Human Lanterns

"Ren pi deng long," translated as "Human Lanterns," is a 1982 Shaw Brothers production that throws martial arts action into a blender with disturbing horror elements. The result is a bizarre concoction - a campy, uneven film that will leave you scratching your head while occasionally offering bursts of entertainment.

The plot revolves around a wealthy man, Lung Shu Ai, who desires a unique lantern for a festival. He hires the skilled craftsman Chao Fang, unaware of the simmering resentment Chao holds for Lung. This resentment stems from a past betrayal, and Chao decides to craft his revenge in a particularly gruesome way - by using human skin for the lanterns.

The fight choreography is decent for the era, featuring Shaw Brothers staples like lightning-fast kicks and acrobatic displays. However, the special effects haven't aged well, with the "human skin" looking more like cheap plastic. The real draw (or turn-off, depending on your taste) is the horror element. The film doesn't shy away from showing the skinning process, albeit with a level of camp that lessens the impact.

The acting is a mixed bag. The lead villain, Chao Fang, chews the scenery with gusto, bordering on parody at times. The hero, played with stoicism by Lieh Lo, provides a more grounded counterpoint. The narrative unfolds in a predictable manner, with the mystery of the lantern maker's identity revealed fairly early.

"Human Lanterns" is a film that thrives on its outrageous premise. It's undeniably exploitation cinema, pushing boundaries for the sake of shock value. If you're looking for a well-crafted horror film or a top-tier martial arts flick, you'll likely be disappointed. But for those seeking a cheesy, bizarre cinematic experience, "Human Lanterns" offers a campy thrill ride with some impressive fight sequences sprinkled in.

Human Lanterns goes for broke and mostly works. It's gonzo stuff, being a cross between a martial arts movie and a murder-mystery about a deranged serial killer, all taking place hundreds of years ago (possibly longer).

I like it when a Shaw Brothers movie does something out of left field. This isn't my favorite example of the studio doing that, but it certainly has its moments - enough of them for this to end up being pretty decent. There's enough here that's fun to make it worth a watch for martial arts fans after something different.

It was let down a little, I felt, by being uneven. It committed to different levels of crazy at different points, and feels all-over-the-place as a result. That sense of chaos can work when it's pushed far enough often enough in a movie like this, but I don't feel like Human Lanterns always did the best job at this.

Still, for having some silly horror mixed in with some violent fight scenes, there was a good amount here that proved enjoyable. The kind of thing that gets a caution recommendation, for fans of this style of odd film, at least.

Greetings And Salutations, and welcome to my review of Human Lanterns; here's the breakdown of my ratings:

Story: 1.75 Direction: 1.50 Pace: 1.50 Acting: 1.75 Enjoyment: 1.75

TOTAL: 8.25 out of 10.00

The surprising element of this movie is the complex and stimulating unfolding drama. And, the bonus is the martial arts sequences, which are superb.

The writers, Kuang Ni and Chung Sun begin the story with a party. Master Tan Fu is showing off his latest conquest, Yen Chu, who was Master Lung Shu Ai's concubine. The Masters have been in a state of rivalry for many years, and this peacocking is merely another one-up-manship by Master Tan to embarrass Master Lung. But Lung has other ideas and proclaims that Tan will again be the loser in the township's lantern festival. Lung rushes to his customary lantern artist, only to find that the old man doesn't craft the beautiful beacons; he purely sells them. Once Lung's heard the seller's secret, he enquires about the artist's identity. From that moment forward, life takes a darker and more deadly path for the two masters, especially for Master Lung. The writers weave a dark, crooked road for our victims to walk down. The devious twists along the way will keep you engrossed. And the police's and victims' logical decisions and consequences towards each deviation create a powerful revenge story. Though you know the villain of the piece right from the beginning, it's a pleasure to watch the intricate plot unravel. I usually prefer whodunnits of this style. However, I profess that I loved the way the narrative's structured. It is a clever piece of writing.

Chung Sun is a man of many talents; he's as skilled behind the camera as he is pushing a pen. Human Lanterns is a beautifully lit and filmed slice of Chinese cinematography. I especially liked how the lights in the lantern makers workshop are not as bright as elsewhere - though the guy has more illumination than Blackpool and Las Vegas combined. There are lots of dark shadows, which emphasise the crafter's evil craftiness. Chung Sun is also an expert when capturing the fight sequences. Most of the time, he keeps the combatants in full frame and only uses close-ups to show off special moves, for example, Master Tan's Fan Steps at the party at the start of the movie. It is always best to see the action in full. But he also realises it's better to show certain details to add to the spectacular fight's credibility. And when the action takes place over different levels and locations, he gets imaginative with his shots.

The cast is excellent, both in their performance and fighting skills. Their talent adds to the strength of the story and your enjoyment of the picture.

If you like your Dark Thrillers with more than a dash of martial arts, or you like your Kung-Fu with a side order of an intriguing storyline, then Human Lanterns is the film for you. I would happily recommend this picture to all movie lovers worldwide - it is more than worthy of your time. I will be checking in on this beacon of illuminating excellent moviemaking again.

Blow out those candles and pop over to check out my Killer Thriller Chillers and The Game Is A Foot lists to see where I ranked Human Lanterns.

Take Care & Stay Well.

The English title is in many respects, unfortunate, as this is really a morality play dressed as a martial arts film with horror elements.

The film begins by introducing us to "Master Tan" and "Master Lung," two wealthy, but otherwise uncharacterized, rivals. Master Tan displays a lantern that he had made for the lunar festival. Master Lung responds that it is an object unworthy of esteem. Lung then decides that he will hire a former rival, Chao Fang (played by Lieh Lo of "Five Fingers of Death" fame), to craft an even better lantern. Fang agrees, but only on condition that Lung never return to his lair-like shop.

Of importance to the story-line is the fact that Lung had, in the past, fought Fang, and scarred Fang's face. Lung, we are to note, is a man who believes his money can right all past wrongs.

From this "bargain" involving three men and their fragile "honor" come the horrors; for what this story is really about is Fang and his own place in the social order. The bargain gives him his own chance to avenge perceived wrongs, even as he crafts the handiwork that will allow Lung to one-up his competitor. From (relatively) small slights come disaster.

Of the story-line, I will say little else, as this is a movie that runs less on plot development than allowing a dynamic that has been set in motion early-on play itself out through a set of highly choreographed martial-arts routines. I will, however, comment on a few technical aspects that impressed me:

First, with the exception of a few sequences shot outdoors (one quite memorable, shot in a grove of tall trees), this is a studio-set movie that takes place in just a handful of locations. The sets are simply arresting and, in some cases, quite beautiful. The costumes, set design and lighting are all very-well thought out and executed. (Comparisons to the early films of Mario Bava are warranted.) None of the sets are meant to represent "actual" places, but rather allegorical places: the peaceful, noble abodes of Tan and Lung; the boisterous market-place; the hellishly menacing, creepy shop of Fang--each is set in opposition to its counter-parts.

So, in what time period does "HL" take place, exactly? As with much of the Wuxia genre, the historical setting is not terribly important for the story-line. What matters are the character-types. That said, the Hanfu styles of dress indicate one possible (and remote) time-period. The appearance of the tiger hooks (used by the assassin character) bring us much closer to the present.

Second, the lighting, camera work and editing are impressive. For example, the first time we meet the monkey-ghost character, the lighting frames the face in a way that was quite memorable for this viewer. Director Sun Chung also uses slow-motion and fast-motion techniques, particularly in the acrobatic martial-arts segments. But he also dabbles with soft focus shorts at times (mostly for the abodes of the two principal characters). There are many, many places where "HL" is a sumptuous, beautiful film (and one that deserved a better English title.)

If I have a quibble, it is that the end of the film does not do justice to the careful pacing and style of what preceded it. There are quite a few veteran actors at work here (though it is Lo who steals every scene in which he is a part); I just wish the ending could have been written better. That said, a surprisingly good movie. I was not expecting it, quite honestly.

Do we have the nameless individual that tricks two others to fight each other? Does that sound like a famous western with Clint Eastwood? Which also was copied ... well let's not go down that road. Especially because while there may be parallels, there also quite a few differences here too.

I've seen my share of Shaw Brothers movies, but I can't remember seeing this one. This is quite out there, with a character being a mixture of monkey and demon, with the evil mindset of a ... human (a bad human that is of course). Add to that horror some good old fashioned stunts and flying lessons ... and voila you got yourself a movie that might not be everyones cup of tea (if you're easily offended, don't even bother, there are quite a few scenes that are far from political correct), but works for those who love these movies ... and if you're one of them, you won't mind certain flaws as much as others do