to tell, and each tale is colored by the cynical viewpoint of Feng.
This film is about the tragedies of love, the nature of mercy and lack thereof and the damage and healing that love can bring. All this is set against a backdrop of an untamed China, filled with violence, pain and betrayal.
One can see in Wong Kar-wai’s excellent writing and directing the movement of the various relationships within that tumultuous world and how they are important to the development of those involved. From the interaction of stranger to stranger, to the trials of unreciprocated love, to the close relations between friends caught up in the same maelstrom, Ashes of Time explores them all in a thoughtful and passionate manner.