During the early 1990's there was an incredible array of outstanding films to emerge from the final embers of the Hong Kong New Wave. So much so, that inevitably some would get lost and become fragmented memories waiting to be rediscovered. “Burning Paradise” in my home country of England received a video release from the “Made in Hong Kong Label” that was responsible for converting many like myself to this incredible cinematic world. After that, nothing. Whilst Ringo Lam would forever be remembered for his contribution to Heroic Bloodshed with “City on Fire” and “Full Contact”, this, his sole attempt at the period action genre, has largely been ignored. A gothic horror infused martial arts epic with its canvas seeped in blood and arguably his finest achievement.
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After the destruction of the Shaolin Temple, Fong Sai Yuk (Willie Chi) and a monk are chased into the desert. Taking shelter in an abandoned building, they come across Tou Tou (Carmen Lee) who is returning home after leaving her past as a prostitute. Finding themselves surrounded, the monk is slain, and the others taken captive to the Red Lotus Temple. There they are greeted by Elder Kung (Kam Kong Wong) who oversees the prison and treats it like his own kingdom. Unable to leave himself, he now indulges all his sadistic impulses. The Shaolin rebels are stunned to find one of their own Hong Xiguan (Yansom Domingo) is one of his subordinates. With escape seemingly impossible, survival is initially their only hope. Yet not is all as it seems as the film heads towards the inevitable violent and bloody climax.
Firstly, let's look at the whole visual look of “Burning Paradise”. From the outset we get the realisation this is not going to be your standard period action film as Fong Sai Yuk decapitates one of the soldiers chasing him and the monk in half. These scenes have an epic swoop as they chase across the desert after the opening montage of the Shaolin Temple's destruction. Yet these are deceptive, as once Fong Sai Yuk and Tou Tou are captured and taken to the Red Lotus Temple, the whole tone becomes much more claustrophobic. The Red Lotus Temple itself is taken from a period gothic. Outside the temple are the hung remains of dead monks, a victim's hands risen through a makeshift grave providing portent of the horror to come. Within the temple are seemingly endless catacombs, a living embodiment of hell as the cast fall prey to the traps that conspire to keep both prisoners and guards inside. As Elder Kung explicitly states, if they could leave, he would be the first to go. The Temple is a prison for everyone. It's a powerful, effective look that instantly makes it stand apart from the rest of its counterparts.
Ringo Lam's trademark anger at the world at this time is on full display here. A Buddha is rigged with guns and the only escape is through the statue's destruction. The Temple is filled with traps designed to inflict the most pain imaginable and in Elder Kung, possibly one of the most complex creations in the genre's history. Played by sometime actor and artist Kam Kong Wong, it is a fascinating construction. Fully aware of his own depravity, he recognizes the futility of his existence and so seeks to embrace life in all its forms. The Temple has become his own alter of excess, with no escape possible for anyone including himself. He delights in the torturing of his prisoners and gets angry at Tou Tou when she decides not to resist him as it denies him a greater pleasure. He plays it to the hilt and the sometimes over the top nature of the performance is fitting with a man that has lost any sense of humanity.
Willie Chi captures some of the energy that is needed when playing the folk hero Fong Sai Yuk. He had a very short cinematic career and is unique for potentially starring in arguably the finest action movie that year in “Burning Paradise” and in the worst “Drunken Master III” (I still try to forget it exists…. along with Iron Monkey II!). The naivety of the character and stubbornness makes for the perfect protagonist as his sense of honour clashes with the malevolence that surrounds him. Credit also goes to Carmen Lee who adds a few more shades to the otherwise passive Tou Tou who is more observer to the action than participant.
Followers of martial arts cinema will also be aware that Fong Sai Yuk is often paired with Hong Xiguan, another Shaolin hero. They are usually paired as odd couple, Fong Sai Yuk being the more brash, exuberant figure in contrast to the sterner Hong Xiguan. Here at the outset, they are in opposition, with the latter being in the service of Elder Kung. Later revelations restore them to their more traditional roles, but even though in a supporting position, the character of Hong Xiguan gets some added depth. His affection for Luk leads to his betrayal and to ignore the attention of Brooke. Yamson Domingo captures the physical side of the Shaolin warrior and also gets a couple of nice quieter moments, especially in his final shot. Chun Lam has little to work with, but brings some nobility to her portrayal, being aware that she is deemed nothing more than a lapdog, but tragically finding her own path towards the denouement.
The choreography is excellent, keeping with the overall quality of the production. Whilst at times the action is “enhanced” it never goes into the full realms of excessive wirework that, when done poorly, distracts from the action. As you would expect from Ringo Lam, the fight scenes are bloody, gritty and intense. It's always clear to see what is happening. The final duel with Elder Kung is when action moves away from the more grounded elements to the visual enhancement, but that fits the character of Elder Kung, so no complaints there.
I honestly cannot recommend “Burning Paradise” enough. It just feels so different to the regular product of the time and only Tsui Hark's “The Blade” comes close to capturing the darkness inherent here. It's a recognizably Ringo Lam piece. It takes the excessive violence of a Chang Cheh Shaolin picture and combines it with both a new wave trapping and the distinctive voice of the director. Whilst Ringo Lam has sadly failed to come close to reaching this level over the past decade, this is a testament of what he could do at his peak and that peak was above what many others could only strive to achieve. Simply a great movie. Enough said!
