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SHADOW

Zhang Yimou China, 2018
Shadow mixes the quiet intimacy of [Zhang's] character pieces like Raise the Red Lantern with the wire-fu of House of Flying Daggers. The spasmodic violence creates a stomach-churning counterbalance to the quiet palace intrigues, especially through the surgically placed classical Chinese score by Loudboy.
May 17, 2019
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48 Hills
Impressive as it is, there’s also something rather suffocating about Yimou’s approach, which has a cold, monolithic feel like late Kurosawa... All this aesthetic rigor doesn’t result in a lot of emotional impact, let alone depth. But if you’re after museum-gallery-grade compositions plus the occasional severed limb, this could be your movie of the year.
May 8, 2019
“Shadow” suffers from a kind of shallow narcissism. Yes, it’s beautiful. Sure, it’s hard to take your eyes off it, with all the slow-motion action, enhanced by an ever-present, photogenic drizzle. But in an ironic departure from the theme of the balance, it too often emphasizes style over substance.
May 7, 2019
The Verge
Even without its distinctive look, Shadow would be memorable, an accomplished fusion of what Zhang does well, but the visuals take it to another plane. It becomes a kind of dark dream of the past, with unmistakable reflections of the present.
May 6, 2019
Shadow demonstrates the interpretation of history as a matter of artistic expression and emotional temperament more than political attitude or opinion. Art, as Zhang’s visual tone poem suggests, outlasts politics.
May 3, 2019
[Shadow] isn't quite a return to form; Zhang's first two action pictures were so nearly miraculous that it's hard to imagine them being equalled. But it's filled with so many remarkable images, particularly in its middle section, that fans of palace intrigue and metaphorically ripe violence will find plenty to like.
May 3, 2019
A marvel of cinematic craftsmanship, “Shadow” acts curiously as both a return to form for Zhang Yimou and a perceptible departure. Not only are his characters more physically grounded, but his writing also seeks more ties to emotional reality even if the stories are still far from commonplace.
May 3, 2019
An extravagant and exquisite visual tour de force... An unlikely combination of wuxia-style pulp fiction and rarefied cinematic technique with some bloody Grand Guignol moments thrown in, “Shadow” is definitely a film that goes its own way.
May 2, 2019
[Shadow's] characters look like they are living in the world of an ancient scroll, with inky smears worked into everything from the patterns on clothing to the marbling of stone. This heightened atmosphere sets the perfect tone for the story, which is rife with scheming, torqued emotion, and of course, incredible fight scenes... Zhang continues to stake new ground for action filmmaking.
May 2, 2019
The film doesn’t pretend to be profound... But Mr. Zhang’s film is elegant fun. Along with all the ying-yangery, there’s the governing concept of movies as entertainment.
May 2, 2019
The tai-chi symbol expresses the unity of supposed opposites, including male and female. Shadow doesn't achieve that, but it does harmonize contrary impulses much more deftly than The Great Wall balanced Beijing and Hollywood.
May 2, 2019
The New York Times
With “Shadow,” Zhang has done more than [enact a return to form]: He’s created a martial-arts movie landmark, as strong in its performances as it is spectacularly novel in its violence.
May 2, 2019