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The Emperors Shadow

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Genre
  
Drama

Screenplay
  
Wei Lu

Writer
  
Wei Lu

Language
  
Mandarin

7/10
IMDb

Director
  
Music director
  
Duration
  

Country
  
China

The Emperors Shadow movie poster

Release date
  
October 31, 1996 (1996-10-31) (Hong Kong)

Initial release
  
October 31, 1966 (Hong Kong)

Cast
  
(Gao Jianli), (Ying Zheng), (Ying Yueyang),
Shuangbao Wang
,
Yaoxuan Shu
(??)

Similar movies
  
Zhao Jiping composed the music for The Emperors Shadow and The Emperor and the Assassin

The Emperor's Shadow is a 1996 Chinese historical film directed by Zhou Xiaowen and starring Jiang Wen, Ge You, Xu Qing and Ge Zhijun. It was the most expensive Chinese film produced at the time of its release.

Contents

The Emperors Shadow movie scenes

The emperor s shadow trailer


Plot

The Emperor's Shadow wwwgstaticcomtvthumbdvdboxart65257p65257d

Set in third century BC China, the story of The Emperor's Shadow revolves around the relationship between Ying Zheng, the King of Qin, and later the First Emperor; and the musician Gao Jianli. Gao Jianli's mother was the king's wet nurse when the young king was a hostage in the Zhao state, but they were separated after the former returns to Qin to become king.

The Emperor's Shadow YESASIA The Emperors Shadow VCD Digitally Remastered Hong

After reaching adulthood, Ying Zheng embarks on a series of wars to fulfill his plan of unifying China. He kidnaps Gao Jianli from the Yan state to compose a powerful anthem for his new state. The two conflict over the new composition, the construction of grand public works, Ying Zheng's ruthless mass killing policies, and Ying Zheng's daughter, Princess Yueyang.

Cast

The Emperor's Shadow The Emperors Shadow Chinese Cinema

  • Jiang Wen as Ying Zheng
  • Tian Ming as young Ying Zheng
  • Ge You as Gao Jianli
  • Wang Peng as young Gao Jianli
  • Xu Qing as Princess Yueyang
  • Ge Zhijun as Zhao Gao
  • Wang Qingxiang as Li Si
  • Di Guoqiang as Wang Jian
  • Wang Ning as Wang Ben
  • Shu Yaoxuan as Xu Fu
  • Li Mengnan as Jing Ke
  • Yuan Yuan as Fan Yuqi
  • Ren He as Huhai
  • Zhao Yi
  • Wang Hong
  • Sun Bicheng
  • Zhang Chunyuan
  • Music and themes

    The Emperor's Shadow The Emperors Shadow 1996 YouTube

    The political use of music and of the arts in general is one of the major themes in the film. In one of the climaxes of the film, the king states his belief that through music he can "control the minds and hearts of the people", echoing Mao Zedong's Yan'an talks of 1942. Music is perceived by the monarch as being as important as military power. Whereas his armies can conquer his rivals, he needs the arts to exert spiritual and ideological control. At the premiere of the film on 7 June 1996 in Beijing, director Zhou Xiaowen noted: "Chinese rulers have always wanted to control our spirit. But they cannot succeed in doing so."

    Reception

    The Emperor's Shadow The Emperors Shadow 1996 MUBI

    After The Emperor's Shadow was released in five major Chinese cities, it was banned by state authorities without any clear reason being given. Eight months later permission was given for re-release.

    The Emperor's Shadow Chinese Historical Movie The Emperors Shadow 1996 YouTube

    The film has been criticized in China for its many historical inaccuracies. Chief among these is the distortion of the character of Gao Jianli. According to Sima Qian's Records of the Grand Historian, Gao Jianli was a friend of the assassin Jing Ke, who fails in an attempt upon Ying Zheng's life. Other minor errors, mostly of academic interest, also contribute to the film's lack of historical authenticity. The director Zhou Xiaowen defended his film by saying that it was an exploration of ideas and values for the present day and was not intended as a strictly historical depiction of the First Emperor. In a 1999 interview, he said "I don't like history; I just like the buildings, the palaces, the dress."

    The Emperor's Shadow The Emperors Shadow 1996 Movie Moviefone

    The film influenced the creation of Tan Dun's 2006 opera The First Emperor.

    References

    The Emperor's Shadow Wikipedia
    The Emperors Shadow IMDbThe Emperors Shadow Rotten TomatoesThe Emperors Shadow themoviedb.org


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