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Shadow Magic

Play trailer Poster for Shadow Magic PG Released Apr 6, 2001 1h 55m History Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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73% Tomatometer 51 Reviews 67% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
Peking, 1902. The Feng Tai Photo Shop is in a frenzy of preparation for the arrival of Peking's most important opera star, Lord Tan. Liu Jinglun (Yu Xia), the chief photographer, is oblivious to the chaos as he tinkers with a broken Victrola he has found in a junk pile on his way to work. His boss, Master Ren (Peiqi Liu), chides Liu for his incessant fascination with Western novelties, which he feels have no place in traditional Chinese society.
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Shadow Magic

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Critics Consensus

Charmingly sweet, Shadow Magic captures the sense of wonder of audiences experiencing the world of motion pictures for the first time.

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Critics Reviews

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Globe and Mail Rated: 2/4 Mar 22, 2002 Full Review Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times Why not trust the subject matter instead of shaping it all to fit a formula? Rated: 2/4 May 18, 2001 Full Review Charles Ealy Dallas Morning News Makes us appreciate what today's audiences take for granted: the miracle of the cinema. May 17, 2001 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy It’s depressing to note that after 120-plus years of cinema, we find ourselves having to sit through junk like Halloween Kills and Space Jam: A New Legacy. This lovely film transports us back to a pre-blockbuster time full of genuine promise. Rated: 3.5/4 Mar 24, 2024 Full Review Betsy Bozdech DVDJournal.com A sweet, charming story based on the real-life story of the advent of moving pictures in China at the turn of the century, it's the perfect escape into another place and time. Rated: 3/4 Oct 21, 2006 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Rated: 3/5 Jun 12, 2005 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member I thought it was boring and dull! Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 01/29/23 Full Review Audience Member I really liked this film for its story and charm. I don't think the love story element was necessary so it isn't perfect but it's a good film. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review kevin w The story of the introduction of film to a turn of the century China weary of and hostile to Western encroachment is framed by a tale of a young man struggling with his wonder with new technology versus a class system that insists he "know his place". Although thin in places the subject matter still charms. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member I noticed this movie at the library because I think I had, years ago, seen a documentary about the same topic that was rather interesting. It takes place in Peking in 1902. Locals live a life grounded in tradition, loyalty, and respect. Along comes Mr. Westerner with a moving picture reel, and the assumptions of the past few millenia are in danger. This film shows us the essence of the history of the beginnings of motion pictures in China. The motivation for one main characters, a young Chinese man smitten with Western ingenuity, to get involved in motion pictures was because he wanted to capture what life was like for his people at that time. He realized that changes were coming that couldn't be reversed, and he didn't want his culture or his people to be forgotten. The story was well-told, and included a sweet side story about the young man's longing for a beautiful young woman. I really liked this movie, but some of the acting felt a bit lacking, especially by the Westerner. Appropriate for adults & kids. In Chinese and English, with subtitles in yellow (subtitles for English scenes too, because of various heavy accents). Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/19/23 Full Review Audience Member "Brilliant! A cinematic masterpiece that was interesting and enthralling!" Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/02/23 Full Review Audience Member this movie started me on subtitles (if i remember correctly) when i look back, it's just an okay movie. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Shadow Magic

Jared Harris as Raymond Wallace. Ann Hu. Xia Yu as Liu Jinglun and Jared Harris as Raymond Wallace. Xing Yufei as Ling and Xia Yu as Liu Jinglun. Xia Yu as Liu Jinglun and Xing Yufei as Ling. View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Peking, 1902. The Feng Tai Photo Shop is in a frenzy of preparation for the arrival of Peking's most important opera star, Lord Tan. Liu Jinglun (Yu Xia), the chief photographer, is oblivious to the chaos as he tinkers with a broken Victrola he has found in a junk pile on his way to work. His boss, Master Ren (Peiqi Liu), chides Liu for his incessant fascination with Western novelties, which he feels have no place in traditional Chinese society.
Director
Ann Hu
Producer
Ann Hu
Screenwriter
Ann Hu, Dan Huang, Bob McAndrew, Kate Raisz, Louyi Tang
Distributor
Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co
China Film, C & A Productions, Post Production Playground, Central Motion Pictures Corporation, Road Movies Vierte Produktionen, Beijing Film Studio, Filmstiftung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Schulberg Productions
Rating
PG (Mild Language)
Genre
History, Drama
Original Language
Chinese
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 6, 2001, Wide
Box Office (Gross USA)
$149.3K
Runtime
1h 55m
Sound Mix
Surround
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