This article is a special media article, reprinting is not allowed
At the premiere of "Shadow", the editorial department exchanged thoughts after watching the movie. Everyone's understanding is different, and no one can convince anyone.
I think this is the focus of "Shadow". "Shadow" is the ultimate Chinese style, not only because of the scroll-like pictures of ink paintings, the Chinese ancient music that runs through the film, and the Chinese tactics born out of the story of the Three Kingdoms Jingzhou, but also because of the "yin and yang Tai Chi" that penetrates into the story mechanism.
This inexplicable story of when the mutation began and when it became a foregone conclusion is like the Tai Chi picture in the film that bears the killing scene of ink and wash. Yin and Yang, rigidity and softness, odd coupling, true and false, all things are in harmony and circulation. Metaplasia.
In film narrative, the West has absolute hegemony.
The characters realize the truth at a certain moment, their emotions reach a peak, conflicts are inevitable, and the plot takes a sharp turn. This is a familiar western story model.
"Shadow" is not at all.
In the first half, everyone speaks simple language and does simple things, and even Chinese audiences who are used to watching court dramas of intrigue, have a "too straightforward" misunderstanding.
It's just that Zhang Yimou has said countless times that "Shadow" is a story about people's hearts.
Lord Peiliang, Governor Ziyu, Shadow Jingzhou, Ziyu's wife Xiao Ai, General Tian Zhan, and civil servant Lu Yan, each heart is like hiding in a lake of thick fog, unpredictable.
They are fused in this tactic, reflecting the black and white of blood and complexion, just like history itself.
Jingzhou
Jingzhou is not a person's name, but a place name. Shadow Jingzhou has no name. At the age of eight, because he looked like Ziyu, he was taken from Jingzhou's hometown to Ziyu's mansion, where he was secretly imprisoned and trained as a stand-in.
Jingzhou and Ziyu are the same age and have the same faces. One is true and the other is false. True or false may or may not be related to their true origin.
Jingzhou's last bet was that "irrelevant".
Jingzhou enters the house and is a slave; out of the house, he is a captain under one person and above 10,000. Jingzhou as a slave has no desires, while Jingzhou as a captain wants power and Xiao Ai. But he thought that maybe it was just Ziyu's desire.
Before Jingzhou's mother was killed, Jingzhou never thought of replacing Ziyu. Ziyu was aloft, and his strategy was hundreds of times higher than his own. Even if he was dying, and imitated Yang Cang's drag knife to only 60%, he could still make Jingzhou unable to resist.
Jingshu loves Ziyu, like a student loves his teacher.
He hates Ziyu too, like a wild beast hates an animal trainer.
Jingzhou humblely loves Xiao Ai. The peephole on the wall of the secret room was opened when Jingzhou was imprisoned. During the countless nights when he was still a shadow, he spied on Xiao Ai and Ziyu, fantasizing that he would become Ziyu.
This is also part of Ziyu's training.
The night before the battle, Jingzhou felt that he was going to die, so it was better to add another crime to himself. Jingzhou knew that Ziyu was peeping, just like himself a year ago, but he still asked for Xiao Ai's love like a beggar.
Jingzhou escaped from Yang Cang's killing field, but fell into another battlefield where he could not see the enemy. Both Ziyu and King Pei, Jingzhou could not understand, only knew that if they were alive, they would die.
In the end, Jingzhou didn't want to be king, but didn't want to die.
Ziyu
Ziyu is the chief governor of one person and over ten thousand people. His true power is above King Pei, and his strategy is outstanding. He is the true heaven of Pei country.
The whole world is his chess game. Both the lord and Xiao Ai can be abandoned pieces, but there is only one Jingzhou in the world, and Jingzhou is his favorite chess piece.
Jingzhou is Ziyu's student, apprentice, and work. Ziyu cultivated him, shaped him, sculpted him, and made him bleed, but he was reluctant to shed another drop of blood.
The more Ziyu played with Jingzhou, the more jealous of Jingzhou. Jealous of the freedom of Jingzhou, jealous of his strong body. And Ziyu himself, according to Zhang Yimou's words, "I think Ziyu is impotent."
The more Ziyu is jealous of Jingzhou, the more he fears Jingzhou. Ziyu is hidden in the small room, almost equivalent to disappearing. Whether it exists or not is maintained between Xiao Ai and Jingzhou's thoughts.
In the year when Jingzhou replaced Ziyu, in order to maintain his absolute authority in Xiaoai and Jingzhou, Ziyu confronted them with the most severe and decisive face.
Ziyu is very smart and doesn't want to give his destiny to others forever, even the two people he trusts most.
He decided to use Yang Cang's knife to get rid of Jingzhou, go home by himself, and become Xiao Ai's real husband and Peiguo's real king.
It was also that night, when he saw Xiao Ai sleeping with Jingzhou, he was suddenly very afraid of this smart woman who belonged to him.
The last paragraph of Ziyu's death was a set of lies. Seeing the last scene before he died, it was his worst nightmare that became true-the real body was replaced by the shadow, and his lover was happy in it.
The world has forgotten Ziyu.
Xiao Ai
In the beginning of the movie, Xiao Ai divination for Peiguo, saying: "This hexagram is very masculine and strong, and there is no place for a woman."
The training grounds of Chaotang and Ziyu shouldn't have the position of a woman, but Xiao Ai's position.
Yang Cang's sword technique, Ziyu and Jingzhou couldn't break it until the sun was up. Xiao Ai used a woman's figure into the umbrella and broke.
Jingzhou relies on natural dangers, easy to defend and difficult to attack. Ziyu and King Pei, in order to recover Jingzhou, one used force and the other used a woman, but to no avail. It was Xiao Ai who pointed out the key point: "It takes seven days to rain, and the water will win."
As a woman, Xiao Ai must depend on a man.
But Xiao Ai, who is affectionate with Ziyu, doesn't want to be Peiguo's king?
There is no place for a woman on the throne, maybe there is a place for Xiao Ai.
Both Ziyu and Jingzhou love Xiao Ai, Ziyu loves her like a counselor, and Jingzhou loves her like a goddess.
Through the peephole on the wall of the secret room, Ziyu watched her for a year, and Jingzhou watched her for many years.
For Xiao Ai, Jingzhou's love is too unreal. She felt sorry for Jingzhou, but she chose Ziyu from beginning to end.
She wants to pave the way for Ziyu and clear the obstacles, and Jingzhou is among them.
The mother of Killing State, even if Xiao Ai wasn't the one who had the idea, at least it was the one who knew.
The night before Jingzhou went to war, Xiao Ai knew that Jingzhou was going to die, and gave Jingzhou his love like charity.
Xiao Ai did not expect that Jingzhou, which has always been humble, would kill King Pei and Ziyu and become the second Ziyu.
Xiao Ai thought Jingzhou would kill herself. Because if it was Ziyu, Ziyu would kill himself. But Jingzhou took out the blood-stained medicine bag.
Only then did she remember that Jingzhou is not Ziyu, Jingzhou will be like an animal, full of instinctive attachment, loving herself loyally.
Lying on the ground are the bodies of the two smartest and most powerful men in this country. Standing outside is a scarred puppet. This is the closest moment of power and fame to Xiao Ai.
But in the end, she chose the man who would be attached to herself like an animal.
Peiliang
Everyone says that Peiliang is a faint monarch.
Peiliang just didn't want to go head-to-head with Ziyu.
If Jingzhou is regained by Ziyu, Ziyu will surely become what the people want, so it cannot be Ziyu who takes back Jingzhou, only himself.
Marriage is an expedient measure. Peiliang is not willing to let his only sister be a concubine at all. He just wants to use Qingping to catch Yang Cang's eyeliner in the court.
Peiliang City Mansion is deeper than Ziyu, Ziyu at least has Xiao Ai, but Peiliang's mind is not even dare to tell his sister.
He didn't expect that Qingping would bring a dagger to shame by herself, and she would become a murderer who indirectly killed her sister.
But Chengfushen also has the benefits of Chengfushen.
Everyone thinks Tian Zhan is Ziyu's confidant, but Tian Zhan is also Peiliang's confidant.
Ziyu said to Tian Zhan, after Jingzhou is recovered, I will be the king and you will be the governor.
Peiliang said the same to Tian Zhan.
The soldiers who rushed into Ziyu's house knew how to open the secret chamber from Tian Zhan's mouth.
Peiliang and Tian Zhan staged a break in the court. The effect was great, the noise was loud, but no one was really injured.
He didn't expect that Jingzhou would fall in love with Xiaoai, and Ziyu would worry that Jingzhou Xiaoai would join forces, and in despair, he would force the last breath to the court and kill himself.
Compared with Ziyu, Peiliang is a more lonely lunatic.
Qingping
The only character with integrity in the film, Zhang Yimou gave Guan Xiaotong.
The world of "Shadow" is sinister, cunning, and treacherous. Only Qingping's heart is as clear as crystal.
Protected by her brother, she lives like fire, and if you have grudges, you will get revenge.
The life that lives in the Tai Chi diagram but doesn't understand the movement with the trend is like a fireworks, which is fleeting.
View more about Shadow reviews
