Today’s quick review: Shadow. Ever since his grievous wound in a duel for control of Jing City, the Commander of Pei (Deng Chao) has used a body double (Deng Chao) to maintain the illusion that he is healthy and strong. Plotting from the shadows, he has his double initiate a plan to reclaim the city from the rival kingdom of Yan. But his actions defy the will of the young King of Pei (Zheng Kai), who is eager to keep the peace between the kingdoms.
Shadow is a Chinese martial arts drama from director Zhang Yimou. Shadow revolves around two conflicts, one within the Pei court and one outside it. The former concerns the Commander’s attempts to maintain his ruse in the face of increasing scrutiny from the king. The latter concerns his plan to regain Jing City by challenging Yang (Jun Hu), Yan’s invincible champion, to a duel. The interplay of the two leads to an intricate and compelling story.
Much of the drama involves the Commander’s shadow. Taken in as a child and raised to pose as the Commander, he wants nothing more than to fulfill his duty and return to his home. For his part, the Commander has become increasingly obsessed with his plan as his body slowly succumbs to the wound dealt to it by Yang. Caught between them is the Commander’s wife (Sun Li), who finds herself drawn to her husband’s pure-hearted counterpart.
But even more than its drama, Shadow is notable for its distinctive visual style. The use of color is sparing. Nearly all the costumes and sets are monochrome, a blend of whites, blacks, and watercolor greys that give the film a subdued, contemplative aesthetic. The sets are visually interesting, carefully arranged to control light and shadow. Deliberate camerawork and a minimalistic soundtrack contribute further to the film’s atmosphere.
The action in Shadow is sparing but used well. The early part of the movie has only a few action scenes as the Commander’s double trains for his duel with Yang, and even these are short, albeit smoothly choreographed. The movie maintains its tension in other ways until the main action kicks off. The later action scenes have more spectacle, including a few creative tricks, but even then they are present as much for story purposes as for show.
The end result is a beautiful movie, a robust drama, and an understated action flick. Shadow is a strong pick for fans of the dramatic side of the martial arts genre and worth a try for fans of graceful cinematography in general. Neither its plot nor its action match the best films in the genre, but their high quality combined with the film’s distinctive premise and visual style make Shadow a worthy pick for anyone with the patience.
For a martial arts drama from the same director, try Hero or House of Flying Daggers. For one that hits harder as both an action movie and a drama, try Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
7.1 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 to 7.5 for gorgeous visuals and a solid plot.