High atop the mountains sits the Three Treasures Temple where The Abbot (Su Han) prepares to retire. He calls to the temple some of his most trusted advisers for assistance in securing his successor; Esquire Wen (Yeuh Sen), General Wang (Feng Tien), and Master Wu Wai (Chia-Hsiang Wu). Unfortunately for the Abbot, the hearts of his guests and the monks he oversees are not entirely pure, and many of them have their eyes on either his seat or the rare Tripitaka Scroll, a one-of-a-kind treasure that rests in the Scripture Hall of the temple.
Raining in the Mountain – or under its pinyin title kōngshān líng yǔ which literally translate to “empty mountain, spirit rain” – is a multi-faceted work by King Hu which won him the Best Director prize at the 1979 Golden Horse Awards, among others, including submission to the 52nd Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film, though the title missed out on the final ballot. Some 47 years after it initially dazzled audiences, the film is now being released in a special edition Blu-ray by Film Movement Classics. At once a heist film, a wuxia action adventure, and moral parable, Raining in the Mountain manages to deliver satisfyingly across its many genres to create a well-rounded and truly enjoyable film across its 121 minute runtime.
During a long and silent opening through the jungle reminiscent of Werner Herzog’s opening to Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972), we follow our characters at the onset of their own journey towards treasure which will test their morals at every chance. The fusion of Henry Chan’s cinematography and Hu’s own work in the editing suite allows us to enjoy the beautiful locations passed through on our way to the absolute labyrinth of a temple which provides endless hallways for the characters to hide, and equally ledges for our characters to spy. We are treated to every inch of the wonderfully elaborate setting – the Bulguksa Buddhist temple in South-East Korea where Hu also shot Legend of the Mountain (1979) – as there are multiple long sequences in silence through these halls that are as tense and nerve-wracking as Wim Wenders’ The American Friend (1977) centerpiece train sequence. The peering camera and the tinkering soundtrack by Ng Tai Kong always has a playful quality to it, for Raining in the Mountain has some genuinely funny moments, but also builds great suspense.
When the different parties encounter each other there are elaborate fight sequences choreographed with great care and precision. Chan carefully places his camera so that we see every punch and kick land their target. Later in the film, the action moves to the surrounding forest which adds a whole new aerial element to the fight scenes. While the entire cast make for formidable opponents or skillful allies depending on whose thread we are following, the real standout when it comes to combat is Wen’s concubine, The White Fox (Hsu Feng). She is seemingly always one step ahead of everyone as she twists and twirls out of harm’s way, but her adversaries are never so bumbling that victory comes easy to the skilled thief.
While it takes close to an hour before the first fight breaks out, Hu keeps us engaged with the story as equal to the physical, there are plenty of mental gymnastics at hand, too, as everyone vies for the opportunity to get close to The Abbot and the Tripitaka Scroll. The intrigue is what sets the film into motion and Hu knows when to inform us a little more of the intentions of each of the characters and when to let us spy them in the temple. We never really know who to trust – because ultimately no one is trustworthy – and it is a thrill to watch.
As the films crests its halfway point in its two-hour runtime, Chiu Ming (Tung Lin), a convict, enters the temple to become a monk in repentance for the crimes he was accused. His introduction causes disturbances in all of the plans of the scheming advisers and slowly turns the film into a morality play. Lin gives a stoic and understated performance in this rather absurd world Hu has created, but his grounded style never seems out of place and helps to balance the overall narrative.
Raining in the Mountain is a great melding of genre that can go tit-for-tat against any of the Hollywood blockbusters of the same, or even today’s modern, era. It is straightforward, even in its scheming, upon a first view but is still endlessly entertaining upon rewatching. Hu’s worldly style has combined the essence of these multiple genres so while it is hard to nail down just exactly what Raining in the Mountain is, the most important thing to know is that it is an intelligent action film that trusts its audience to discover its many secrets without weighing down the script or holding back the actors with heavy exposition.
