Raining in the Mountain 10/23 Blu-ray (Rental)

Product Description During the Ming Dynasty, a Buddhist abbot charged with protecting the sacred scroll of Tripitaka prepares to name his successor. An aristocrat and a general arrive at his secluded mountaintop monastery promising to help in his search, but are in fact scheming to secure the scroll for themselves. As they set about recommending corrupt successors, rival bands of martial artists lie in wait to steal the precious artifact. Soon, the monastery is transformed into an epic battleground for the scroll, with each player caught in a web of betrayal. Called a "remarkably photographed caper heist [featuring] intriguing battles of wits and minds" (Far East Film Festival), Raining In The Mountain is also the peak of legendary director King Hu's (A Touch Of Zen) infusion of Buddhist spiritual principles into the legacy of martial arts cinema. Review Nominated - Gold Hugo - Chicago Int'l. Film Festival --- Hu skillfully contrasts the ceaseless intriguing, greed and ambition of the characters in the labyrinthine sets with the Buddhist principle of renunciation, represented by the expansive landscapes of the film s opening and closing. - Harvard Film Archive Synthesizing disparate innovations from pan-Asian action filmmaking... Hu created the new gold standard. --Nick Pinkerton, ArtForum King Hu spent more than an entire year crafting Raining in the Mountain and Legend of the Mountain (Shanzhong Chuanqi, 1979), two films shot back-to-back on location in South Korea... In Raining in the Mountain, King Hu delivers an engaging spiritual journey and reflects profoundly on Buddhist philosophy about morals, renunciation, karmic retribution and enlightenment. --George Chun Han Wang, Far East Film Festival