Human Lanterns is absolutely fantastic. What impressed me most is the sheer intensity of everything colliding with everything else, yet somehow remaining completely coherent as a film.
The art direction is gorgeous, filled with rich colors, elaborate sets, costumes and atmospheric lighting. Then the soundtrack comes in and fills the quieter spaces with an especially eerie presence whenever the killer appears. Combined with the surreal camera work and unusual compositions, those sequences often feel like they belong to a nightmare.
The martial arts are just as impressive. There are a lot of fights, but they never feel repetitive or included simply for spectacle. Different characters fight for different reasons, in different styles, with different emotional stakes and outcomes. The duel between the two aristocratic martial arts masters near the end is astonishingly well staged, and then the final showdown somehow pushes everything even further.
What makes the film remarkable is the way wuxia, Gothic horror, serial-killer horror, grotesque imagery, melodrama, black humor and martial arts spectacle are all allowed to exist at full strength. Nothing gets diluted.
I watched the original version first, and it was exactly the right way to experience it.
A major discovery for me and one of the most exhilarating Shaw Brothers films I have seen.
Excellent presentation and a beautiful release for a film this visually rich. The packaging complements the artwork and makes this feel…