Synopsis
In a kingdom ruled by a young and unpredictable king, the military commander has a secret weapon: a shadow, a look-alike who can fool both his enemies and the King himself. Now he must use this weapon in an intricate plan that will lead his people to victory in a war that the King does not want.
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Cast
- Deng ChaoCommander Zi Yu / Jing Zhou
- Sun LiMadam Xiao Ai
- Ryan Zheng KaiKing Pei Liang
- Wang Qian-YuanCaptain Tian Zhan
- Wang JingchunMinister Lu Yan
- Hu JunGeneral Yang Cang
- Guan XiaotongPrincess Qing Ping
- Leo WuYang Ping
- Feng Bai
Recommendations
- 100
The New York Times
A martial-arts movie landmark, as strong in its performances as it is spectacularly novel in its violence. - 91
The Playlist
This is a filmmaker in total command of every visual element — his compositions more compelling than ever, the production design almost verging on steampunk, and a special mention has to go to the extraordinary costumes — but it doesn’t feel stifling or precious either. - 90
The Hollywood Reporter
The real star of the show here is the strikingly gorgeous, often almost bi-chrome visual universe, inspired by the tai chi diagram — more commonly known in the West as yin-and-yang symbol — and traditional ink-brush painting, with its distinct combination of rich blacks and fluid shades of gray. - 90
Variety
Every supremely controlled stylistic element of Zhang Yimou’s breathtakingly beautiful Shadow is an echo of another, a motif repeated, a pattern recurring in a fractionally different way each time. - 83
The Film Stage
Shadow brings heart and spectacle together, and the result is a bombastic martial arts wuxia replete with duels of breath-taking beauty that will please longtime Zhang acolytes and newbies alike. - 80
Screen Daily
After the disappointing martial-monster mash-up of The Great Wall, this represents a return to the majesty and emotional finesse of Hero and House of Flying Daggers. - 80
Film Threat
Shadow is a sumptuous sensory feast filled with spectacle, surprise, and madness. - 80
Wall Street Journal
Mr. Zhang’s film is elegant fun. Along with all the ying-yangery, there’s the governing concept of movies as entertainment.
