Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.5

The Golden Lotus Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman September 5, 2024

Shaw Brothers reportedly produced and/or released around 1,000 films over the course of its storied life, and that means despite a virtual onslaught of Blu-ray releases of Shaw Brothers outings in everything from standalone discs to gargantuan collections like Arrow's Shawscope Volume One and Shawscope Volume Two (and, as this review is being written, an impending Shawscope Volume Three), there are still more out there waiting for the high definition treatment. That said, if you didn't already know The Golden Lotus was a Shaw Brothers production, you might understandably mistake it for a so-called Pink Film, a genre probably more likely to be released (in a major studio way and admittedly in a number of different sub-idioms) by the likes of Nikkatsu, Toie and/or Shochiku. That aspect may be a calling card in and of itself, though maybe just a little hilariously, this film offers a very early if minor role for Jackie Chan, who perhaps unexpectedly isn't called on to perform any action (I might jokingly add not even the sexual kind, which is in abundance in this film). He does offer another patented trait of his, some comedy relief, along the way.

Also perhaps slightly hilariously, The Golden Lotus has the perceived imprimatur of being culled from some kind of 17th century pulp novel that may prove the Chinese had a handle on niche markets long before we dumbfounded Westerners did. There's a vignette driven approach here, perhaps understandable given the fact that the focal male Ximen Qing (Peter Yang) isn't shy about pursuing any number of different women, including focal female Pan Jinlian (Hu Chin), whose severely bound feet are an object of desire. Even the fact that Pan Jinlian is married to Wu Dulang (Chiang Nan) isn't the stumbling block one might initially assume, though that sets the film off on a kind of noir inflected bent where an unfortunate spouse's murder may play into devious lovers' plans.

If the scheming parts of The Golden Lotus are at least relatively in line with elements often seen in Shaw Brothers productions, the ubiquity of naked women and any number of moments of intimacy (consensual or otherwise) probably make this an outlier in the studio's output. Continuing with the above moments of hilarity, it turns out that the operatic ( soap operatic?) tendencies of the source novel led to it being adapted fairly recently as a stage musical. In our final example of unintended comedy, the fact that this film is perceived as being so tawdry and low brow there are some who claim it couldn't possibly have been directed by Li Han Hsiang. There's one especially amusing user review on IMDb lamenting the fact that (as this non-fan pretty much terms it) some "imposter" with the same name helmed the film. All of this said, while there are certainly narrative deficiencies at play, there's also a comfortable quality to basic techniques like framing, editing and scoring, as well as generally appealing performances, which seem to add up to a cast and crew that knew what they were doing.

The Golden Lotus Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Golden Lotus is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of 88 Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.41:1. The back cover of this release states this is an "HD transfer from the original negative". This is an invitingly strong looking presentation, especially for such a little known cult item in the Shaw Brothers catalogue. The palette is very healthy virtually the entire time, and even manages to weather opticals like dissolves with surprising vibrancy. Primaries are especially striking. Detail levels are typically excellent throughout, offering a nicely precise rendering of textures on costume fabrics and sets. This is yet another Asian production where there are some at times severe anamorphic squeezing, especially toward the edges of the frame (see screenshot 7). There are a few passing moments where grain seems to recede, or at least become noticeably less visible, but on the whole things look commendably organic and there are no compression issues to contend with.

The Golden Lotus Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Golden Lotus features an LPCM 2.0 Mono track in the original Mandarin. This has a somewhat thin sound on the high end which tends to be especially noticeable during music, as in the opening Shaw Brothers masthead theme or some of the higher washes of percussion in the opening credits music. Otherwise, though, the track offers a secure and full bodied reproduction of a rather nice assortment of ambient environmental sounds and dialogue. Optional English subtitles are available.

The Golden Lotus Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This release perhaps surprisingly doesn't offer a commentary from the likes of Frank Djeng or any of the other "usual suspects".

• Trailer (HD; 2:29) emphasizes bare breasts and the fact that this is a "prestigious" production.


• Stills Gallery (HD; 2:39)

Additionally, the keepcase has a reversible sleeve and encloses art cards. Packaging features a slipcover.

The Golden Lotus Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Anyone who thinks sexually charged soap operas started with the Americans might want to check out The Golden Lotus. The film may not be the "masterpiece" the back cover hypes it to be, and some may feel my overall score of 3.5 is overly generous, but at least as a real curio in the history of Shaw Brothers, it probably has value for both its provocative content as well as its early Jackie Chan appearance. Video is really pretty sumptuous on this one and audio, while not at that level of excellence, offers generally reasonable fidelity. There aren't any standout supplements with this release, but at least for the curious (golden yellow?), The Golden Lotus comes Recommended.