Deng Chao in Shadow (Well Go USA)

What a beautiful looking film. Composed primarily with a palate of gray and black-and-white, as befitting the title, it feels for all the world like a moving painting. Every shot is composed meticulously in tandem with exquisite sets and costumes. There will be more than one moment when one’s breath is taken away by its sheer beauty. As a visual work of art, Shadow has few equals. It would be a crime if production designer Ma Kwong Wing isn’t nominated for art direction come Oscar time.

There are, of course, other aspects of filmmaking, and on this front, Shadow doesn’t falter, but it certainly doesn’t soar. The plot is taken from a Chinese legend from the Three Kingdoms era. It focuses on two kingdoms in an uneasy truce: Pei, ruled by a callow, callous, impulsive and cruel king; and Jing, the stronger city-state. Pei’s commander, ironically named Jing, returns from a trip to Jing (the city), where he has disobeyed the king of Pei. He has not delivered a message of obsequiousness but instead a challenge, to fight Jing’s leader in a duel, which could easily lead to war, which Pei’s king is desperately trying to avoid.

It turns out Jing has been plucked from the streets by Pei’s actual commander, an ailing Zi You, because of his stunning resemblance (both roles are played by Deng Chao) as part of an elaborate plot to take over Jing (the city) against the will of the passive king of Pei. Confused yet? There’s also the king of Pei’s sister, who figures unknowingly in the plot; Zi You’s wife, who has a thing for Jing; and a spy in the midst. The fact that director Zhang Yimou holds our attention for a good hour before the action proper starts coming down the pike is a testament to his skill as a filmmaker. Once the action and double-crossing proper begins, Shadow begins to weave its spell, and we are enthralled.

There is subtlety under the surface of this film, which plays with the idea of identity, belonging, and duality. The camerawork is masterful. Every shot could be hung in a museum. Everything is precisely composed as in a Wes Anderson movie, if less cluttered and insular. The problem is that the actors feel just as precise and composed. The only one that breaks through and creates a coherent, compelling character is the king (Ryan Zhen), who minces and sashays across the screen while keeping juuuust on the right side of PC. The actor is clearly enjoying himself, and he provides unexpected depth. Everyone else is fine, but they can’t break out from under their highly choreographed movements.

Shadow is worth seeing. It’s entertaining, gorgeous to look out, and boasts some fine innovative action sequences, but you have to go in prepared for the fact that you are not seeing another Zhang Yimou masterpiece but simply a well-made, well-shot, slightly ridiculous potboiler.