Synopsis
Beijing, 1902: an enterprising young portrait photographer named Liu Jinglun, keen on new technology, befriends a newly-arrived Englishman who's brought projector, camera, and Lumière-brothers' shorts to open the Shadow Magic theater. Liu's work with Wallace brings him conflict with tradition and his father's authority, complicated by his falling in love with Ling, daughter of Lord Tan, star of Beijing's traditional opera. Liu sees movies as his chance to become wealthy and worthy of Ling. When the Shadow Magic pair are invited to show the films to the Empress Dowager, things look good. But, is disaster in the script? And, can movies preserve tradition even as they bring change?
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Cast
- Jared HarrisRaymond Wallace
- Xia YuLiu Jinglun (Liu Zhonglun)
- Yufei XingLing
- Liu PeiqiMaster Ren (Ren JingFeng)
- Lü LipingMadame Ren
- Jingming WangOld Liu
- Yusheng LiLord Tan (Tan Xinpei)
- Yukui ZhangLao Chang
- Chen ChuangMi Hu
- Zhongwei ZhengFu Guan
Recommendations
- 88
Miami Herald
Rising above simple sentiment to explore class differences and the enduring clash between East and West with wit and wisdom. - 83
Portland Oregonian
The re-creation of early 20th-century Beijing is dense and loving, and Hu shows just as much affection for the people who start to trickle into the shabby little cinema. - 75
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Never quite builds the compulsive emotional power it needs to be an unforgettable personal drama. - 75
Boston Globe
Shadow Magic isn't interested in psychology or character study. It's a series of tableaux and on that level succeeds admirably. - 75
Philadelphia Inquirer
Transports us to a world that still had a capacity for awe, and that's the core of its charm. - 70
Los Angeles Times
Evokes the dawn of cinema in China with much charm, humor and subtlety. - 70
Film.com
Has a real sense of the wonder of the early years. - 50
TV Guide Magazine
Unfortunately, Hu and her army of co-writers saddle the story with a tired romantic subplot and fail to develop meaningful characters.
