Raining in the Mountain
# Raining in the Mountain

Raining in the Mountain (Chinese: 空山靈雨) is a 1979 film written and directed by King Hu. The film was selected as the Hong Kong entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 52nd Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.

## Synopsis

The story of a secluded Ming Dynasty monastery which rests on a mountain. A corrupt general and an ambitious esquire arrive there and quickly employ martial artists to help steal a sacred handwritten scroll of Tripitaka hidden in the monastery's library. Meanwhile, the abbot of the monastery looks for a successor, and he sets his sight on a man falsely accused by the corrupt general of being a thief and condemned some time ago. The man has just been released from prison and comes to the monastery to seek a peaceful life. The abbot names the former convict as his successor, and this action sets in motion a series of betrayals and murders in the struggle for the invaluable Tripitaka scroll.

## Cast

Cast adapted from the 2020 Masters of Cinema blu-ray.

* Hsu Feng as White Fox
* Sun Yueh as Esquire Wen
* Tung Lin as Chiu Ming
* Tien Feng as General Wang
* Wu Chia-Hsiang as Master Wu Wai
* Lu Chan as Monk Hui Wen
* Paul Chun Pui as Monk Hui Ssu
* Chen Hui-Lou as Lieutenant Chang Cheng
* Kim Chang-Gean as The Abbot
* Shih Chun as Monk Hui Tang

## Location

The filming of Raining in the Mountain was virtually all carried out in and around the 8th century Bulguksa Buddhist temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site in south-eastern South Korea. This was one of two films made by Hu in Korea in 1979. The other was Legend of the Mountain.

## Release

Raining in the Mountain was released in 1979. It was released for the first time in the UK on Blu-ray and DVD in Eureka's 'Masters of Cinema range, in February 2020.

## Reception

Retrospective reception of the film in Hong Kong is positive. At the 24th Hong Kong Film Awards various Asian film critics, film makers and actors voted for the top Chinese films from Hong Kong, Taiwan and China. Raining in the Mountain was listed at 59th place on the list. The New York Times hailed the 2020 restoration of the film "spectacular, exhilarating entertainment." Philip Kemp of Sight & Sound praised the film stating that "much of the film is breathtakingly beautiful, especially the wordless three-minute opening sequence" and that as the films "screenwriter, art director, editor as well as director, [King Hu] scored an impressive achievement."

## Awards and nominations

Awards and nominations :

| Ceremony | Category | Recipient | Outcome |
| - | - | - | - |
| 16th Golden Horse Awards | Best Feature Film | Raining in the Mountain | Nominated |
| 16th Golden Horse Awards | Best Director | King Hu | Won |
| 16th Golden Horse Awards | Best Actor | Shih Chun | Nominated |
| 16th Golden Horse Awards | Best Actress | Hsu Feng | Nominated |
| 16th Golden Horse Awards | Best Art Direction | King Hu | Won |
| 16th Golden Horse Awards | Best Cinematography | Henry Chan | Won |
| 16th Golden Horse Awards | Best Editing | King Hu | Nominated |
| 16th Golden Horse Awards | Best Score | Ng Tai Kong | Won |
| 16th Golden Horse Awards | Best Sound Recording | Zhou Shaolong | Won |
