With a prodigious output during its peak, it isn’t hard for some Hong Kong features to fade into obscurity. It’s only with recent re-releases that we are getting the opportunity to revisit them. On researching “Fatal Vacation” for this review, I was surprised to read about the controversy that surrounded its production. With a relatively unusual subject matter for the industry, it veers into exploitation territory more in common a with “grindhouse” movie than regular Hong Kong fare.
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Bob (Eric Tsang) runs tours of the Philippines for Hong Kong tourists, assisted by Candy (Irene Wan). In true Hong Kong fashion, he bribes the local airport staff and alters the itinerary to make quick money. At a nightspot, his party are captured by rebels and taken hostage to be used as negotiation for the release of one of their captured brethren. When the government refuses to cooperate the tourists are left on their own with the rebels becoming increasingly vicious to their captives. Realising they have no other option, the remaining tourists decide to make a break for freedom.
Eric Tsang is one of the great polymaths of Hong Kong cinema. Despite his usual comical persona, he was a co-founder of Cinema City and one of the more powerful behind the screen performers of the era. He directed several features including the excellent “The Tigers” and evolved into an outstanding character actor capable of considerable range. This is evidenced in a rare dramatic leading role here. Starting as his usual self, his performance as Bob gradually turns more serious as events unfold.
The opening vignettes provide a quick overview of the tour party before they set off to the Philippines. The tone is comical and light which lures you in before the horrors begin. Just like a disaster movie, we get the standard set of cliches ranging from adulterous husband, triads and cops on the same tour, overbearing grandmother etc.
The camp sequences are where in some respects it steps back from going into full exploration territory. When some of the group are executed, the camera stays on the reaction of the rest inside the hut. Their reactions are more effective than any violence, especially as the executioners are children. The rape scene is genuinely disturbing and shocking and it’s that scene that caused the controversy with a later allegation that it wasn’t all faked. Even the possibility of this being true, makes the scene hard to watch. Again the camera cuts away from the worst of the sequence but this doesn’t change the reaction to it.
Watching the “russian roulette” sequence foreshadows the later “Bullet in the Head” and is the most powerful sequence in the film, mainly due to Eric Tsang capturing the trauma of a man forced to potentially kill others and has a suitably dark climax.
There is a little bit of political commentary sneaking in also. The grandfather references 1997 and being unable to go anywhere after that date. The journalists are more interested in the story than any integrity in reporting it., even capturing the shot of a pregnant wife as she falls into a coma.
The final escape does take plausibility to the limit as the tourists turn from intimidated civilians to machine gun wielding warriors. The escape sequence is a catharsis from what has gone before and so should be taken in the terms of the storyline. The sight of a grenade launching Eric Tsang is certainly an unusual spectacle. The action in these moments is high-octane and also emotional as numbers begin to dwindle. Lovers of “The Wild Geese” or “The Defiant Ones” will recognise a certain similarity to the conclusion.
Victor Wong and Tang Pik-wan get some nice moments as the grandparents with their introduction sequence resulting in a nice pay off towards the conclusion. The rest get little to do other than react, although Tommy Wong brings energy to his redeemed triad “Big Eyes”. Irene Wan is suitably sweet as Candy and Eric Tsang gives himself the most rounded character and another indicator after “Final Victory” that he was more than just a comedy figure.
“Fatal Vacation” is a surprisingly solid feature. Whilst the last third stretches credibility to breaking point, it doesn’t detract from the overall impact of the whole. Nicely paced and building tension, it creates a suitably tense atmosphere and veers away from being overtly exploitative. Whilst the controversy that surrounds its creation cannot be ignored, as a film it is highly entertaining. It’s just ironic that a feature that a steadfastly refuses to fall victim to exploitation excess should be remembered for accusations of behind the scenes doing exactly that.
