88 Films UK Blu-ray Synopsis: The title tells you all you need to know – set at the highest levels of imperial China, Sex and the Emperor is full of palace intrigue and lots – lots – of sex. (And a bit of torture.) It's told through the eyes of Li, a servant who isn't quite the eunuch he's meant to be. Nonetheless, he does the emperor's bidding – whether helping him perv over women, rescue his favourite concubine from a whorehouse or deal with his enemies. A full-on Category III shag-a-thon (with a bit of torture), Sex and the Emperor might be best avoided if you're not broad-minded; a perfect example of Hong Kong cinema at its absolute wildest. (93 Mins)

 

Hong Kong Classics UK DVD Synopsis: Wong Jing's follow-up to the notorious 'Chinese Torture Chamber' delivers another hefty dose of outrageous and bizarre sexual activity amidst a backdrop of political intrigue. Trouble is brewing in the Imperial Court with the young heir to the throne caught in the middle of a power struggle between his dominant mother and the ambitious chief eunuch. His every sexual wish is fulfilled by numerous concubines, however he finds pleasure in only one woman, a servant girl called Guilian. Despite the attempts by his friend, Little Li, to protect the girl she is expelled from the palace and sold into prostitution. The love-struck Prince cannot forget his true love and searches the brothels throughout the land to find her with the inevitable outrageous and often mind blowing consequences... (100 Mins)

 

Views: Recently restored and released on Blu-ray by 88 Films, Sex and the Emperor is a forgotten Hong Kong film worth a bit of attention. With the Empress Dowager ruling with an iron hand, complete with a scheming aid always whispering in her ear, the young Emperor knows he will never get the chance to marry the woman he wants – a beautiful young servant named Guilian. Forced into sleeping with other consorts for experience, including an educational orgy with older women, his true love is brutally attacked by the Empress's aid before being sold off to a brothel. Angered by this decision, the Emperor sends his best friend and loyal aid on a mission to bring her back, while he deals with the abundance of women that are sent his way. As sex consumes him and syphilis destroys his body, Guilian is brought back to see him one last time for a heartbreaking final goodbye...

 

If you've ever had the pleasure of the utterly wild and highly entertaining A Chinese Torture Chamber Story (1994), then you'll quickly find that Sex and the Emperor plays like a follow-up film. Of course, a big part of that is because prolific film-maker Wong Jing is behind both as producer – a man who loves to entertain his audience with outrageous stories like this and many others. But Sex and the Emperor also marks actor Lee Siu Kay's first credit as a producer. Of course, he had been acting for a good decade prior to this (many of which were Wong Jing movies), and had been involved behind the scenes since the late 80s, going on to produce, write, plan, and present many films in the years that followed. He even tried his hand at directing, starting with Indecent Woman in 1999 which was followed by The Young Ones (2001) and then, finally, Holy Terror in the Village (2003). Sex and the Emperor was written by Cheuk Bing, the same guy behind A Chinese Torture Chamber Story that same year, of which he also penned hits like The Underground Banker and A Taste of Killing and Romance. Debuting with Hitman Blues (1993), Bing would go onto write films such as Teenage Master (1995), Dream Lover (1995) and Gold Fingers (2001); most of which Wong Jing would produce except for his last. The film was directed by Sherman Wong, a bit-player and Wong Jing regular who made his directorial debut with The Romancing Star 3 in 1989, although he had served as Jing's assistant director on the first films as well as others like Magic Crystal (1986), The Crazy Companies 1 & 2 (1988), Crazy Raiders (1989), Crocodile Hunter (1989) and Tricky Brains (1991) among others. Clearly able to tell a story, Wong would go onto direct films like Queen of the Underworld (1991), All for the Gamblers (1991), The Enigma of Love (1993), Stooge, My Love (1996) and more. Here, with Sex and the Emperor, Sherman Wong does a fine job in delivering a solid and well made, if a little wild, historical piece!

 

The cute Sung Boon Chun stars as the titular royal horn-ball, a popular actor from the 90s that often appeared as a young triad, troubled student, or sidekick. So it was nice to see him here, getting to flex his dramatic chops a little more as one of the leading men. Prior to this, he had appeared in films like Daddy, Father & Papa (1991), Naked Killer (1992), Pink Bomb (1993), and To Live and Die in Tsimshatsui (1994) among others. But he clearly made an impression with his role as the young Emperor Tong, going on to star in films such as Peace Hotel (1995), Sixty Million Dollar Man (1995), Young and Dangerous (1996), Chinese Midnight Express (1997), Beast Cops (1998) and so much more! The gorgeous Yvonne Yung Hung stars as the love of his life, Guilian, fresh off her smililarly deminishing roles in A Chinese Torture Chamber Story and Ancient Chinese Whorehouse that were also released in '94. After getting smaller starts in The Iron Butterfly and Miracles in 1989, she would star in films such as the Hong Kong Criminal Archives (1991), Dance With Dragon (1991), My Pale Lover (1993), Guns of Dragon (1993), Drunken Master 2 (1994), Romance of the Vampires (1994) and Bloody Brothers (1994) among others. But after this, the former Miss Asia would go onto appear in films like Don't Give a Damn and Lover of the Last Empress in '95, Ninja Kids (1997), Thunder Cops (1999), The Murderer is My Wife (2003), Tale of Two Cities (2012), and The Magic Lotus Lantern in 2021 – which was also her last film to date. Here, both stars impress as the unfortunate lovers and, I must admit, I found myself sitting with a huge smile on my face when they eventually crossed paths once again. As expected, though, there's no happy ending here.

 

Joining them is Leung Si Ho – the handsome and lively bellboy from Miracles (1989) – who stars as the Emperor's best friend and close aid, Little Li. Hiding his secret as a eunuch that was never actually castrated properly, Li goes through a lot for his master but proves to be the biggest winner in the end. Having starred in films such as The Last Vampire (1988), Into the Fire (1989), Gambling Soul (1992), The Three Swordsmen (1994) and From Beijing with Love (1994) prior to this, Leung proves to be quite entertaining in his role as Little Li, with the whole story narrated by him. Popular actor Jimmy Wong Shu Kei stars as Prince Jing, loyal brother to the young Emperor, while the always entertaining Stuart Ong returns as another sleazy, unlikeable bad guy who seems to be having a great time doing so. Playing the twisted aid to the Empress Dowager, Ong's character has the ability to catch flies with his tongue, which obviously showed his talents of keeping the women happy. Of course, Ong had been around some time prior to this and had worked with Wong Jing many times over the years. Another Wong Jing regular, the hilarious Kingdom Yuen, appears as another brothel madam – bringing in some laughs as always – while her fellow madam, Aunty Hong, steals the show while displaying her Pussy Clamping Brush Technique. Played by the edgy Julie Lee; she from Trilogy of Lust (1995) fame which she starred in, wrote and directed (please check out our visual audio-commentary of that movie on the Invincible Asia YouTube channel), Lee delivers some outrageous action here when teaching her prostitutes how to please men. Once seen, you'll never forget it! And finally, Stephen Chow regular Wong Yat Fei makes a guest appearance...

 

With no less than three assistant directors on-board – Mau Kin Tak, Whiskey Yung, and Kenny Wong – and some gorgeous cinematography from popular DOP Tony Miu Kin Fai (highlighted even more so thanks to this gorgeous restoration), Sex and the Emperor was a joy to revisit. Yes, there's a lot of wild sex and some violent sex at that, not to mention the brutal torture scenes that begin with one of the most shocking scenes of the film, but it still manages to have a bit of heart about it while coming across as a well made piece. For martial arts fans, well, apart from Aunty Hong's vaginal wushu at the brothel, you'll have to wait until the last 10 minutes where we get treated to a brief display of fight action when Little Li and his gang exact revenge on the sadistic On Dahai (Ong)! It's a fun skirmish that leaves him in pieces, choreographed by Chan Wai To; a bit-part actor-turned-choreographer seen in films like The Legend of Wisely (1987), Iron Angels (1987), Tiger Cage (1988), Once Upon a Time in China (1991), Queen of the Underworld (1991), First Strike (1996) and more. While it won't be to everyone's taste, Sex and the Emperor is an entertaining, eye-opening, and well made historical tale full of political intrigue and love!

 

Overall: More sex and less Zen with a healthy dose of torture, Sex and the Emperor makes for a fun watch, but still has the ability to shock!

 

88 Films Blu-ray Extras: 2K Restoration, Audio Commentary with David West, James Mudge on Sex and the Emperor, Trailer, Image Gallery

 

Hong Kong Classics DVD Extras: Two Versions of Film, Cat. 3 Profile, Biographies and Filmographies, Trailers, Image Gallery