Shadow (Chinese: 影 or Yǐng) is an astonishing achievement. Zhang Yimou has established himself as perhaps China’s most important filmmaker, at least from the perspective of the worldwide resonance of his films. This film, in particular, sees the master returning to form, creating a film that will undoubtedly exist alongside his towering masterpieces such as Red Sorghum and Raise the Red Lantern, and other films that he has made that have entered into the canon of astounding cinematic achievements. Even when we don’t consider this film as hailing from one of Asia’s most visionary artists, Shadow is a brilliant film, a historical epic that feels both sweeping and intimate, and without any hyperbole, becomes one of the most beautiful films of the present century. This is a film operating on the level of pure, unhinged creative genius, and the results are absolutely magnificent. It is a film that may appear to be relatively disposable based solely on the storyline, and the fact that these historical epics are produced so often, they sometimes begin to appear homogenous. Make no mistake – Shadow is an utter masterpiece, and one of the year’s most incredible achievements, a masterpiece in both form and content, and an entirely unforgettable piece of period filmmaking.

The film is set in Ancient China, where we are introduced to King Peiliang (Zheng Kai), the maniacal ruler of the region who is frustrated when one of his closest confidantes, Commander Ziyu (Deng Chao) arrives at his palace and informs him that he has challenged a rival leader, Yang (Hu Jun) to battle for his city, despite the king’s proclamation on peace to avoid war with the vicious warlord. What no one in the kingdom realizes is that Commander Ziyu isn’t actually who he says he is – in fact, the person appearing before them is only Ziyu’s “shadow”, a commoner named Jingzhou trained to portray him in public and in instances of battle. The real Ziyu has been wounded and is recovering in a secret cave in his majestic home, and is slowly descending into madness, with Jingzhou acting in his place on all official and military business. However, it becomes very clear that there is a strange relationship between the two men – Ziyu’s madness is making him delusional, and Jingzhou’s popularity (even when masquerading as someone he is not) gives him the chance to experience life from a higher status, as well as secretly falling in love with his master’s wife (Sun Li), who sees all the qualities reflected in him that she misses in her husband, whose growing mental instability to clearly leading to a violent apex. The plot to take the rival city only becomes stronger, and with the help of the recently-demoted general Tian Zhan (Wang Qianyuan), Jingzhou mounts a plan to win the city – but with the various power-hungry individuals around him, he isn’t entirely sure who deserves it.

Deng Chao occupies the leading role in Shadow, and it must be said that this is amongst the most impressive performances of the year. Asian cinema has come to be known for having some extraordinarily compelling protagonists, and Deng’s Jingzhou is certainly one of them. He is chivalrous, multi-dimensional and filled with complexities that make this much more than just a simple heroic role. He commands the screen with a certain sensitivity that flourishes into a truly memorable performance, especially considering this is not a particularly easy role, as it not only requires someone who possesses a certain subtle nuance in the dramatic moments, but a physicality that not only makes him a virtuous individual, but a powerful soldier as well. Moreover, Deng has the added challenge of not only playing the film’s protagonist but also the villain, with his performance as the mentally unstable Commander Ziyu being equally as fascinating. This is a film that places emphasis on the idea of duality, with the two identical figures being representative of two very different personalities, and Deng, to his credit, gives two very distinct performances, had it not been made very evident, one would be forgiven for thinking these two characters who played by completely separate actors. Deng is fully committed to the film, and while other performances in the film are just as good (Zheng Kai’s performance as the fragile king is also a highlight, as is Sun Li’s committed portrayal of the woman who may just be the most powerful person in the kingdom, but is forced to step away due to the diminished role of women at the time), the film succeeds because of the brilliant work he does, finding the light and dark within two very different characters.

Shadow thrives because it is brilliant both visually and narratively. In terms of the latter, this is a film that has a fascinating story at the core. Zhang takes the viewer on an adventure into Ancient China, an era that is undoubtedly fascinating, but not nearly as widely-represented in mainstream Western cinema as it should be (and consider how Zhang’s previous film, The Great Wall, tried to remedy this by infusing a classic Chinese historical epic with unnecessary Hollywood overtures – to call it a failure is an understatement, to say the least), but rather well-executed in its native country. Shadow takes on the position of other Chinese-language epics that operate as both rivetting pieces made for native audiences, and insights into the nation’s history for outsiders, who will be hard-pressed to not find the content of this film truly enthralling. The concept of a “shadow” is one that is profoundly interesting on its own – consider the constant literary motif of the doppelgänger, whereby an individual finds themselves confronted with someone identical to them – and whether the events that ensue are those of sweet-natured optimism (as in the case of authors like Mark Twain), or unhinged existential terror (for example, the iconic novel by Fyodor Dostoyevsky), it is always a fascinating story to tell, and so many works throughout the years have taken this approach, because there is just something about facing essentially yourself that makes for gripping, and often quite unsettling, viewing.

Shadow in this regard does follow the same narrative beats, especially in looking at the relationship between two identical individuals and their eventual conflict of interest. However, this is by no means a conventional film, and it does remain quite original on its own terms, taking a unique approach to a popular storyline. In Shadow, the focus is on the double itself, rather than the original. Referred to as “the shadow”, Jingzhou is a compelling character that takes the central role in the film, mainly because it is so much more interesting and unexpected to focus on the role of the doppelgänger, and his own attempts to take control of the person he is identical to. The film takes quite an unconventional turn in this regard, and the character that would normally be considered the villain is repurposed as the hero, with his actions that would otherwise be seen as cowardly and wrong (essentially stealing the identity of someone else, as well as all his master’s influence, wealth and status) being shown as necessary. Another recurring theme in the film that we’ve mentioned already is that of duality – Jingzhou is not just a carbon copy of Ziyu – they are two individuals who represent two different concepts, with the dualism of the film being very evident in the consistent use of the yīnyáng imagery, which shows the balance that needs to be found if victory is ever to be achieved. The characters realize early on that the only way to win is not to match your opponent with their own technique, but rather to counteract them with the exact opposite. There is a beautiful philosophy underlying this film, and it suggests that conflict and difference isn’t actually bad, but rather necessary, as it creates balance. Light cannot exist without darkness, and as evident here, a shadow cannot exist without an original – the question that this film poses is what happens when the shadow becomes the original?

There is a lot of deep narrative complexity present in Shadow, which makes it a truly enthralling film. Yet, this isn’t the only aspect of the film the bears significance. In fact, while the story is brilliant, hardly anyone will remember that as the one element of the film that remains the most memorable. As mentioned above, it is very possible that this film is amongst the most beautiful of the decade, with Zhang working exceptionally hard to not only tell a captivating story but also to represent it in a way that would be entirely unforgettable. The director, even at his least-impressive narratively, has always had a profoundly unique directorial vision, with his films always looking truly stunning. Shadow is utterly gorgeous, and every frame is composed with such meticulous care and intense detail, it becomes almost an overwhelming, otherworldly experience to witness. Cinematographer Zhao Xiaoding does exceptionally well in helping realize the director’s vision, bringing to life the world of Ancient China in a way that just cannot be ignored. The grandiosity, the splendour and the beauty of both the region and the era are evoked through the astonishing cinematography, as well as the gorgeous costumes and the astounding production design that thrusts this film back into the past in a way that never feels gaudy or excessive. The visual scope of this film is simply unparalleled – just looking at still images from the film proves that each frame was created much in the same way a painter composed a canvass, with extreme care and precise attention to detail. Regardless of what one thinks of the story at the core of Shadow, denying its outward beauty is almost impossible.

Shadow is just a gorgeous film for numerous reasons. In terms of the story, it is a fascinating journey into Ancient China, where we are witness to the various machinations of one of history’s greatest civilisations, watching with a blend of awe and anxiety as Zhang Yimou presents us with a story that is extraordinarily epic that takes us deep within the realm of historical conflict without disregarding the importance of characters or of the development of a concise and coherent storyline. In terms of the visual, it will be difficult to find a film as gorgeous as this for quite a while, with the cinematography and design of this film being almost unprecedented – made with such careful consideration for the story, this film goes far beyond the confines of either a historical epic or an action film, delivering a stunning work that just refuses to allow the viewer to look away. Made with the conviction of an artist who is fully in control of his craft, possessing the abilities to make something as daring and bold as this, where history begins to look almost surreal. There are so many moments scattered throughout Shadow that linger and remain imprinted indefinitely on the mind of everyone who is able to experience this astonishing work. Shadow is one of the very few films released this year that I can undoubtedly call a masterpiece – its merits are innumerable, and its success lies in the bold techniques employed, both narratively and visually, to bring this fascinating story to life. This is cinema at its most poignant, beautiful and fascinating, and this film stands out as stark and entirely unforgettable. Neglect Shadow at your peril, because its not merely a great film, its the epitome of artistic brilliance in its most potent, unwaveringly brilliant form.