Ying

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!

Shadow is a visually-stunning film. The plot was only modestly-interesting, but the breathtaking visuals and excellent use of music kept every moment of this film engaging. The action scenes are innovative. While technically a color film, most of the film looks black and white, except for the blood. Filming in the constant rain must have been unpleasant, but it contributes greatly the the amazing visual experience.

Right off the bat, I'll mention the main negative of the movie (as this will probably be the first thing you will encounter).

The beginning is so slow and uninteresting, that you'll be tempted to switch off after the first 30 minutes. And you'll be forgiven for doing so, due to the very limited nature of the characters and setting. And as bizarre this may sound, one of the film's main strengths -- the dull colours / visuals -- may contribute to your boredom. And that's because of the movie's chosen colour scheme (dark grey vs light grey).

But if you can get over this hurdle (and its not easy, I admit) and appreciate how beautiful they movie actually looks, you'll soon be rewarded with a middle and end that eventually picks up in excitement, plot and action.

If you're a fan of Chinese cinema and its ancient themes, you'll like this. The way its shot, the editing, the action and the visuals....are stunning at times. And you may appreciate it if you can get over the very boring beginning.

I'm never a big fan of Mr. Zhang Yimou especially in recent two decades. To me his all time best movie is "To Live"(1994). After 2000, since "Hero", his movies seems only focused on creating pretty images but all have very weak stories and most of the characters were too simple and tedious. But this time "Shadow" is not a weak story, it looks like a simple story but in fact is a complicated one which have several storylines and everybody in this movie have multiple character sides, every characters has strong personalities and strong thoughts. Although there are still some symbolic things which are kinda weird but I have to say this is one of his best in recent two decades.

I just watched this movie a few hours ago and i am still dizzy. The lack of background colors and the almost constant rain add to the complex intrigue. Until the end, one does not know where the director will take us. It is beautifully crafted, the action is realistic, the acting is perfect. This is another "Chef d'oeuvre" from Zhang Yimou. It will be one of these few movies which I shall watch again.. and again, with the same pleasure