Special Collectors Edition Limited Release Review:
I took five hours out of my day to go see the limited release of the new Yimou Zhang film Shadow. If you don't know, Yimou Zhang is a master of visual storytelling, helming some of the most jaw-dropping Chinese martial arts films ever made, such as Hero, and House of Flying Daggers.
Shadow is no exception; the entire film is beautifully shot using a palette of black and grey to mirror the Chinese ink brush painting combined with splashes of red when blood is inevitably spilled.
This is a wuxia film after all so the action is stylish, over the top, and a lot of damn fun to watch. Some of the larger troop movements in this film are simply incredible to behold. Another major aspect of wuxia is the characters and Shadow spends a significant amount of its runtime building them up and making us care about what happens to them. This makes fight scenes that much more impactful. Even the obligatory romantic subplot is well done, managing to feel like an essential component to the characters and a fundamental part of the conflict of the film, it adds an extra layer of tension to the proceedings.
Some might find the relatively slow start of the film frustrating, but if you can make it past the opening the film really rewards you for your patience. The umbrella assault in particular is astonishing, as is the big duel.
The music is largely diegetic, playing right in the world of the film with Chinese strings and wind instruments effortlessly melding with the setting. I didn't know I could feel so tense watching someone play the zither before.
Aside from the somewhat clunky opening that throws a few blocks of text at you to establish the plot, I have almost no real issues with this film, there’s not a ton of action but what is there is set up flawlessly. It suitably over the top for the genre but never enough to break you out of narrative immersion. The film nails nearly every aspect of its design with the finesse and precision of a master craftsman.
Go see Shadow if it's playing near you, it's a reminder of what heights the film medium is truly capable of amidst the never-ending stream of blue and orange eyesores Hollywood puts out.
10/10 Well Wuxia Look at That.