King Hu’s Song Dynasty wuxia masterpiece is a cinematic journey that takes viewers on a spooky Buddhist adventure. Albeit, a long journey,  but it’s totally worth the runtime. There are these jaw dripping Malick-style shots of the Imperial exam failed protagonist, portrayed by the talented Shih Chun, as he journeys through the wilderness on his quest to the mountain. These serene and captivating scenes are a testament to the film’s visual splendor. Oh, and there’s drums. A lot of battle drumming scenes. I don’t think I’ve seen scenes of battle drumming this intense since Whiplash (or Drumline, har har) . Notably, the 192-minute restoration of the movie offers a more comprehensive viewing experience compared to previous English translations that had a runtime of 100 minutes. I think they cut all of the super pretty poetic b roll and scenes that alluded to sex (I swear, there’s this one shot of dragonflies having a moment and it’s insinuating something really spicy). Super sicc.

King Hu’s Song Dynasty wuxia masterpiece is a cinematic journey that takes viewers on a spooky Buddhist adventure. Albeit, a long journey,  but it’s totally worth the runtime. There are these jaw dripping Malick-style shots of the Imperial exam failed protagonist, portrayed by the talented Shih Chun, as he journeys through the wilderness on his quest to the mountain. These serene and captivating scenes are a testament to the film’s visual splendor. Oh, and there’s drums. A lot of battle drumming scenes. I don’t think I’ve seen scenes of battle drumming this intense since Whiplash (or Drumline, har har) . Notably, the 192-minute restoration of the movie offers a more comprehensive viewing experience compared to previous English translations that had a runtime of 100 minutes. I think they cut all of the super pretty poetic b roll and scenes that alluded to sex (I swear, there’s this one shot of dragonflies having a moment and it’s insinuating something really spicy). Super sicc.

Aside from an ever so slight dip in the end, this is near perfect. It embraces its identity and all the explicit and implicit things that come with it. The film often opts for more patient shots to envelop us in the world or spell. Many of the scenic shots we get are accompanied by a spellbinding score. I lost count of the times I found myself hypnotized by the music to feel the scene more completely. Whenever magic or sorcery is depicted in film, I prefer abstract and strange visualizations of that. This movie does that perfectly with its weapons of rhythm. While I do accept this movie's horror label, for my money, its place is firmly in fantasy; and in that realm, it is a champion.

Watching this film is like feeling a higher thread count for the first time.

Aside from an ever so slight dip in the end, this is near perfect. It embraces its identity and all the explicit and implicit things that come with it. The film often opts for more patient shots to envelop us in the world or spell. Many of the scenic shots we get are accompanied by a spellbinding score. I lost count of the times I found myself hypnotized by the music to feel the scene more completely. Whenever magic or sorcery is depicted in film, I prefer abstract and strange visualizations of that. This movie does that perfectly with its weapons of rhythm. While I do accept this movie's horror label, for my money, its place is firmly in fantasy; and in that realm, it is a champion.

Watching this film is like feeling a higher thread count for the first time.

I was hoping this would be more action packed like battles in air and people running on water. But I wasn’t disappointed at all. My biggest issue for the film was the main character. He wasn’t somebody that I’d root for and is simply meaningless base for the story. The cinematography and editing are both amazing, the contrast of colors with the dreamy landscape looks like something unimaginable. The production design is obviously the best part of the film, it reflects off the myths and legends with reality to make a beautiful world. I loved this film but I just really wish there was Kung Fu.

I was hoping this would be more action packed like battles in air and people running on water. But I wasn’t disappointed at all. My biggest issue for the film was the main character. He wasn’t somebody that I’d root for and is simply meaningless base for the story. The cinematography and editing are both amazing, the contrast of colors with the dreamy landscape looks like something unimaginable. The production design is obviously the best part of the film, it reflects off the myths and legends with reality to make a beautiful world. I loved this film but I just really wish there was Kung Fu.