Qing dynasty writer Pu Songling wrote about ghosts, fox spirits and monsters in his novel Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio. “The Enchanting Shadow” is an early film adaptation of one of his stories about a scholar and a beautiful lady ghost. Director Li Han-hsiang was mostly known for making historical spectacles and Huangmei opera musicals but here he's trying out a nonmusical horror film instead.
Betty Loh Ti plays Nie Xiao-qiqn, the lady ghost that haunts the local deserted temple in human form; she seduces young men who happen to stay the night there, being forced into this situation by Lao Lao, a more powerful female demon who's using her to lure those men so she kills them herself and feasts on their blood.
Knowing that the local temple is haunted, Ning Cai-chen (Zhao Lei), a tax collector and a scholar is still keen to spend the night. However, he soon makes friends with swordsman Yan Chi-xia (Yang Chih-ching) who also stays there. Sure enough, Nie Xiao-qian turns up but fails to seduce him and they both end up writing poetry about mandarin ducks. Needless to say, swordsman Yan is surprised to find him alive the next morning.
Before long and upon realizing that Nie is a harmless ghost, Ning decides to help her to escape the wrath of Lao Lao by digging up her bones and reburying them back in her home town. Conversely, this turns out to be a dangerous journey as the desperate Lao Lao is not far behind and she's out to kill him and repossess Nie.
“The Enchanting Shadow” is both visually stunning and eerily beautiful, as the set designs are very detailed, especially the look of the ruined Jin Hua temple. It's a huge set full of dreadful decaying rooms, endless corridors filled with shadows, fogs and broken windows; it even has a creepy pagoda. In spite of this, it's not shot in the usual Shawscope and it's strange to observe the absence of the legendary Shaw logo and theme song playing at the beginning. But the detailed and colorful costumes are definitely the trademark of Shaw Brothers. There's a heavy use of wailing sound, probably from the theremin and to great effect during the eerie moments.
Zhao Lei and Betty Loh Ti are top tier Shaw Brothers actors; they carry their parts effortlessly as the couple caught up in this ghostly romance and both have strong screen presence. Betty was praised as “China's most beautiful actress” while the film was entered into the 1960 Cannes Film Festival. It was also nominated as the Best Foreign Language Film at the 33rd Academy Awards. However, director Li Han-hsiang's “The Magnificent Concubine” won the Best Interior Photography award two years later.
Nevertheless, Shaw regular Yang Chih-ching has a wonderful supporting part as the Taoist swordsman Yan Chi-xia, he's energetic and commands the screen. A very young spirited Lee Kwan also shows up as one of the scholar's servants and he provides a bit of comedy relief.
Overall, “The Enchanting Shadow” is a good supernatural drama with a touch of horror thrown in. Although it moves at a slow pace, it's atmospheric and looks stunning all the way through. However, it's not an action film, the focus is on drama but it's a must-see classic horror film and Shaw Brothers films in general.
