Looking back at Jaak Kilmi’s filmography, one immediately notices his fondness for playing with genres and experimenting with their variations in films like the comedy-action flick The Dissidents (2017) or the children’s adventure Christmas in the Jungle (2020), while also enjoying digging into unusual stories through documentaries such as Disco and Atomic War [+leggi anche:
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scheda film], currently showing in the International Competition of the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, feels like a mix of previous experiences. The screenplay combines real-life details and, most importantly, delves into the personality traits of the Estonian romantic poet Juhan Liiv. While not exactly a biopic, it crowns him as the protagonist and volunteer investigator in a fictional crime drama involving a hapless, impoverished family and a pot of money. Furthermore, the plot, with pronounced thriller elements, unfolds against the historical backdrop of late 19th-century Estonia—an era marked by efforts toward political independence and cultural emancipation from the Russian Empire. 

Before the opening scene, we are informed through a dry on-screen text that little is known about a seven-year period in Juhan Liiv’s life following his admission to a mental hospital in Tartu. Kilmi and screenwriter Indrek Hargla use this as an “alibi” to craft an imaginary crime plot, positioning Liiv as an active observer who challenges the status quo until he ultimately takes action. Edgy and neglectful of his own well-being, he suffers from paranoia about persecution and occasionally adopts the demeanour of an untamed, frightened animal.

On the other hand, his restless mind works associatively, uncovering connections between events that remain invisible to others. His often inexplicable actions and moody behaviours that prompt him to mingle with people of different social statuses create yet another opportunity to weave into the main plot glimpses of Estonian political and daily life of the era, as well as Liiv’s role as a pivotal poet with patriotic aspirations within the context of Estonia’s struggle for independence. Adding to his romantic aura is the unrequited love for the poet’s obligatory muse, Liisa Golding. Real-life evidence of this affection lies in his surviving letters to her, but in the film, she is depicted as bedridden, while he fights desperately for her life.

Although the authors' attempt to break away from the framework of a typical biopic—portraying the main character less through his biography and more through his interactions with key people and events, both real and fictional—is commendable, the narrative lacks cohesion. As a result, the viewer begins to drift through the events on screen, mirroring the fragmented and wandering nature of the poet's scattered mind. 

For Estonian audiences, who are likely familiar with Juhan Liiv's biography, the film may successfully add nuanced layers to the portrait established in his national literary tradition. However, for international viewers unacquainted with his poetry or his inspiring role in the movement for national independence, the film might come across as a bloody provincial costume drama with an intriguing but underdeveloped character—despite actor Pääru Oja's convincing portrayal in the main part. Yet, the thriller plot is dynamic and can intrigue those unaware of or indifferent to the context, even at a genre level.

The Shadow was produced by Estonia’s Taska Film, Apollo Film Productions, HansaFilm, and Reede.