SHADOW/ YING

China, 2018, 116 minutes, Colour and black-and-white.

Chao Deng, Li Sun , Ryan Zheng..

Directed by Zhang Yimou.

Celebrated Chinese director, Zhang Yimou, made a dramatic name for himself during the 1990s, striking and beautiful films, probing Chinese culture and Chinese history. He also made several small films, local characters and problems, emotional.

In the early 2000s, he turned his attention to Chinese history, martial arts, spectacle. And he continues in that vein – with some time given to the organising of the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

In the succeeding decade, he made a range of films drawing on the different aspects of his previous interests.

With this film, he returns to Chinese history, struggles between three kingdoms, the making of peace, a focus on the ruler of one kingdom, an erratic emotional man, and the challenges to his rule by his military commander and by his sister whom he wants to marry off to the son of the ruler of the other kingdom.

However, the focus of the film is on the commander, his military progress, his political negotiations and falling foul of the ruler, exiled, virtually imprisoned. But, there is a young man also interned who resembles the commander in appearance. The commander, with the help of his wife, trains the young man in all kinds of fighting skills so that he can take the place of the commander, a confrontation with the ruler of the opposing kingdom.

So, there is political drama, interpretations of Chinese history, a number of fights (more traditional and an emphasis on weapons rather than the expected martial arts) and dramatic and political complications at the end.

The film is in black-and-white although, often, some shades of other colours begin to pervade the screen, though slightly.

1. The career of the director? Dramas? History? Martial arts?
2. The visual style, black-and-white, colour, restrained colour? The musical score?
3. The introduction, the three kingdoms, the battles, peace, treaties? Kings and rule, plots, whims? The commander, the deal with the kingdom, his disgrace and imprisonment?
4. Audience interest in Chinese history? The Chinese? The kingdoms? Rulers? Lavish courts, Warriors? Rituals?
5. The King, his whims, petty, preserving the deal, thinking the Commander had betrayed him, commanded him to play the music with his wife, banishing and imprisoning him? The deals with the rifle King, his sister to go as a concubine, unwilling? His advisers?
6. The commander, imprisoned, bedraggled, his wife? The young man, captured by the uncle, kept in captivity, his resemblance to the Commander, the decision to train him, the various lessons, the wife and her contribution? His being ready to take the place of the Commander?
7. The Shadow, in the presence of the king, the fresh wound, the king and his suspicions?
8. The shadow, going to fight the King, the three rounds?
9. The rival kingdom, the king and his son, power, presumptions?
10. The Shadow, the fight with the King, the rounds, the weapons, tactics, defeating the King?
11. The troops and the invasion, the umbrella weapons, the Princess, confronting the Prince, killing him with his dagger?
12. The Shadow returning, confrontation with the King, the king killing his advisor for betraying him for money, knowing all along what it happened, the Commander killing the king, putting the sword in his hand, putting the body side-by-side?
13. The Commander going out, the troops, loyalty? The future?