Sun Valley (1995)
Reviewed by: pjshimmer on 2005-11-18
Summary: Interesting film
Having seen He Ping's SWORDSMAN IN DOUBLE FLAG TOWN, I more or less knew what to expect from SUN VALLEY: a leisurely paced study of human character, disguised as a wuxia-spaghetti western on the surface. Like DOUBLE FLAG, the setting is a small town near the desert. Some of the fantastic imagery looks like it could have been extracted out of Federico Fellini's LA STRADA. Unlike DOUBLE FLAG, this one doesn't have an exciting finale. The action are scatter throughout the feature. The swordsman searches for a "friend" (nice term for a killing target) and ends up finding his soul. He is haunted by a nightmare vision from the past, living a life of revenge. At the end, he is liberated through bloodshed. Impressive Mainland veterans Zhang Fengyi (who is excellent in EMPEROR & ASSASSIN) and Wang Xueqi (the best of WARRIORS OF HEAVEN & EARTH) are joined by Shaw Brothers veteran Ku Feng, along with a great lady Yang Guimei.
Reviewer Score: 7