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TEMPLE
OF THE RED LOTUS (1965)
Reviewed
by Andrew Saroch
As
is widely reported, 'Temple Of The Red Lotus' is one of the
milestone productions that helped shape a new era in Hong Kong
cinema. Bringing the swordplay genre into the modern age, this
Shaw Brothers production helped open up the way for King Hu's
superlative 'Come Drink With Me' and a whole host of lesser
works.
On
his way to the home of his betrothed, swordsman Wu (Yu) is
severely beaten by a gang who he believes to be bandits. Saved
by the legendary Red Lady, Wu is healed of his wounds and
completes his journey to the family residence of Dragon Jin -
his future father-in-law. As Wu and his bride-to-be Liang get
to know each other better, the family continue their on-going
war with the villainous Red Lotus sect. Unfortunately, Wu
discovers that his earlier assailants were in fact the family
he is about to marry; deducing that they are all bandits, Wu
resolves to leave with his new wife and disown his new
in-laws. The family rules state that Wu and Liang are not
allowed to leave the home though and the newlyweds are forced
to fight their way out.
It's
always difficult separating a film from its historical
importance. In the case of 'Temple Of Red Lotus', while its
importance in terms of Hong Kong cinema is undeniable, it is
hardly a memorable experience. It's a telling fact that 'Come
Drink With Me' was made a mere year or so later and hasn't
aged while 'Temple Of The Red Lotus' has all the faults of an
archaic curio. While King Hu's film remains as impressive as
it must have appeared on its initial release, 'Temple Of The
Red Lotus' shows some worrying wrinkles and unintentional
distractions. The argument some may present is that comparing
many early swordplay films to 'Come Drink With Me' is fatuous;
however, even compared to 'Magnificent Trio' - a slightly
later Wang Yu effort - it is found wanting.
Some
of the weaknesses of the overall effect of 'Temple Of The Red
Lotus' lie in the inconsistent storyline. Even though the
eponymous Red Lotus temple is constantly mentioned, it is only
a happy coincidence during the final ten minutes that affords
viewers the chance to actually see it. Alongside this slightly
misleading aspect, there's also the fact that the narrative
appears a touch too theatrical; the construction of the scenes
and the general outworking of the plot is patchy, episodic and
seems to have more in common with the conventions of Chinese
opera than cinema. The source material will undoubtedly
account for much of this, but it still doesn't fully justify
the awkward transition to screen. Events sometimes seem to
have very little to do with the scene that preceded it - a
certain distraction.
Action-wise,
'Temple Of The Red Lotus' is competent, but slightly
repetitive. The choreography tends to focus too much on the
hero/heroes being surrounded by encircling villains then
flailing sword or outstretched leg towards them. After a few
instances of this, it quickly becomes tiresome. Therefore the
needed tension that should arise when the character of Wu is
faced with fighting his in-laws' diverse skills is lacking.
Nonetheless, the non-action scenes that feature Wang Yu and
Chin Ping are a compensation; the nervy, naive and charming
romance between the two is one of the few definite merits in
the production's favour. Wang Yu would later make a career out
of playing stoic heroes faced with incredible tragedy, but on
the strength of his performance here this seems a shame. His
vulnerable hero is often more empathetic than the robotic
avengers he sometimes played.
At
the end of the day, 'Temple Of The Red Lotus' works as more of
a historical artefact than a genuinely exciting swordplay
feature. That's not to say that it doesn't have its moments;
there's certainly good performances within the film and the
aforementioned chemistry between Wang Yu and Chin Ping.
However, this is a production that seems prehistoric in
comparison to what was to follow a mere year or so later - it
retains a certain charm, but the sands of time have not been
especially kind to the finished article.
Rating:
 
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