(Hong Kong 1994) 

Original Title: Fof Siu Hung Lin Ji 火燒紅蓮寺 (aka) The Rape Of The Red Temple

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Directed by Ringo Lam Produced by Tsui Hark Action by Chris Lee Starring: Willie Chi, Carman Lee, Wong Kam Kong, Yang Sheng, Maggie Lam Chuen, John Ching, Yuen Gam Fai, Wu Xi Qian, Li Ji Reviewing: Vinegar Syndrome US Blu-ray Release Genres: New Wave / Martial Arts / Adventure

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Rating - 4.3 / 5

Vinegar Syndrome US Blu-ray Synopsis: After the Manchu government sends soldiers to kill all of the Shaolin Monks, a young disciple named Fong Sai Yuk flees with his master in order to avoid being captured and executed. While on the run, Fong meets a young prostitute named Dou Dou who tries to help Fong and his master hide from a ruthless Manchu General skilled with a flying guillotine. Unable to save his master, Fong and Dou Dou are both captured and sent to an underground work prison known as the Red Lotus Temple. Run by a sadistic warden named Kung, who has a penchant for torturing and decapitating his prisoners, the Red Lotus Temple is a booby trap riddled Hell from which no one can escape. Thrown into a pit full of corpses and left to die, Fong must rally the other prisoners to fight back against their evil captors if they have any hope of escaping a fate worse than death. However, Fong must first contend with a former Shaolin disciple turned traitor as well as a mysterious masked female fighter in order to save Dou Dou and free himself. A staggeringly violent martial arts epic, BURNING PARADISE is considered one of director Ringo Lam's (City On Fire) best and most underrated films, as well as his only foray into the Wuxia genre. Produced in collaboration with visionary Tsui Hark, BURNING PARADISE separates itself from other kung fu films of the time by incorporating dark fantasy elements and bloody fight choreography with a slick production value and bleak storyline. Vinegar Syndrome is proud to present this seldom seem gory martial arts shocker in its first English-friendly Blu-ray release, restored in 2K from its original camera negative. (105 Mins)

 

Eureka Video UK Blu-ray Synopsis: Director Ringo Lam's (Wild Search, City On Fire) only film in the wuxia genre is also one of his best and bloodiest. Hunted by the Manchu government, a young Fong Sai Yuk is captured and sent to the Red Lotus Temple, where Shaolin monks are enslaved and viciously tortured by the sadistic warden Kung (Wong Kam Kong). Thrown into a pit of corpses and left to die, Fong survives and attempts to save his Shaolin brothers. Produced by Tsui Hark, Burning Paradise is a dark fantasy epic, filled with shocking violence and incredible choreography. Eureka Classics is proud to present the film for the first time in the UK since the VHS era in a blood-soaked special edition. (105 Mins)

 

Spectrum Films French Blu-ray Synopsis: The Shaolin Temple was destroyed by the Manchus of the Red Lotus sect. The surviving monks attempt to escape across the land. An intrepid fighter, the young Fong Sai-Yuk is captured and then sent as a slave to the temple of the Red Lotus. Determined to organize the revolt of the prisoners, he will first have to escape the innumerable traps of this immense maze led by a bloodthirsty madman. When Ringo Lam tackles the wu xia pian, it gives Burning Paradise aka The Temple of the Red Lotus, staggering peak of assumed sadism and alas, a commercial failure. If he summons Fong Sai Yuk, a national hero notably annexed by Shaw Brothers in the 70s and 80s, he quickly gets rid of the slightest objective and chronological realism. Filled with sound, fury and desolation, the film demonstrates a magnificent period of Asian cinema. The fire comes to purify the sanctuary of impiety, of profanations, flows around and inside the moving bodies, devours them, makes them stronger, contaminates the film and sets the retina ablaze. (105 Mins)

 

Made In Hong Kong UK VHS Synopsis: Maverick producer Tsui Hark (A Better Tomorrow, Once Upon A Time In China, A Chinese Ghost Story)and infamous director Ringo Lam (City On Fire, Full Contact) take on the period kung fu genre with trademark fury. A bloodsoaked gothic martial arts apocalypse, Burning Paradise tells the epic tale of two Shaolin heroes battling the consummately evil Red Lotus monks in a baroque underworld inferno. Unlike anything seen before in Hong Kong cinema, Burning Paradise firmly establishes Lam as the new king of the eastern screen. Apocalypse Now meets Blood Brothers, an unholy masterpiece from the Hong Kong Peckinpah. (95 Mins)

 

Views: Over the past year, Ringo Lam's fantastically violent and underrated wuxia fantasy, Burning Paradise, has gained a whole new audience with its restored Blu-ray releases in Hong Kong, France, North America, and now in the UK courtesy of Eureka Video. In fact, it had been some time since it last hit these shores which happened to be on VHS from Made In Hong Kong around 1997. I loved it then, but now, having purchased the restored Blu-rays from Spectrum Films, Vinegar Syndrome and Eureka Video, I can honestly say that I've never enjoyed it as much as I have in glorious HD. Lam gives us a brutal and dark tale featuring a young Fong Sai Yuk, one of many folk-heroes of Chinese history, who is being hunted by the Manchu government after the burning of the Shaolin Temple. No matter how hard he fights, Fong is eventually captured and taken to the Red Lotus Temple; a deadly prison of traps where many of his Shaolin brothers are being held and tortured by order of the sadistic warden. Although he struggles to survive the many traps and maze-like caverns of the Red Lotus Temple, Fong eventually gains the strength to fight his way out and save his fellow monks from death!

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While it may not be perfect, I've always held Burning Paradise in high regards as one of my favourite Hong Kong movies and, quite possibly, my favourite Ringo Lam movie. In fact, I would have loved to have seen Lam deliver a trilogy on the adventures of Fong Sai Yuk, keeping things as dark, gothic, and violent as this one – challenging the international success of Tsui Hark and Jet Li's Once Upon A Time In China series. Of course, I'm not forgetting the fact that Hark himself was the actual producer of Burning Paradise (and no doubt had a say here and there on the direction of certain scenes). Even though 1993 had been a busy enough year for him filled with fantasy epics including OUATIC 3 & 4, Swordsman 3: The East Is Red, Iron Monkey, The Magic Crane, and Green Snake, Tsui wasn't for slowing down and went on to write, produce and/or direct three other films in 1994 such as The Lovers, OUATIC 5, and the little seen martial-arts fantasy, Forging The Swords. As seen when watching Burning Paradise, it's clear that Tsui and Lam made a great team! It's just a damn shame they didn't do more together; and I wouldn't take their co-directing credits on Jackie Chan's Twin Dragons in the same context. Although this would be Ringo Lam's only venture into the wuxia genre, I firmly believe that he does an incredible job and was no doubt inspired by having Tsui by his side considering his aforementioned titles, and those before them. Of course, during the decade prior to this, Lam had served up many incredible titles from his fun 1983 debut Esprit D'amour, Aces Go Places 4, Wild Search, and his super-popular 'On-Fire' series such as City On Fire, Prison On Fire, and the intense School On Fire (which really needs the same Blu-ray treatment as this film). I've long been a huge fan of his with Lam going on to deliver more great titles including Sammo Hung's Touch & Go, the amazing Full Contact, underrated Undeclared War, Prison On Fire 2, the original Andy Lau film The Adventurers, Full Alert, and more. Unlike many of Hong Kong's other filmmakers, Lam made a surprisingly small amount of films during his time in the industry – directing 24 films in 37 years – and I can only imagine what else we could have got had he been around a bit longer.

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I could never really understand why Burning Paradise was such a box-office failure on its initial release, although often wondered was the casting of 'new kid on the block' Willie Chi Tin Sang one of the main reasons. Although he does a fine job in his debut role, I can only imagine had someone like Jet Li (or somebody else with as big a name) were cast instead of Chi, then perhaps this fantastic film might have been a bigger hit from the beginning. But I did enjoy the new actor as Fong Sai Yuk and felt it was a bit of a shame that his short-lived career came to stop after playing two of Hong Kong cinemas most treasured folk hero's – such as Fong Sai Yuk here and the legendary Wong Fei Hung in Lau Kar Leung's ill-fated Drunken Master 3. Smaller roles in Stanley Siu Wing's Little Drunken Masters and Do Wai Daat's 18 Shaolin Golden Boys followed, but by the mid-late 90s Willie Chi had turned his back on the film world. I also think, overall, that Hark and Lam made some interesting casting choices, respectively. It's certainly not a main cast that would be that popular to most Hong Kong movie fans – or even, perhaps, the mainstream Hong Kong audience of that time. The lovely Carmen Lee, who I've enjoyed in films such as Killer's Romance, The Wicked City, Final Option, Forbidden City Cop, Legend Of The Wolf, and others, stars as the romantic interest for Fong Sai Yuk. Yang Sheng plays Hung Hei Koon, the Shaolin monk gone bad who opts for joining the dark-side in order to stay alive. While he has appeared in many great titles over the years including Yes Madam, Magnificent Warriors, Peacock King, and Seven Warriors, I'd say that his role here is most definitely his most memorable one and allows him to really show-off his kung-fu skills in full force. I was surprised to see the great John Ching Tung in the role that he had here as one of the Red Lotus commanders; I'm so used to seeing him pop-up in modern day action films such as Dragon In Jail, Tricky Brains, God Of Gamblers 2 & 3, Best Of The Best, Pom Pom & Hot Hot, A Taste Of Killing & Romance, and so much more – but he does a great job and gets to use a weapon similar to the flying guillotine. He works for the brutal prison warden known as Kung, a sadistic and unforgiving bastard who enjoys murdering anyone who gets in his way, played brilliantly by the superb Wong Kam Kong. Although he didn't star in many films over his 15 year career – when you look at the output from most Hong Kong actors of the time – Wong became a recognisable face to many and often gave great performances no matter how big the role. Prior to this, Wong tread similar ground in martial arts movies such as Sammo Hung's Blade Of Fury and Cheng Siu Keung's forgotten Sam The Iron Bridge Trilogy, although it's also worth pointing out his roles in films such as The Tigers, Gunmen, Wonder Seven, and From Beijing With Love where he plays Chow Sing Chi's nemesis, Golden Gun. Of course, both John Ching and Kam Kong would stick around for Ringo Lam's next project, The Adventurers, alongside Andy Lau just a year later. But it would be the impressive Maggie Lam Chuen who stole the show for me as Kung's deadly assassin, Chui Hiu. With only 6 film credits to her name, over the course of 14 years in the business, I'd love to have seen her do a lot more action films to be honest and enjoyed her in the brilliant Fong Sai Yuk-themed sequel, Young Hero Of Shaolin 2 many years before, as well as her role in Frankie Chan's Fun & Fury, and brief appearance as a policewoman in Stanley Tong's China Strike Force.

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The film was co-written by actors Wong Wan Choi and Nam Yin, with the latter also penning, producing and appearing in Ringo Lam's Prison On Fire 1 & 2, School On Fire, Wild Search, Undeclared War, Touch & Go, and Full Contact, as well as many others including Killer's Blues, Dragon In Jail, Fatal Vacation, and Legendary Couple. He also wrote two of Sammo Hung's lesser appreciated titles such as My Flying Wife (which I quite enjoyed) and Hidden Enforcers, of which he would also direct. With a great score from Brother Hung, who has handled the music for many Herman Yau classics from the Troublesome Night Series to Ebola Syndrome, Turning Point 1 & 2 to Shock Wave 1 & 2, the film also has some great cinematography courtesy of Chinese DOP Gao Zi Yi – who also captured the fun Crystal Fortune Run the same year. Interestingly enough, that same sci-fi action-flick was produced and directed by Jackie Chan Stunt Team member Chris Lee, the very same man responsible for the brilliant choreography on offer here in Burning Paradise. He is assisted by Wong San Gwan, JCST brothers Lai Sing Kwong and Chan Tat Kwong, and the popular Mandy Chan Chi Man; probably more recognisable as an actor in Donnie Yen films like Drunken Tai Chi, Mismatched Couples, High Voltage, Iron Monkey, and Legend Of The Wolf, as well as a role in Van Damme's Bloodsport. Widely known as one of the stunt guys who survived the famous 'bus stunt that went wrong' in Police Story, Chris Lee started his acting career in the early 80s with a small appearance in Once Upon A Mirage, followed by roles in Ching Siu Tung's amazing Duel To The Death, Chow Yun Fat's Blood Money (ironically about Hong Kong stuntmen risking their lives in the industry), and Chang Cheh's Attack Of The Joyful Goddess which helped to gain him the attention of Jackie Chan who brought him on-board with Project A – going on to appear in films such as Police Story 1 & 2, Project A 2, and Miracles, as well as starring in other classics like Eastern Condors, Killer's Nocturne, In The Line Of Duty 3 and 5, Ringo Lam's Full Contact and Full Alert, and more including Cynthia Khan's rarely seen Queen's High; which was also his directorial debut. Going on to direct 5 titles over the next 12 years, including the aforementioned Crystal Fortune Run of which he also produced and co-starred in, Chris Lee kept himself busy as a producer and choreographer on films like Drunken Master 3, My Flying Wife, Wicked City, China White, Twin Dragons, Heroic Duo, Max Zhang's brilliant thriller, The Brink, and had worked previously with Lam as the choreographer on his underrated thriller, Undeclared War, which I highly recommend. In Burning Paradise, the team provide plenty of enjoyable fight scenes that give new star, Willie Chi, the chance to debut some great moves along with a wild display of weaponry, wire-fu, and brutal attacks that deserve the attention!

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With the aforementioned restorations coming to light, Burning Paradise should amaze its audience, both old and new, with its crystal clear picture that reveals some gorgeous shots, stunning colours, and more. For me, it was like watching the film for the first time and most definitely the best viewing I've ever had of it (and I own 3 Blu-ray versions). In recent years, I've often compared Roy Chow's 2014 film Rise Of The Legend to Burning Paradise – a darker tale of a younger Wong Fei Hung that saw him endure brutality, violence, and fights to the death. It was a much more serious affair to that of Tsui Hark's Once Upon A Time In China series yet, much like Ringo Lam's similar approach with Fong Sai Yuk, the film failed to light-up the box office unfortunately. This was pretty sad considering the great direction, high production values, and brilliant performances from Eddie Peng and Sammo Hung, not to mention plenty of amazing fight action – but it seems that the Hong Kong audience isn't fond of seeing their folk heroes in Cat. 3 territory. Regardless, I find it refreshing and still hold Burning Paradise as one of the best from the 90s Hong Kong New-Wave era!

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Overall: Packed full of brutal wire-fu action and brilliantly directed, Burning Paradise is one of Ringo Lam's finest moments!

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Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray Extras: 2K Restoration, Audio Commentary with Sam Deighan, Interview with Wong Kam Kong, Archival Interview with Tsui Hark, Video Essay by Chris O'Neill, Trailer

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Eureka Video Blu-ray Synopsis: 2K Restoration, Audio Commentary with Frank Djeng, Archival Interview with Tsui Hark, Trailer

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Spectrum Films Blu-ray Extras: Presentation by Arnaud Lanuque, Video Essay by Alex Rallo, Interview with Tsui Hark

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Made In Hong Kong Trailers: To Live & Die In Tsim Sh Tsui, A Better Tomorrow 2, Invincible Shaolin, The Buddhist Fist, Tiger On The Beat, Moon Warriors

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Watch my unboxing video for the Spectrum Blu-ray release HERE

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Watch my unboxing for the Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray release HERE

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Watch my unboxing for the Eureka Video Blu-ray release HERE