A sweeping epic set in the era of the much fabelized Three Kingdoms of China, director Zhang Yimou's latest esthetic period piece Shadow follows the noble Commander Yu, as his plot to overthrow a rival kingdom leads to a tangled web of intrigue, doppelgangers and calculating plots. While the cowardly ruler of the Pei Kingdom ignores Commander Yu's advice in dealings with their rival neighbors, Yu resolves to go through with his own plan for the benefit of the kingdom. But all is not what it seems, because the "Commander Yu" walking through the palace halls is actually the low-born Jing, who has been trained as the Commander's double, or shadow. Working with the actual Commander and his equally cunning wife, Jing weaves through a mesmerizing tapestry that echoes and expands on Zhang's equally breathtaking previous works, House of Flying Daggers (04) and Hero (02).
Director Biography
Chinese director, cinematographer and actor Zhang Yimou is regarded as a leading visonionary in cinema. His extensive filmography includes Raise the Red Lantern, To Live, House of Flying Daggers and The Flowers of War.
Press
"A director known for the sumptuous colour of his epics now works in a near consistently monochrome palette. The result is striking and, unsurprisingly, just as beautiful." - Screen Daily