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Raining in the Mountain

Original title: Kong shan ling yu
  • 19791979
  • 2h
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
1.1K
YOUR RATING
Raining in the Mountain (1979)
Trailer 1
Play trailer1:54
1 Video
9 Photos
ActionDrama
An esquire and a General eyes a priceless handwritten scroll by Tripitaka, held in a Temple library. The Abbot of the Temple selects his successor.An esquire and a General eyes a priceless handwritten scroll by Tripitaka, held in a Temple library. The Abbot of the Temple selects his successor.An esquire and a General eyes a priceless handwritten scroll by Tripitaka, held in a Temple library. The Abbot of the Temple selects his successor.
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
1.1K
YOUR RATING
    • King Hu
    • King Hu
  • Stars
    • Feng Hsu
    • Yueh Sun
    • Chun Shih
    • King Hu
    • King Hu
  • Stars
    • Feng Hsu
    • Yueh Sun
    • Chun Shih
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 5User reviews
    • 22Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards

    Videos1

    Raining in the Mountain
    Trailer 1:54
    Watch Raining in the Mountain

    Photos9

    Raining in the Mountain (1979)
    Raining in the Mountain (1979)
    Raining in the Mountain (1979)
    Raining in the Mountain (1979)
    Raining in the Mountain (1979)
    Raining in the Mountain (1979)
    Raining in the Mountain (1979)
    Raining in the Mountain (1979)

    Top cast

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    Feng Hsu
    Feng Hsu
    • White Fox
    Yueh Sun
    Yueh Sun
    • Esquire Wen
    Chun Shih
    Chun Shih
    • Hui Tung
    Feng Tien
    Feng Tien
    • General Wang
    Hui-Lou Chen
    Hui-Lou Chen
    • Hui Wen
    Paul Chun
    Paul Chun
    • Hui Ssu
    Su Han
    Su Han
    • The Abbot
    Wen-Tai Li
    Wen-Tai Li
    Chun Lu
    Lin Tung
    Lin Tung
    • Chiu Ming
    Kuang Yu Wang
    Kuang Yu Wang
    • Lieutenant Cheng Chang
    Chia-Hsiang Wu
    Chia-Hsiang Wu
    • Master Wu Wai
    Ming-Tsai Wu
    Ming-Tsai Wu
    • Gold Lock
      • King Hu
      • King Hu
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    User reviews5

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    A sorely-neglected little gem.
    Raining on the Mountain is a sorely neglected little gem of a Chinese flick. I would say "kung fu flick", but that's almost wholly untrue. There are several fight scenes (most notably near the climax), but the film seems much more interested in the fluidity and the composition of these scenes than the actual viscera of the bloody mouths and body blows. There's a sort of extravagant economy of motion here: everything is done for the effect, but nothing feels gratuitous or superfluous; it's simply done so well that you breeze through without giving it a thought. A good portion of this film consists of people running, ducking and hiding behind things, but Hu, being behind the pen, behind the camera and apparently behind the editing equipment as well, presents the entire film like a dance, no matter what they're doing.

    The plot concerns a number of characters scheming towards two major aims inside a Buddhist monastery: an esquire and a general both looking to obtain a priceless handwritten scroll from their library, using various means (including a faux-concubine and her bandana-clad partner-in-crime) to obtain it. Additionally, the abbot of the monastery is looking for a successor, and several of the monks are attempting to get a good word for their names through less than legitimate means: namely, getting the esquire or the general to put in a good word by assisting them in getting the scroll. The other major plot point involves a former thief (convicted, but claims falsely accused) being hounded by the lieutenant that put him behind bars, and the two of them getting into various scraps, and coming off like wounded children.

    The film I was more reminded of (at least in a superficial way) was Miyazaki's The 47 Ronin. Both films have action, but aren't overly concerned with the action so much as with how the action is executed. Neither film is particularly substantial plotwise, but both exert special attention to the minutiae of politicking, and their power comes with how that plot is carried out. Just as Raining on the Mountain is mostly people dodging enough and slinking away, The 47 Ronin is a film that consists mostly of people running into rooms and informing the occupants of exciting things happening outside, and yet, both are captivating because of how they present their wares. While it occasionally grinds to a bit of a halt when it focuses on the abbot appointing, Raining on the Mountain is an evocative, sensual, breathtaking and above all enjoyable film, and with a surprisingly light, fun storyline, a memorable cast of characters, and a thrilling conclusion, it's a film I'd gladly recommend to anybody that can obtain it.

    {Grade: 8.5/10 (B+) / #10 (of 24) of 1979}
    helpful•10
    1
    • theskulI42
    • May 18, 2009

    Details

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    • Release date
      • July 11, 1979 (Hong Kong)
      • Taiwan
      • Hong Kong
      • Mandarin
    • Also known as
    • Production company
      • Lo & Hu Company Productions Ltd.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • 2 hours
      • Color
      • Mono

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