Legend of the Mountain

Ho, a young scholar, is given the task for translating Buddhist sutras which are said to have power over the creatures of the afterlife. He travels to a monastery to find a peaceful place to fulfill the task. However he encounters a bizarre cast of characters: a Buddhist lama, Secretary Tsui and his menacing friend Cheng, Cloud and her flute, the mysterious Melody, and Ms. Chang, Melody's mother who soon arranges a marriage between Melody and Ho. However, as he works on the sutras, Ho slowly finds himself entangled on a mysterious plot involving witchcraft, demons, and a battle to preserve his own soul from the attacks of the supernatural underworld. ==Cast==

• Shih Chun as Ho • Hsu Feng as Melody • Sylvia Chang as Cloud • Tung Lam as Mr. Tsui • Tien Feng as Cheng • Chen Hui-lou as Reverend • Rainbow Hsu as Ms. Chang • Wu Jiaxiang as Man carrying wood • Ng Ming Tsui as Lama • Sun Yueh ==Production==

Legend of the Mountain was a co-production between King Hu's company and Prosperity Film Company, with Wong Cheuk-hon serving as producer. This was one of two films Hu shot in South Korea in 1979, the other being Raining in the Mountain. ==Release==

Legend of the Mountain was released in 1979. The film was also shown at the 1979 Festival of Festivals in Toronto. ==Reception==

From contemporary English reviews, Richard Labonte of the Ottawa Citizen described the film as an "intellectual challenge" and as "three hours of film which never drags" and that it was "structured with a rigid formalism which allows for no spontaneity at all and is also a unique treat, for those who can adapt to a slow and mannered Eastern style rather than the fast-paced and action-packed style of most Western films." ==References==