Shadow

2018 Yimou Zhang movie

Rating: 16/20

Plot: I don't feel like typing a plot synopsis for this one.

The wife of the warrior guy told another guy, "Your zither needs tuning," and I may have gotten an erection.

Zhang Yimou goes with all blacks and whites and grays in this one, yet it's as visually stunning and as vibrant as the movies he made right after the turn of the century. Early on, the power dynamics and character relationships confused me, but things fell into place enough as it went on. There isn't a ton of action until there is, but the conflicts still intrigue, and there's a really great performance by the guy who plays the king. And man, oh, man! Those visuals are enough of a hook to make me watch something like this even if I don't end up understanding any of the story at all. There are a few shots that just made me say "Wow" out loud.

There really are a couple of great moments with dueling zithers.