Synopsis
"Shadow" is a 2018 ink-wash martial arts film directed by Zhang Yimou, starring Deng Chao and Sun Li. It tells the story of the power struggle between the fictional Pei Kingdom's military commander Ziyu and his double, Jingzhou. The film predominantly uses black, white, and gray tones to create an ultimate ink-wash aesthetic. It holds a 7.3 rating on Douban, with Deng Chao playing dual roles, gaining and then drastically losing weight for the characters.
Overview
Shadow is a 2018 Chinese wuxia film directed by Zhang Yimou, with a screenplay by Li Wei and Zhang Yimou. It is adapted from Zhu Sujin's original script Three Kingdoms: Jingzhou but set in a fictional historical background. The film stars Deng Chao and Sun Li, with supporting roles by Zheng Kai, Wang Qianyuan, Hu Jun, Wang Jingchun, Guan Xiaotong, and Wu Lei. The runtime is 116 minutes, and it holds a 7.3 rating on Douban. It premiered at the 2018 Venice Film Festival and once achieved a 100% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The film is renowned for its extreme black-and-white ink-wash visual style and is considered Zhang Yimou's most aesthetically ambitious work in recent years.
Zhang Yimou abandoned his previous vibrant color palette in favor of a dominant black, white, and gray scheme, creating an unprecedented ink-wash wuxia aesthetic. Elements like rain, silk, and Taiji symbols in the film present a poetic and desolate quality that transcends reality within this monochromatic tone.
Plot
The story takes place in a fictional kingdom called Pei. Commander Ziyu (Deng Chao) is severely wounded in a duel by enemy general Yang Cang (Hu Jun), leaving him physically frail and reclusive. To conceal his condition, Ziyu employs a lookalike named Jingzhou (also Deng Chao) to impersonate him in public.
Ziyu secretly masterminds plans executed through Jingzhou: first, to decipher Yang Cang's three-move saber technique and reclaim the lost territory of Jingzhou; second, to seize power from the King of Pei, Pei Liang (Zheng Kai). Ziyu's wife, Xiao Ai (Sun Li), becomes entangled in the complex relationship between the real and the substitute husband, developing subtle feelings for Jingzhou during their close proximity.
Jingzhou evolves from a humble substitute, gradually growing within the power games. He must not only face formidable enemies on the battlefield but also find his own place in the power struggle between Ziyu and Pei Liang. Ultimately, the real and fake Ziyu head towards their respective destinies in a thrilling confrontation.
Cast
| Actor | Role | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Deng Chao | Ziyu / Jingzhou | Dual role, Commander and his substitute |
| Sun Li | Xiao Ai | Ziyu's wife, caught between the real and substitute husband |
| Zheng Kai | Pei Liang | King of Pei, seemingly foolish but secretly shrewd |
| Hu Jun | Yang Cang | Enemy general, peerless in saber technique |
| Wang Qianyuan | Tian Zhan | Ziyu's loyal subordinate |
| Wang Jingchun | Lu Yan | Minister of the Pei Kingdom |
Cultural Impact
Shadow represents Zhang Yimou's most extreme exploration of wuxia aesthetics. The film features almost no bright colors, with all scenes processed to resemble black-and-white ink-wash paintings. Rain is the most crucial visual element—it rains almost throughout the entire film. The rain in the monochromatic frames spreads like ink on rice paper, creating a damp, gloomy, yet beautiful atmosphere.
Deng Chao paid a significant physical price for the two roles. To portray the frail Ziyu, he lost weight to become emaciated, while for the robust Jingzhou, he needed to be strong and muscular. The weight difference between the two characters exceeded 20 kilograms. Deng Chao first gained weight and then drastically lost it during filming, placing a considerable burden on his body. This sacrifice, however, resulted in convincing performances—the two characters, despite sharing the same face, possess distinct temperaments, physiques, and gazes, allowing the audience to tell them apart at a glance.
The film's action choreography is equally distinctive. Zhang Yimou integrated the concept of Taiji's yin and yang into the fight design. The most representative innovation is the use of umbrellas as shields and female postures as saber techniques. The scene where Xiao Ai deduces the flaws in the saber technique through body movements behind a screen is one of the film's most imaginative sequences.
References
- Douban Movie: https://movie.douban.com/subject/4864908/
- Baidu Baike: https://baike.baidu.com/item/影/20480432
- Wikipedia: https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-cn/影_(2018年电影)
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