The Emperor's Shadow

The Emperor's Shadow is a made in the People's Republic of China by the Xi'an Film Studio. It was directed by Zhou Xiaowen, with script written by Lu Wei. The film was the most expensive made in China at the time of its release.

Plot

Set in third century BC China, the story of ''Emperor's Shadow'' revolves around the relationship between Ying Zheng , king of Qin, and later First Emperor; and the musician Gao Jianli . The two grew up together in the same household but were separated after the former returns to his state of to become king. After reaching adulthood, King Zheng embarks on a series of wars to fulfill his plan of unifying China. He kidnaps Gao Jianli from a rival state to compose a powerful hymn for the new state. The two conflict over the new composition, the construction of grand public works, and King Zheng's daughter, Princess Yueyang .

Music and themes

The political use of music and of the arts in general is one of the major themes in the film. In one of the climaxes of the movie, the king states his belief that through music he can "control the minds and hearts of the people", echoing Mao Zedong's Yan'an talks of 1942. Music is perceived by the monarch as being as important as military power. Whereas his armies can conquer his rivals, he needs the arts to exert spiritual and ideological control. At the premiere of the film on 7 June 1996 in Beijing, director Zhou Xiaowen noted: "Chinese rulers have always wanted to control our spirit. But they cannot succeed in doing so."

Reception

After ''The Emperor's Shadow'' was released in five major Chinese cities, it was banned by state authorities without any clear reason being given. Eight months later permission was given for re-release.

The film has been criticised in China for its many historical inaccuracies. Chief among these is the distortion of the character of Gao Jianli. According to Sima Qian's ''Shi Ji'', Gao was a friend of the assassin Jing Ke, who fails in an attempt upon King Zheng's life. Other minor errors, mostly of academic interest, also contribute to the film's lack of historical authenticity. The director Zhou Xiaowen defended his film by saying that it was an exploration of ideas and values for the present day and was not intended as a strictly historical depiction of the First Emperor. In a 1999 interview, he said "I don't like history; I just like the buildings, the palaces, the dress."

The film influenced the creation of the 2006 opera "The First Emperor".