Shadow - Zhang Yimou

The next project of the Chinese creator that we'll discuss is none other than Shadow (2018). Another wuxia movie (with martial art heroes) that will be the yin to the yang of the Curse of the Golden Flower. Where the latter is full of intensity, light, color, Shadow is slow paced, with dark gray frames, conveying a whole other aspect of the cinematic visionary.

Conspiracies, power plays and relentless character losses are some of the common characteristics between the two films, especially towards the second half of the movie, where most of the action happens.

This is the story of a shadow man, a role that protected people in positions of power from possible dangers and assassination attempts. In this case, we follow a captive raised and trained to take the position of a general, due to their uncanny resemblance. When the real general is injured and forced to hide, the "shadow" takes his place. The young general fights to win back his home town under his master's instructions, while at the same time seeking his freedom to return to his mother. Everything gets complicated when he falls in love with the real general's wife and becomes a pawn between his plan and the king's plotting.