Zhang Yimou’s Shadow 影 will get a limited release in North America on May 3rd. Starring Deng Chao, Sun Li, Zheng Kai, Guan Xiaotong, Wang Qianyuan, Hu Jun, and Wu Lei, the film is about a shadow or stand-in whose job is to be killed in place of his master.
With SHADOW, director Zhang Yimou (HERO, HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS) once again pushes the boundaries of wuxia action to create a film like no other, masterfully painting a canvas of inky blacks and greys punctuated with bursts of color from the blood of the defeated. In a kingdom ruled by a young and unpredictable king, the military commander has a secret weapon: a “shadow”, a look-alike who can fool both his enemies and the King himself. Now he must use this weapon in an intricate plan that will lead his people to victory in a war that the King does not want.
Below is the North American trailer. See list of theaters screening it here.
I saw the trailer on the big screen (as opposed to my iPad) first and was caught up in the beauty of this movie’s art direction and cinematography — it looks amazing! It will definitely require a drive into the city for the screening.