Shadow Magic

We are accustomed to seeing truly exceptional Chinese films when we see any Chinese films at all, for the simple reason that only truly exceptional Chinese films can overcome the twin prejudices of American distributors against (1) films that aren't American and (2) films in which the main characters aren't white.

Well, "Shadow Magic," which dates from 1999 and is just now being released here, is an enjoyable Chinese film (made with multinational involvement) about how Chinese people came to enjoy films. It has no grand design to pursue, no new ways of viewing the world to offer, no intricate plot to unravel, no preconceptions to challenge. Yet it unspools its familiar plot with such verve and pursues its modest goals with such winning earnestness that "Shadow Magic" is enjoyable for what it is: not exceptional, but very good nonetheless.

The plot is an old one: community meets technology, community rejects technology, community embraces technology again. "Peking" (aka Beijing) is the community in question, and the pointman for the new "shadow magic" (i.e., motion picture) technology is Raymond Wallace (Jared Harris). Initially, Raymond fails to make his point to the good people of Peking, who are more enamored of the traditional Chinese operas performed by Lord Tan. Thankfully, when Liu Jing Lun (Xia Yu), a photographer with a fascination with Western gewgaws and the trust of the townspeople, joins with Raymond to promote the shadow magic, success comes quickly. Raymond's dreams of an adequate income seem to come to fruition, and Liu attracts the attention of the Lord Tan's lovely daughter.

But all is not as well as it seems; the technology's value is soon called into question, and Liu is caught in between Raymond and the photography studio, an arranged marriage to a fat widow and the desired one to Lord Tan's daughter, and freedom and loyalty.

"Shadow Magic" is, as we say, sort of based on a true story, in that there actually existed people who must have been something like like Raymond. There was definitely a Liu, who made the first Chinese movie. It's hard to imagine what the initial Chinese response to cinema actually was, however, because "Shadow Magic"'s five writers (including director Ann Hu) have obviously elected to pay a general homage to cinema's power to enchant and inspire rather than show much real conflict. All obstacles in the path of Raymond and Liu are palpably temporary, and not one of the characters could be called "bad." Most of the townspeople are shown as gently comic figures rather than real folks, Xia and Harris both turn in performances emphasizing positive outlooks and determination, and Hu's direction is generally bright, pretty and direct.

"Shadow Magic" ends up being a charming film simply because the actors, writer and director pursue this goal with such zeal and skill. Xia and Harris both make their characters easy to root for with open smiles and unguarded trust, and Hu frames the events they set in motion well enough to convey the love of the magic of cinema that everyone who works on films must have in some form or another. The film doesn't do anything more, but (with the exception of some possibly overdone scenes towards the end) it's not trying to. "Shadow Magic" won't change your life, but it's a perfectly pleasant way to spend your time.

Foreign Films Home

Spam-O-Matic Home