The Golden Lotus – 88 Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1974
Director: Li Han-hsiang
Writer: Li Han-hsiang
Cast: Peter Yang, Hu Jin, Tien Lie, Chen Ping, Dean Shek, Jackie Chan

Release Date: September 9th, 2024 (UK), September 10th, 2024 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 116 Minutes 33 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC
Rating: 15 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono Mandarin
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £16.99 (UK), $34.95 (USA)

"Although most famous for their kung fu movies, Hong Kong’s legendary Shaw Brothers studio made more than just chop socky; taken from a (famously saucy) classic novel, Golden Lotus is an epic tale of a passionate – and sometimes destructive – love affair between a rich man and a poor women, a potent story of lust and power." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "HD transfer from the original negative".

The Golden Lotus comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 29.6 GB

Feature: 29.2 GB

The source is in excellent shape; it is one of 88 Films best-looking Shaw Brothers releases. Flesh tones are healthy, colors look correct, black levels are strong, image clarity and compression are solid, and the image looks organic.

Audio: 4/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Mandarin with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds clean, clear, and balanced. That said, range-wise, it can be limited.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a stills gallery with music from the film playing in background, a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 29 seconds, LPCM mono Mandarin with removable English subtitles),  reversible cover art, 4 collectable art cards (limited to the first pressing), and a slipcase (limited to the first pressing).

Summary:

An affluent man becomes infatuated with a married woman whom he seduces and has an illicit affair. They keep their affair a secret, but when her husband discovers it, they are forced to commit murder. Now that they have removed all obstacles, will they find happiness, or was their love doomed from the start?

The Golden Lotus is a different kind of film from the Shaw Brothers, who are most known for their martial arts films. It is a story about seduction, murder, and betrayal with no martial arts. In fact, the result is something closer to a softcore erotica film that’s overflowing with melodrama.

For many, The Golden Lotus’ biggest draw is Jackie Chan (Drunken Master) in one of his early roles, where his character is actually given a name and he’s not just a stuntman. He portrays Brother Yun, a friend of the man whose wife is having an affair. Despite his limited screen time, he delivers a very good performance that foreshadows some of where he would go as an actor.

Though there is some playful banter in the opening set-up, this does not prepare you for where the story will go. When the affluent man lures and takes the married woman by force, there is a dramatic tonal shift. For the rest of the film, there is a noticeably bleaker tone.

The performances are very good, especially Peter Yang’s pitch-perfect portrayal of Ximen Qing, a womanizer who uses his affluent position. Ximen Qing is not meant to be a likable character, and from the moment he arrives on screen, his performance ensures that you despise him. Another performance of note is Hu Jin’s portrayal of Pan Jinlian; she does a superb job capturing the essence of her character's femme fatale persona.

At just under 117 minutes in length, there are many peaks and valleys, some of which do slow down the momentum. Though the visuals are nothing special, to their credit, they let the performances take center stage. That said, your experience with The Golden Lotus may depend on your familiarity with the 16th-century novel from which it is adapted.

The Golden Lotus gets a strong audio/video presentation from 88 Films, recommended despite its lack of contextual extras.

Written by Michael Den Boer