This review may contain spoilers
A visual masterpiece that will take your breath away.
Shadow is a genre-bending costume drama set in a mythical past in 2nd century China, which was then ruled by three kingdoms in a fragile balance of power. It is an epic heroic tale with spectacular battle scenes and incredibly beautiful cinematography throughout the film.
The background story to director Zhang Yimou’s epic masterpiece Shadow is taken from the 2nd century, when China was ruled by three kingdoms in a fragile balance of power that was constantly threatened by war. The story centers around the rulers of the Kingdom of Pei, with a particular focus on its royal commander Yu (Deng Chao). Yimou, who also wrote the screenplay with Li Wei based on Zhu Sujin’s model, imagines that Yu has been so badly injured in battle that he must retreat to a secret space in the palace so as not to show the world any outward signs of weakness, which would make the kingdom vulnerable.
Instead, Yu's double, or shadow Jing (also Deng), takes care of his daily appearances. Only Yu's wife (addressed as Madam throughout the film, played by Sun Li) knows the truth – Not even the king (Ryan Zheng) can tell them apart! But in the opening scene we get the first clues that something is amiss. Yu/Jing is to duel with General Yang (Hu Jun), who controls the city of Jing, against the king's will and thus risking war. The king is furious but forgives him, and asks him to sit down and play the zither with his wife. Jing declines, thus risking the king's wrath again. Why these challenges?
As the puzzle pieces slowly but surely fall into place, we understand that the zither game would have exposed him, and eventually the purpose behind the duel challenge is also revealed, which will have enormous consequences and lead to some of the most spectacular battle scenes we have ever seen on film. A side plot that complicates the situation further is the king's offer to marry off his beautiful sister (Guan Xiaotong) to General Yang's son Ping (Wu Lei), and thereby strengthen the influence over the city of Jing that they possess. However, the plan does not go as planned... The result of all the scheming gives exciting twists and turns, but above all visual spectacles that make you lose your breath.
These are well worth waiting for, because before that the story is told through long monologues that can feel a bit patient, even though we can console ourselves with visual pleasure throughout the film. The cinematography is spectacular! A colorless palette of black-gray-white tones is sparingly mixed with warm skin or red blood. Every single frame of film is so incredibly beautifully composed that it could be printed out and become a painting on the wall. The patterns of the clothes that are reminiscent of old Chinese ink drawings, the slow-motion fluttering kimono fabrics and the castle's wall decorations. The constant rain and the yin and yang symbols that almost become their own essence in this epic wuxia work.
The essence of the story, however, is a mythical heroic tale, or a Chinese costume drama if you will, with accompanying elements of melodrama. The tight corsets and fluttering curtains may have been replaced with the secret hiding places of kimono sleeves and shadows dancing on the walls, but these are the same ingredients of grandiose castle environments with secret hatches where forbidden love is spied on.
The magical attraction of the piano as a catalyst for hot passions has been replaced by the zither, and when the couple Yu and Madam play with such obsession that the kimono sleeves fly and the hair stands on end, it almost becomes a little funny, which is probably not the intention. Likewise, where the feminine is supposed to balance the masculine and the rebels move forward with their parasols like mannequins on the catwalk, the scene has a similar effect. In the film's defense, however, it must be admitted that I was probably the only one who laughed, and otherwise I greatly enjoyed the film, which transcends genres and is suitable for anyone who is attracted to the grand. Because I haven't seen anything this spectacular in a long time. Recommended!
The background story to director Zhang Yimou’s epic masterpiece Shadow is taken from the 2nd century, when China was ruled by three kingdoms in a fragile balance of power that was constantly threatened by war. The story centers around the rulers of the Kingdom of Pei, with a particular focus on its royal commander Yu (Deng Chao). Yimou, who also wrote the screenplay with Li Wei based on Zhu Sujin’s model, imagines that Yu has been so badly injured in battle that he must retreat to a secret space in the palace so as not to show the world any outward signs of weakness, which would make the kingdom vulnerable.
Instead, Yu's double, or shadow Jing (also Deng), takes care of his daily appearances. Only Yu's wife (addressed as Madam throughout the film, played by Sun Li) knows the truth – Not even the king (Ryan Zheng) can tell them apart! But in the opening scene we get the first clues that something is amiss. Yu/Jing is to duel with General Yang (Hu Jun), who controls the city of Jing, against the king's will and thus risking war. The king is furious but forgives him, and asks him to sit down and play the zither with his wife. Jing declines, thus risking the king's wrath again. Why these challenges?
As the puzzle pieces slowly but surely fall into place, we understand that the zither game would have exposed him, and eventually the purpose behind the duel challenge is also revealed, which will have enormous consequences and lead to some of the most spectacular battle scenes we have ever seen on film. A side plot that complicates the situation further is the king's offer to marry off his beautiful sister (Guan Xiaotong) to General Yang's son Ping (Wu Lei), and thereby strengthen the influence over the city of Jing that they possess. However, the plan does not go as planned... The result of all the scheming gives exciting twists and turns, but above all visual spectacles that make you lose your breath.
These are well worth waiting for, because before that the story is told through long monologues that can feel a bit patient, even though we can console ourselves with visual pleasure throughout the film. The cinematography is spectacular! A colorless palette of black-gray-white tones is sparingly mixed with warm skin or red blood. Every single frame of film is so incredibly beautifully composed that it could be printed out and become a painting on the wall. The patterns of the clothes that are reminiscent of old Chinese ink drawings, the slow-motion fluttering kimono fabrics and the castle's wall decorations. The constant rain and the yin and yang symbols that almost become their own essence in this epic wuxia work.
The essence of the story, however, is a mythical heroic tale, or a Chinese costume drama if you will, with accompanying elements of melodrama. The tight corsets and fluttering curtains may have been replaced with the secret hiding places of kimono sleeves and shadows dancing on the walls, but these are the same ingredients of grandiose castle environments with secret hatches where forbidden love is spied on.
The magical attraction of the piano as a catalyst for hot passions has been replaced by the zither, and when the couple Yu and Madam play with such obsession that the kimono sleeves fly and the hair stands on end, it almost becomes a little funny, which is probably not the intention. Likewise, where the feminine is supposed to balance the masculine and the rebels move forward with their parasols like mannequins on the catwalk, the scene has a similar effect. In the film's defense, however, it must be admitted that I was probably the only one who laughed, and otherwise I greatly enjoyed the film, which transcends genres and is suitable for anyone who is attracted to the grand. Because I haven't seen anything this spectacular in a long time. Recommended!
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