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Description During political upheavals in China, a young radical flees to Hong Kong, where he becomes a successful businessman. ... Read more Reviews (7) 
A Hidden Gem of an Enigmatic Movie.
I saw this film many years ago, rented only on a whim and it has haunted me ever since. It is not a film so much as a real work of art. Its characters, backdrops, contrasts, and poetic artistry of writing and filmography make me sad that it has not received more commercial acclaim yet I have great satisfaction of having it as one of my secret discoveries. I watch this film over and over again and have shown it to friends and it always touches off many emotions and stirs alot of discussion. All I can say is that if you see this movies you will not regret it. The writing, the complex characters, and the exotic backdrop of Hong Kong make for one helluva good film and this movie delivers BIG TIME! If you love movies then this is a MUST to see.
I like it
I can say it purely and simply ....
I love this film.... I really and truly Love it.
A Justified Cult Following - Fantastic Film
This film is a nearly unknown gem. It successfully captures the exotic feeling of Hong Kong, with its fortune tellers, ancient trees and ultramodern highrises, all set against the hum of commerce. John Lone plays the protagonist, a former member of the Red Guard who illegally enters Hong Kong (with only the clothes on his body) after Mao's death. The film then shifts to a time several years later, during the 1989 student demonstrations, and people are forced to consider what the coming 1997 takeover will really be like. By this time, Lone's character is a highly regarded, well known, wealthy businessman. Until some stunning rumours about his parentage surface.
Even with all of that information, you cannot predict how this film will end or much of anything that happens along the way. Self examination, the ability to remake oneself, the value of loyalty and youthful friendships, race and nationality are all themes, and all are examined subtly well. The story is something that could come from Hemingway, but far less somber. The final two minutes or so are just amazing. I wish they'd release it on DVD, and that the soundtrack (which is very moody and ethereal) was available in the States. You won't regret getting this video for a minute, and my bet is that you'll watch it many, many times.
A man of success looks back on his own humble roots.
It is a pure artistic film. It is filmed in the heights of Asian economies. A man of success in every single facet of the material world looks back on his own humble roots with mixed feelings. Instead of saying "who am I???" in verbatim, the whole film depicts life as a "dream-like-state" in pictorial. This is a story about city mid-aged crisis: a self-exploration of his self in the past versus the present success and wealth of his responsibility -- and also, the compromise and non-compromise of both. A first class international production "backs" the Japanese director in every single detail to explore the ultimate meaning of life: the search of one's own "existential self", a universal theme painted in a sensuous Japanese melody. The whole story flows in the mind of the director like a piece of silky cloth in a tempest-tossed sea, disquietingly. Artists John Lone and Sammi Davies have succesfully depicted all emotions necessary of a mid-aged crisis between love and dilemma of all. A must-see film for rentals in a quiet Saturday night. (Commented by Production Assistant of this film.)
Fair
Shadow of China is about a Chinese revolutionary who escapes to Hong Kong. There he builds a financial empire. His dreams are threatened by exposure. A boring film. PLEASE SEE MY OTHER REVIEWS.
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