Chinese cinematic maestro Zhang Yimou’s mystical wuxia film Shadow is skipping UK cinemas and arriving in your living rooms instead. It’s a film that deserves your attention. It begins slowly, sketching backstory and observing the machinations that will lead to war. But then the action begins, with wildly stylized choreography and improbable weapons like umbrellas made from blades.
The Story
The latest in a string of epic-scale period martial arts spectacles from China’s Zhang Yimou, Shadow offers palace intrigue and giddy sword duels alongside an ancient yin-yang theme. But the film’s use of shades of black, white and gray and a cinematography drained of color leaves little room for the melodrama and costume-drama flourishes that are typically found in a Zhang production.
The film is set in the king-ruled city of Pei, and its court is a maze of betrayal and counter-betrayal. Among the elite ruling class are a ruthless general named Commander Yu (Deng Chao) and his secretly lowborn slave Jing, who bears a striking resemblance to the real commander.
Despite their differences, they join forces to fight for the king, but a deadly twist leads them to an impossible battle against each other. With more dramatic deaths than Game of Thrones and a slew of crazy umbrella weapons, the story is engrossing. The film is not without its slow moments, but overall it’s a solid entry in the director’s catalog.
The Cast
After a detour into culturally dubious Matt Damon adventures, this is a welcome return to form for Zhang Yimou, with the 69-year-old maestro once again orchestrating a lavish and absorbing spectacle. This tangled kings-and-soldiers-and-subterfuge saga, based on Chinese legend from the Three Kingdoms era, can be somewhat hard to keep track of, but its lush visuals are more than enough to hold your attention.
While the film may not be as emotionally resonant as his earlier works, the cast is still superb. Deng Chao, who plays both the Shadow and the Commander, deserves special mention for his brilliant performance, while Xu Zhu is a delight as the princess who wants to be free.
Liv Stripling also shines, bringing to her role indefatigable spunk and grace. And the cinematography, aided by a perpetual rain and watery shades of gray that echo Chinese ink brush paintings, is nothing short of sumptuous. Each exquisite frame invites a separate gasp.
The Visuals
Zhang Yimou has built a remarkable oeuvre, from intimate character studies (Not One Less) to sprawling martial arts spectacles (Hero, House of Flying Daggers). With Shadow, the Chinese master delivers another epic adventure. This time, he focuses less on action and more on the concept of duality.
This time, he delves into the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history and reimagines it as a mythic fantasy. The 123movies film’s title reflects the idea that all people are their own shadow, with dark and light versions of each character. The director’s use of color is impressive, with costumes and sets drained of almost all other shades but for skin tones and a wash of multilayered grays.
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The slow pace of the film may make it difficult for the masses to engage, but once the action starts, it is gripping. And when the final blades fall, you’ll be glad you stuck with it. The result is an accomplished fusion of what Zhang does best.
The End
After the epic letdown of Matt Damon’s wuxia monster mash The Great Wall, Zhang Yimou returns to his signature style in Shadow, a lavish period piece that mixes palace intrigue with giddy duels and a massive military siege. It’s an astonishing display of a master craftsman at the top of his game, and it should be seen on the biggest screen possible.
Zhang’s commitment to a limited palette of black, white and shades of gray is stunning, but it also serves to reinforce the central theme of the movie: the yin-yang dynamic of light and dark, life and death. This recurrent motif permeates every aspect of the film, from the costumes to the action choreography.
Shadow may not quite rank with Zhang’s best work, but it’s a worthy return to form that shows the director still has plenty left to say about China’s rich historical heritage and its enduring conflicts. With this film, the king of wuxia exuberance proves that he can still use his considerable skill to convey profound philosophical ideas.
