REVIEW: Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan (1972)

Swordplay, sex and scheming mix when a woman (Lily Ho) abducted and forced to become a high-class prostitute employs newly-learned deception and martial arts skills to get her revenge.

A gutsy and stylish anomaly in Chinese filmmaking that influenced a generation of Hong Kong filmmakers is Chor Yuen’s INTIMATE CONFESSIONS OF A CHINESE COURTESAN. Although already a well established filmmaker, this was only Chor’s third film for the newly crowned kings of Chinese cinema, the Shaw Brothers. Exquisitely shot, yet filled with more violence and racy sexuality than ever seen before in Chinese cinemas, INTIMATE CONFESSIONS is a liberating and gleefully exploitive exploration of gender roles and conventions that vaulted Chor to the forefront of Hong Kong’s filmmaking elite.

Chinese martial arts films up to this point had long been dominated by women warriors but in two-dimensional roles as chaste heroines out to right wrongs. Yet modern trends in filmmaking around the world were having an impact on emerging Chinese directors. While Chang Cheh focused on increasingly bloody tales of male bonding and self sacrifice, influenced by America’s rebel movement, Chor Yuen tapped into more progressive European trends. By 1972, you could see just about any depravity imaginable explored in European horror and exploitation films such as Harry Kumel’s DAUGHTER OF DARKNESS, a tale of lesbian vampires. This example compares favorably with INTIMATE CONFESSIONS as both are campy, fun and excessive depictions of female empowerment.

Hong Kong film fans may also see comparisons between INTIMATE CONFESSIONS and Clarence Ford’s NAKED KILLER (1992), which is virtually a modern remake. Chor’s influence runs deeper though as he introduced the revengeful femme fatale to Chinese cinema and this would be a central theme in dozens of films to come from KISS OF DEATH (1973) to NAKED WEAPON (2002). Chor even directed his own remake, LUST FOR LOVE OF A CHINESE COURTESAN, which was released in 1984. His 1972 version remains the best of the bunch.

Chor and screenwriter Chiu Kang-chien masterfully set the story up with a bit of foreshadowing as we see Chief Ji (Yueh Hua) investigating the death of a wealthy citizen. Mention of the lead suspect, a high class prostitute named Ainu (Lily Ho), sends the viewer back in time where we see her as a country girl, abducted and initially forced into prostitution. The woman responsible is Madam Chun (Betty Pei Ti), a sultry and deadly taskmaster trained in martial arts by a would-be lover (Tung Lin) and former swordsman. Chun takes a serious liking to Ainu – if you know what I mean – and a failed escape attempt brings about a change in Ainu where she decides to take advantage of Chun’s favor.

Having initially suffered at the hands of four sexually-depraved men, Ainu learns martial arts while continuing to entertain them. Eventually, she begins to turn the tables and they start having fatal “accidents.” As Chief Ji desperately tries to discover the truth and stop Ainu, she employs guile to systematically seek revenge on everyone who ever wronged her which leads to a bloody confrontation with Chun.

Excessive doesn’t begin to describe how truly outrageous this film is. To be sure, there were more disturbingly violent and sexually explicit films released in other countries at the time. But it’s the overall presentation of almost cartoon-like violence and sexuality that makes this such a memorable experience and certainly groundbreaking for a 1972 Hong Kong production.

The film is actually quite tame by today’s standards, given its subject matter. Chor Yuen was above making a simple porn movie and this can be seen in his artful and mostly discrete direction surrounding the scenes featuring sexual content. There’s a little nudity, mostly implied lesbian action, horny old men comically tied up or pouncing on their victims, and mild S&M action. What’s great about all this is that Chor doesn’t take it too seriously but yet the plight of Lily Ho still seems real. Her anguished portrayal is convincing enough and you’re more than happy to see her finally turn on her abusers.

The action is about as bloody as anything you will ever see in a Chinese martial arts film. Limbs are cut off, fingers penetrate torsos and countless bodies are cut down by sword strokes. While the campy bloodletting itself is played up the most, the martial arts choreography is still surprisingly good. In fact, the swordplay is as good as any seen in other wuxia films of the era. A highpoint comes as Lily Ho takes on the brothel’s enforcers. In one unbroken sequence, she takes out fourteen opponents on all sides with fourteen successive sword strokes in fourteen seconds. I know, because I counted, twice. Of course, undercranking of the camera was used to speed up the action but it’s hardly a detractor unless you’re obsessed with seeing realistic martial arts completely unedited. This illustrates that even in an exploitive work like this, the action is still given star treatment.

INTIMATE CONFESSIONS is a beautifully shot film with a killer soundtrack that drops in contemporary organ, drums or guitar riffs at just the right moments for maximum camp value. The film’s revenge story is also a wild ride that builds up to a knockout conclusion. The final confrontation between the commanding Lily Ho and the sweetly vindictive Betty Pei, who are both in top form, ranks up there as one of the best. Love, hate, deception, irony, and shock all converge on a bittersweet but very satisfying end. This film is highly recommended to a select audience. If you’re not easily offended and can deal with low-brow comedy, earnest melodrama and near-fantasy swordplay all occupying the same space you are guaranteed to have a great time.

Related Topics: exploitation, female fighter, investigation, lesbian, prostitute, severed limb, swordplay, torture, Videos