Beijing 1902 (2:23)
– Liu at the Victrola (0:41)
– Lord Tan (2:49)
– Fu Shou Hall (0:59)
– First Shadow Magic Show (1:23)
– Traditional* (2:26)
– The Butterfly (2:12)
– Ling’s Fan (2:04)
– The Great Wall (5:51)
– Liu’s Secret (0:49)
– Chinese People, Chinese Films (1:25)
– A Lesson in Editing (1:45)
– Traditional* (3:49)
– Photo Shop (1:24)
– The Kiss (1:01)
– Invitation to the Forbidden City (2:09)
– Shadow Magic for the Empress (2:33)
– Raymond Banished (1:22)
– Shadow Magic Legacy (6:47)
Set against a backdrop of hostility towards foreigners in China following the Boxer Rebellion and the expulsion of the Europeans, the film Shadow Magic takes place in imperial Peking in 1902. It opens with the arrival of Raymond Wallace (Jared Harris), a threadbare entrepreneur determined to make a profit by introducing the “moving picture” (referred to as “shadow magic”) to China. As a foreigner, Wallace’s attempts to interest the Chinese in the movies are rebuffed until he meets Liu Jinglun (Xia Yu), a young photographer who becomes captivated by the magic of the flickering images projected on the screen from the moment he sees them.
The film follows Liu, as he becomes involved with Wallace’s enterprise despite disapproval which jeopardizes his job as well as his relationship with the woman he loves (Xing Yufei). The film climaxes with the showing of the “moving picture” in the Forbidden City for the Empress Dowager.
Shadow Magic is Ann Hu’s valentine to the early days of cinema in Old China. It is inspired by the true story of Liu Zhong Lun, a photographer in Peking, and the lives of a few unknown Westerners who brought motion pictures to China. Through their pioneering efforts, the first Chinese narrative film was made in 1905, and the Chinese film industry was born.
The rich, colorful score by Lida Zhang skillfully combines eastern and western influences. The full orchestra is features solos from traditional Chinese instruments. Also included are excerpts from traditional Chinese instrumental music. Noted film composer Howard Shore (The Silence of the Lambs, Philadelphia, Crash, etc.) served as musical consultant on the soundtrack.
Released by Sony Pictures Classics, it stars Jared Harris (whose credits include Happiness, Dead Man, I Shot Andy Warhol, Natural Born Killers and How to Kill Your Neighbor’s Dog), and one of China’s best known young actors, Xia Yu (Best Actor, 1994 Venice Film Festival for In the Heat of the Sun), along with a strong cast of Chinese actors.
Shadow Magic is directed, co-written and produced by New York based Chinese-American filmmaker Ann Hu (Dream and Memory), whose background of growing up during the Cultural Revolution drew her to the story of cultures coming together. Her immersion in both worlds greatly influenced her approach to storytelling. Filmed and recorded in China, this movie is also notable as the first collaboration between film studios in Taiwan and mainland China.
The film will be released in April 2001. For further information, stills, videos and cast details, please see the Sony Pictures Classics website for Shadow Magic at:
http://www.sonyclassics.com/shadowmagic/index.html