Totally didn't expect this one. Showing a different side of communist organized crime. I expected it to have been less serious and more on the action side. Regardless, it was thought provoking and interesting. Saw on Tubi.

This is very much a bleak and sometimes quite gritty film. Its got a mostly urban setting and by the end its somewhat introspective. The main protagonist seems quite mysterious, which intrigued me a bit. I felt myself rooting for her at times. I did feel the film seemed a bit directionless at times, plot wise, which didn't help. As I say, there's a sobering side to what goes on, the principles and morals that are discussed. It's not a film that I found entirely memorable or would want to watch again but its ok. It had a bit of a feel of An Elephant Sitting Still, I thought. I'm not sure what else I could say but I'd only recommend it to people quite familiar with these sorts of films, who are prepared to give it a shot, if you know what I mean.

I liked it, though I was left feeling mostly just...sad, by the end. I found the characters a little too perplexing to love this film, but it is also one that has left me thinking about it a lot, so my opinion will probably only improve with time. At the end, I was left asking “but WHY?”. Given time to mull on it, I can see how deliberately this film follows the bigger themes of personal alienation and national alienation (I’m paraphrasing other reviews) as China develops and changes at an incredible pace.

The movie is totally disjointed and utterly disappointing, although it's interesting to see the Chinese culture.

An honorable act of self sacrifice goes ignored, thus the plot of this film is propelled. Qiao's journey to find her man is kind of interesting in regards to the people she meets, but what I found really interesting here was the depiction of modern jianghu, which can have many interpretations as it turns out.

Ash Is Purest White (In China as Sons and Daughters of Jianghu) is a Chinese film by director Jia Zhangke. It is slow and long with more interesting backgrounds and weird asides . The plot is whisper thin (girl falls for low level gangster who treats her poorly at three different points of her life). The film is more about the change that occured in rural China in that time. While I don't share the love that some critics have for this film (or the directors other works) , I do appreciate the glimpse of a different part of China. (2 1/2 stars out of 5) but if you don't like leasurily drama knock a star off, if you liked the directors other films than add a star

Ash Is Purest White is an Masterpiece of Film Art. Zhangke Jia has Directec and written this so good and how they sometimes staged the Scenes for instance when they turn the Score louder and everything else is getting quieter and quieter. The Movie looked fantastic as well so props to the Cinematographer. Acting was pretty good as well but I think unfortunately not everyone appreciates Film Art (or just doesn't likes that which is obviously totally Ok) but it's definitely a total recommendation.

Ash is Purest White is an epic morality tale of retribution and regret. It's large in scope although certain sections of the film feel a little disjointed. Director Jia Zhangke is ambitious in his delivery if not totally successful. It starts as a mobster tale in the Chinese city of Datong. Bin is an ambitious mob boss. His girlfriend Qiao is very loyal to him. After Bin's boss is murdered, danger encircles both of them. They are attacked by a marauding group of motorcycle riders, but Qiao is actually the one sent to prison as she fires a gun at them. This sets in motion a story that spans the next fifteen years and the film becomes a melodrama of regret and consequences. As said the film doesn't lack in ambition but I felt the pacing was a bit muddled. The true shining light though is Zhao Tao as Qiao. She lights up the screen everytime she appears.

Zhao Tao and Liao Fan combine for two fantastic performances in the surprisingly flat Chinese drama 'Ash is the Purest White'. There's a blend of gangster film and romance and what it lacks in narrative structure it makes up for in heart. It certainly didn't feel like a movie that was north of two hours and 15 minutes which is why we give this a slight recommendation. Final Score: 6.8/10

A mesmerising film that could have been even better if it didn't have some fillers.

It starts somewhat interesting with he cinematography in intentionally bad amateur style. On the first scene an exploded highlights picture where we can see the highlights were exploded on purpose. Then the story unfolds with badly explained or contextualized situations, until finally by mid movie we notice that really nothing has transpired. No continuity, no real story unfolding, no conflicts, just some loose situations for the characters that don't really connect nor are unique, unusual, or interesting. Poor dialogues with some reality to them though. Just a bad movie.

An exceptional film, genre-defying. Zhao's acting is pure art.

Organized crime films may seem to be a dime a dozen, but clearly there is still fresh ground to till. Incorporating commentary on the economic and cultural changes that China has experienced, Ash is Purest White keeps the audience engaged through fresh takes and strong performances, particularly from lead Zhao Tao. (4.5/5)

Story of Qiao, a young woman whose boyfriend Bin is a gangster (well, I am not sure of the exact translation – he kind of runs an underworld gambling operation and seems to perform "dirty work" for his boss). One day, Bin is viciously attacked by a pack of young men, and Qiao fires warning shots in the air to scare them off. She is arrested and spends the next 5 years in prison. The story is told in three parts: The first, as Bin's girlfriend before she is arrested; 5 years later, her release and post-arrest life; and about 10 years after that. I really enjoyed the film. The best thing, by far, is the lead actress who plays Qiao. She is mesmerizing, and I found that I was completely absorbed into her and her story. The acting overall is great, as is the beautiful cinematography that captures a changing China over the 10 years of the story. The film is full of rich symbolism and also has a lot of humor woven into its screenplay. Thumbs up for a beautiful film (and a great actress) and an interesting story of this woman's struggle to keep moving forward. I wished that the middle part of the story was better developed – it felt rushed and omitted some things that probably would have given the overall film a grittier feel.

Solid movie. Felt like a Chinese gangster movie version of Marriage Story, but more pathetic and sadder at the end. Solid concept. Solid execution.

A bit slow and story is okay.

Charting the change in a relationship and China over the last 20 years, it captures the loniness, longing and heartbreak that comes with the growing pain.

Un lavoro incredibile che non si limita a raccontare un'intensa e travagliata storia d'amore in un anticonvenzionale contesto da gangster movie, ma racconta con uno sguardo intimo e sensibile la vita nei sobborghi più poveri della Cina più sconosciuta. Il film è diretto con grande intelligenza: la presenza di scene uniche e assolutamente geniali rende l'esperienza generale un vero gioiello per tutti gli amanti di cinema.

" observe modern Chinese society" great. story not so much.

A tale of love, betrayal and abandonment. At moments truely heartbreaking & beautiful cinematography.