The Golden Lotus (1974) is one of the rare diversions from the classic Shaw Brothers studio away from the martial arts/wuxia films they are mostly known for. This film, directed by Li Han Hsiang and produced by Run Run Shaw is a steamy sex romp following sybarite Ching Hsi-Men (Yang Chun) who woos the beautiful married woman Pan Chin-lien (Hu Chin), helping her kill her husband so he can make her one of his concubines. But their relationship is not one of “happily ever after” when Chin-lien is brought into his household.
Based on the 1610 novel of the same name by Lanling Xiaoxiaosheng, The Golden Lotus is lavishly filmed and said to be close to the original novel, which I cannot confirm. The film is a series of erotic, often overly elaborate sex scenes with some intrigue in the relationships between the concubines all vying for the top position in the household. Some of it is funny and some of it is melodramatic, but it is all entertaining and tastily done – somewhat. There are some cringy sexual moments like a bit of S&M “find the basket” gameplay – you will understand when you watch it. With some light nudity and a little bit of violence – and of course, sex, this one is not for the kids. A baby-faced Jackie Chan also makes his feature film debut in this film in a minor role.
Jackie Chan and Wang Lai in The Golden Lotus (1974)
Jackie Chan in The Golden Lotus (1974)
Jackie Chan and Yang Chun in The Golden Lotus (1974)
The Golden Lotus Blu-ray (88 Films – US88FB038)
The Golden Lotus Blu-ray (88 Films – US88FB038)
The Golden Lotus Blu-ray (88 Films – US88FB038)
The Video
The Golden Lotus is presented in a 2.35:1 AVC 1080p encodement. 88 Films does not provide a provenance for this but more likely than not it is a remaster from Celestial Pictures. They do list it as an “HD transfer from the original negative” however. This is one of the better looking of the Shaw Brothers remasters as well, with a fine layer of grain, although one can certainly tell the image has been cleaned up a bit. Given how awful these Hong Kong films have looked for years, this is downright sparkling in comparison. Very slight black crush may be the only major issue with this transfer, otherwise, there is a lot of extended and crisp detail – enough to expose the terrible wigs men are wearing. The colors are vibrant as well.
The Audio
The original Mandarin audio is supplied in LPCM 2.0 mono. This is not a mix that wins any awards for clarity or dynamics but sounds in line with how the Hong Kong films from this era usually sound. There is a lot of sibilance on dialogue and loud sound effects, but your ears acclimate to this after a while and it provides a reasonable amount of entertainment.
The Supplements
88 Films does not provide much on disc for this one. Only the trailer and stills gallery. We do still get the slipcover and reversible sleeve. This one does not have what I would consider the typically gorgeous artwork on the slipcover from 88, it seems a bit bland to me, but your mileage may vary.
Bonus Features:
Slipcover with original artwork by Thomas Walker
Reversible sleeve featuring original Hong Kong poster art
4 Collectible art cards
Trailer (SD; 00:02:28)
Stills Gallery (1080p; 00:02:39)
The Final Assessment
This is one is a tasty bit of Hong Kong erotica, but do not look for something that would reach the level of a Cat III. If you like films like Sex and Zen, then this will be one for you.There are other films out there that do this genre better, but in the canon of Shaw Brothers films, this one still works, with the style, camera work, and set designs they are noted for.
The Golden Lotus is out on Blu-ray September 10, 2024 from 88 Films
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Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
The Golden Lotus (1974) is one of the rare diversions from the classic Shaw Brothers studio away from the martial arts/wuxia films they are mostly known for. This film, directed by Li Han Hsiang and produced by Run Run Shaw...The Golden Lotus (1974) - Steamy Sex Romp from Shaw Brothers | 88 Films | Blu-ray Review
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