Rotten
Why not trust the subject matter instead of shaping it all to fit a formula?
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Overview
Beijing, 1902: an enterprising young portrait photographer named Liu Jinglun, keen on new technology, befriends a newly-arrived Englishman who's brought projector, camera, and Lumière-brothers' shorts to open the Shadow Magic theater. Liu's work with Wallace brings him conflict with tradition and his father's authority, complicated by his falling in love with Ling, daughter of Lord Tan, star of Beijing's traditional opera. Liu sees movies as his chance to become wealthy and worthy of Ling. When the Shadow Magic pair are invited to show the films to the Empress Dowager, things look good. But, is disaster in the script? And, can movies preserve tradition even as they bring change?
Director and cast
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
73%
Tomatometer
Fresh
Makes us appreciate what today's audiences take for granted: the miracle of the cinema.
Charles Ealy, Dallas Morning News
Fresh
Gives us a glimpse of what it must have been like to be mesmerized and seduced by images that still convey magic and mystery.
Loren King, Chicago Tribune
Fresh
There is a humane touch here missing from so many modern movies.
Curtis Morgan, Miami Herald
Fresh
It's a film about film, and Hu's love of the medium's storytelling power shines through every frame.
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post
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