The Emperor's Shadow
Director: Zhou Xiaowen
Genre: Drama, World cinema
Year: 1996
Country: Hong Kong, China
Language: Standard Mandarin
Starring: Ge You, Jiang Wen
The Emperor's Shadow (simplified Chinese: 秦颂; traditional Chinese: 秦頌; pinyin: qín sòng; literally "Ode (or Anthem) of Qin") is a 1996 historical film 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.
Set in third century BC China, the story of Emperor's Shadow revolves around the relationship between Ying Zheng (Jiang Wen), King of Qin, and later First Emperor; and the musician Gao Jianli (Ge You). Gao's mother was the king's wet nurse when the young Ying Zheng was a hostage in the State of Zhao, but they were separated after the former returns to his state of Qin 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 the state of Yan to compose a powerful hymn for his new state. The two conflict over the new composition, the construction of grand public works, Ying Zheng's ruthless mass killing policies, and King Zheng's daughter, Princess Yueyang (Xu Qing).
The political use of music and of the arts in general is one of the major themes
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