Shadow

More than a decade after his twin triumphs Hero and House of Flying Daggers, Chinese director Zhang Yimou returns to the wuxia genre with this visually stunning tale of court intrigue. Based loosely on the famous Three Kingdoms epic set in the third century A.D., Shadow centers on a fortress city that was lost to General Yang (Hu Jun) during one-on-one combat with Commander Yu (Deng Chao) of the Kingdom of Pei. Yu was so terribly wounded that he retreated into seclusion, but enlisted a double named Jing to replace him, and only Yu’s wife (Sun Li) is aware of the deception. Jing announces to King Peiliang (Zheng Kai) that he has challenged Yang to a rematch to decide the city’s fate, but the cowardly monarch instead decides to seek peace by proposing the marriage of his beautiful sister Quin Ping (Guan Xiaotong) to Yang’s son Ping (Leo Wu). When the general responds by suggesting that she become his concubine instead, Quin Ping is furious, leading to a breathtaking hand-to-hand battle between Yang and Jing atop a bamboo tower that serves as a diversion for a backdoor assault on the city. Shadow mimics traditional Chinese ink-and-brush painting, shot in shimmering shades of white, black, and gray while also alluding to yin-yang symbolism. Although it can sometimes be overly talky and theatrical, the film is such a ravishing visual experience that its flaws hardly matter. Highly recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include the production featurettes “Heroes” (4 min.), “The Director” (3 min.), “The Unknown Side of Zhang Yimou” (3 min.), “Behind the Scenes” (3 min.), “Deng Chao” (3 min.), “About the Double” (2 min.), and “Zheng Kai” (2 min.). Bottom line: a sold extras package for another winning film by Yimou.] (F. Swietek)