Accepting responsibility for his wife’s murder after he has left her, Jan starts pursuing the criminal himself to make sure the culprit doesn’t avoid punishment. Peter Bebjak‘s Shadowplay is a brooding intense portrayal of one man consumed by blame, guilt and revenge.
The film begins with shots of six different characters. A husband, a wife, a friend, a lover, a cop and a criminal. All separated but people that will become intrinsically linked by one tragic act.
The character (played by Milan Ondrik) thematically has a similar journey to that of Vincent Cassell in Irreversible. A man seeking revenge for an unspeakable act against his wife, one that will ultimately consume him. Initially solace is found at the bottom of a bottle, then inside the boxing ring at his friend’s gym.
Jan’s descent into rage and despair is fuelled by one thing. Or more correctly, the lack of one thing. Control.
He blames himself for her death because he ignored her calls for help after they fought. Then he discovers the perpetrator may escape justice due to his importance to a crime unit seeking to take down a drugs ring in the city. He was not in control of his wife’s fate or that of the man responsible.
In The Terminator, Kyle Reece says “There is no fate but what we make”. In Shadowplay, director Bebjak and writer Vendula Bradácová deliver a meditation on the futility of fate and being in control of one’s destiny. Given the nature of this film, it might seem like an odd film to reference but there is a quote from It’s A Wonderful Life where George Bailey is told “Strange, isn’t it? Each man’s life touches so many other lives”. The actions taken by the characters here ripple outward in unexpected and surprising ways. Affecting others for better or worse. Best laid plans and all that.
Like a boxer in the ring feeling out his opponent, the plot is constantly shifting, seeking to keep the audience on their toes before looking to land that knockout blow and emotional sucker punch.
Shadowplay might be fuelled by rage but thanks to Ondrik’s powerful performance, it also has plenty of heart.
Rating: 
Director: Peter Bebjak
Stars: Milan Ondrík, Hynek ?ermák, Leona Skleniková, Vladimír Javorský
Runtime: 103 minutes
Country: Czech/Slovak
