Well Go USA Entertainment Announces Home Entertainment Release
SHADOW will become available in Canada on Digital, DVD and Blu-ray combo on Tuesday, August 13th.
The film stars Deng Chao (THE LIQUIDATOR), Sun Li (LEGEND OF MIYUE) and Wang Qianyuan (SAVING MR. WU).
WRITTEN BY: Li Wei, Zhang Yimou and DIRECTED BY: Zhang Yimou
STARRING: Deng Chao, Sun Li, Zheng Kai, Wang Qianyuan, Wang Jingchun, Hu Jun, Guan Xiaotong, Leo Wu
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.
Shadow (Chinese: 影; pinyin: Yǐng; Wade–Giles: Ying) is a 2018 Chinese period film directed by Zhang Yimou. It was screened at the 75th Venice International Film Festival, the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival, and the 2018 BFI London Film Festival.
It will be released in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States in 2019.
Years ago, the kingdom of Pei lost the important city of Jingzhou to the kingdom of Yang after the popular and brilliant Commander Ziyu (Deng Chao) lost a duel to the infamously unbeatable Yang Cang (Hu Jun). The cowardly king of Pei (Zheng Kai) is enraged after discovering that Ziyu has challenged Yang Cang to a rematch without authorization, demoting Ziyu to commoner status despite the objection of military officials. The king offers to marry his beloved sister Qingping (Guan Xiaotong) to Yang Cang's son Yang Ping (Leo Wu) to sue for peace. Yang Cang returns an insulting counteroffer to make Qingping a concubine, which the king accepts to the disgust of Qingping and General Tian (Wang Qianyuan), who openly supports Ziyu and whom the King also demotes.
It is revealed that Commander Ziyu is in fact a man named Jingzhou; the real Ziyu was severely wounded in his past duel with Yang Cang and is recovering in a hidden cave in his residence, a shadow of his former self. Jingzhou was secretly adopted for his uncanny resemblance to Ziyu and trained from childhood to be his "shadow" — to serve as his body double in the likely event that his life is threatened. Only Ziyu and his wife, Xiao Ai (Sun Li), are aware of this arrangement. Jingzhou is forced to act as Ziyu's proxy in the public eye and must train to beat Yang Cang in his place while Ziyu plots the recapture of the city of Jingzhou and his own ascension to the throne from his cave. Ziyu promises to let Jingzhou return to his home and mother in the case that he is victorious over Yang Cang.
Jingzhou, using the Pei kingdom's weaponized metal umbrella, is unsuccessful in his practice duels against Ziyu, who mimics Yang Cang's spear technique. However, the tides turn once Xiao Ai advises Jingzhou to fight in a more feminine style and embrace the umbrella's representation of yin (the concept of yin in Chinese philosophy is associated with darkness, water, and femininity), which would serve as a more effective counter to Yang Cang's spear, which represents yang (associated with light, fire, and masculinity). At night, Jingzhou confesses his love for Xiao Ai, who had also been developing feelings for him. They sleep together, which Ziyu sees through a hole in the chamber wall. During this time, Ziyu meets Tian and informs him of Jingzhou's existence and role. Without access to troops after being stripped of their roles, Ziyu instructs Tian to train a hundred convicts in the umbrella technique in preparation for the recapture of Jingzhou.
As the time for the duel arrives, Jingzhou, in the place of Ziyu, travels on boat to the city of Jingzhou to take part. Below deck, however, are Tian and the hundred armed convicts. Tian is shocked to see Qingping among them, who stowed away on the boat. Tian and the convicts secretly swim to shore and enter the city while Yang Cang and other officials are preoccupied with the duel. Surprisingly, Jingzhou beats Yang Cang in the first round but is defeated in the next two rounds of the three-round match. Yang Cang offers to call it a draw, but Jingzhou, seeing that the Yang flag has not yet toppled, needs to buy more time for Tian and the convicts. He challenges Yang Cang to another round, but to the death.
In the city, Yang Ping and his soldiers are being driven back by Tian and the convicts, though both sides suffer heavy losses. Qingping sacrifices her life to stab Yang Ping and allow Tian to topple the Yang flag, indicating recapture of the city. The flag falls onto the grounds of the duel. Knowing that his son must have died, Yang Cang casts away his spear in fury to kill the fallen Jingzhou, but Jingzhou is able to slit Yang Cang's throat using a piece of his umbrella. Jingzhou immediately makes his way to his childhood home, but finds his mother stabbed to death and several Pei assassins in the house in an effort to have him return to the royal court. In despair, he returns to the Pei capital.
At the celebratory feast, the king of Pei abruptly orders everyone to leave except Jingzhou (acting as Ziyu) and Xiao Ai. He reveals that he knew Jingzhou was a double for Ziyu all along and praises his loyalty and obedience, telling them that he had sent assassins to Ziyu's cave so that Jingzhou could permanently replace Ziyu. Just then, a masked assassin enters the hall, carrying a box purportedly carrying Ziyu's head, to the horror of Xiao Ai. When the king opens the box, however, it is empty - the assassin removes his mask to reveal himself as Ziyu, and he stabs the king, though not fatally. Ziyu, raving and insane, orders Jingzhou to kill the king. Jingzhou stabs Ziyu instead and then kills the king, replacing the mask on Ziyu's body and placing the sword as to frame the masked assassin. Jingzhou exits the hall and declares to the gathered officials outside that the king has been assassinated; Xiao, the only other person to knows the truth, runs to the doors of the hall and then hesitates, unsure whether to reveal the truth to the officials or not.
Courtesy of Taro PR