Shadow (2018)

Life and intrigue in an ancient Chinese court.

Director:

Yimou Zhang

Writers:

Wei Li (screenplay), Yimou Zhang (screenplay)

Stars:

Chao Deng, Li Sun, Ryan Zheng

16 wins & 19 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Chao Deng	...	Jing Zhou / Zi Yu
Li Sun	...	Xiao Ai
Ryan Zheng	...	Pei Liang
Qianyuan Wang	...	Tian Zhan
Jingchun Wang	...	Lu Yan
Jun Hu	...	Yang Cang
Xiaotong Guan	...	Qing Ping
Lei Wu	...	Yang Ping (as Leo Wu)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bai Feng

Storyline

Set during China's Three Kingdom's era (AD 220-280). The story of a great king and his people, who will be expelled from their homeland and will aspire to claim it. The king, violent and ambitious, of mysterious methods and motives; his general, a visionary who yearns to win the final battle but needs to prepare his plans in secret; the women of the palace, who struggle to find redemption in a world where they have no place; and a commoner called "Lord of all the world", will be the characters around who turn the inexorable forces of this story.

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Plot Keywords:

one word title | ancient china | wuxia | body double | king | 

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Genres:

Action | Drama | War

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

BLOOM [United States] Official site [Japan]

Country:

China Hong Kong

Language:

Mandarin

Release Date:

30 September 2018 (China)

Also Known As:

Gölge Savasçi

Filming Locations:

Beijing, China

Box Office

Budget:

CNY 300,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$27,474, 5 May 2019, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$491,660, 20 June 2019

Company Credits

Production Co:

Perfect Village Entertainment, LeVision Pictures, Shanghai Tencent Pictures Culture Media

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Sound Mix:

DTS (DTS: X) Dolby Digital Dolby Atmos Dolby Surround 7.1

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film's premiere was at TIFF in Toronto in September 2018.

User Reviews

More than a thriller, but a Shakespearean-like play set in ancient China that thrills you with all the crafts

This film will be well remembered, not for its ink paint style of cinematography, but for its characters, dialogue and ensemble performance. Deng Chao, who plays both the Shadow and the Commander at a time and can be often seen in the same frame with the help of marvellous visual effects, deserves all the attention and compliments for his commitment to acting. Didn't expect the adapted-from-historical-events drama turns out to be an action thriller ending with heavy blood stains, and the film almost reminded me of Feng Xiao-Gang's "The Banquet" when the ending credits rolled. But then, when I thought of the body moves of the Shadow, the Commander and his wife among Yin and Yang in the fight-practicing scene, and those tender moments between Shadow and his love, and their passion covered or burned through eye contact and physical distance in the light and the dark, I realised this is a Zhang Yimou film. The craftsmanship is simply for storytelling!