Reeling from his injuries in underground seclusion, the increasingly unbalanced military commander of Pei conspires to seize control of the kingdom in a series of cunning deceptions and double-crossings. Fed up with Pei's callow, ill-natured king and his frequent capitulations to their imperial rivals, the commander dispatches his trained look-alike to advocate at court in favor of the re-conquest of the city of Jing. Under the pretext of a duel with the occupying army's undefeated general, the commander and his "shadow" plot a daring maneuver to capture the city and win their reward.

The latest martial arts saga from from one of the world's most decorated filmmakers, Shadow boasts not only one of the most inventive action sequences in recent memory, but also some particularly breathtaking art direction, with a near-monochromatic color scheme of rich grays and blacks inspired by traditional Chinese ink-wash painting.