Shadow Magic
| Shadow Magic 西洋镜 | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Ann Hu |
| Produced by | Ann Hu Han Sanping |
| Written by | Ann Hu Chen Yixiong Huang Dan Liu Huaizhuo Bob McAndrew Kate Raisz Tang Louyi Zuo Shiqiang |
| Starring |
Xia Yu Jared Harris |
| Music by | Zhang Lida |
| Cinematography | Nancy Schreiber Wen Deguang |
| Edited by | Keith Reamer John Gilroy |
| Distributed by | Sony Pictures Classics |
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Release date
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Running time
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115 minutes |
| Country | China |
| Language |
Mandarin English |
Shadow Magic (simplified Chinese: 西洋镜; traditional Chinese: 西洋鏡; pinyin: Xīyángjìng) is a historical fiction film, made in 2000, about the introduction of motion pictures to China during the early 20th century. The movie was directed and co-written by Ann Hu. The film was a US-China co-production starring Xia Yu, Jared Harris and Xing Yufei. The movie was Ann Hu's directorial debut.
The film is set in Beijing, 1902, in the last years of the Qing Dynasty. A young portrait photographer, Liu Jinglun (Xia Yu), chances on a newly arrived Englishman, Raymond Wallace (Jared Harris) in the capital. Liu, a self-learner of rudimentary English, is keen on new technology and gadgets, while Raymond has brought along the latest motion picture camera and projector with some silent film shorts from the West. Liu is fascinated by the "shadow magic" and offers to help Raymond bring in audiences for his theatre. Hence Liu and Raymond become partners. However, while the innovation thrills many, the more conservative Chinese in the capital frown upon the creation as a Western "pollutant".
Liu falls in love with Ling (Xing Yufei), the daughter of a well-respected Beijing Opera star, Lord Tan Xinpei (Li Yusheng). However, as he is poor and only an apprentice at the photography shop, Liu has no chance of marrying Ling. Instead, Liu's father and his boss at the Fengtai photography shop, Master Ren (Liu Peiqi), try to arrange a marriage for him with an older widow, Jiang (Fang Qingzhuo). When Master Ren finds out Liu has been working for a foreigner dabbling with "shadow magic", he becomes infuriated. Liu tries to reason with Master Ren, explaining to him that this "shadow magic" is an innovation in the world of photography, and once Liu learns more about it they should incorporate it into their own business. Master Ren is not swayed, however, and dismisses him. Because of this, Liu is also disowned by his father. Liu and Raymond's friendship becomes tested as he feels the strain of being branded a traitor in his own country.
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Wikipedia