Ren pi deng long

In a quiet town nestled amidst mist-shrouded hills, two Kung-Fu masters vie for supremacy. Their battleground? Not the martial arts arena, but the eerie world of lantern craftsmanship. Directed by the enigmatic Chung Sun, Human Lanterns weaves a tale of obsession, betrayal, and gruesome artistry.

Master Lung (played by Tony Liu Yong) and Master Tan (Chen Kuan Tai) are town braggarts, each scheming to outshine the other. Tan unveils a human-sized lantern that captivates the simple folk, while Lung seeks an even grander creation. His quest leads him to Chun Fang (Lo Lieh), a former love rival turned master lantern maker. But Chun Fang's conditions are ominous: Lung must never visit his workshop.

The film's opening credits reveal a warehouse adorned with human remains atop a blood-soaked grinder. The macabre truth emerges: these gruesome trophies become the lanterns that illuminate the town. Skin peeled from victims' bodies, bones sculpted into delicate frames-the lanterns cast an otherworldly glow, fueled by suffering.

As more women vanish, the town trembles. The mysterious hermit hired by Tan adds to the intrigue. His lanterns, infused with secrets and darkness, lure unsuspecting souls. The brothel's madam, the prostitute, and the townsfolk-all are drawn into this dance of shadows and blades.

Human Lanterns teeters between horror and martial arts, its brutality tempered by censorship. The missing scenes-where skin meets blade-leave us craving the uncut version. Yet, the film's eerie ambiance and twisted creativity linger. It's a flawed gem, like a tarnished lantern casting both light and shadow.

Chung Sun's vision is a chiaroscuro nightmare, where beauty and horror entwine. Watch it for the unsettling visuals, the clash of egos, and the haunting lanterns. But beware: once you glimpse their glow, you'll forever question what lies beneath the surface.🌓 🔪🌟🌕🌺🔮🌓

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.

Hammer horror meets wuxia. It makes about as much sense tonally as it sounds. Storywise, it's a barely coherent morality play about pride and greed that comes across like an excuse to string together some swordplay, some reasonably nasty flaying scenes, and very pretty setpieces. It is a great looking movie, I have to admit--the use of lighting is otherworldly. Sun Chung was easily one of the best directors Shaw Bros ever had, but when he wasn't doing cookie cutter martial arts stuff, he was seriously wasted on misguided crap (let's face it) like this.

There's something really "off" about how simultaneously Asian and European this movie feels. My instincts tell me it's not supposed to exist. Dramatically it never really takes off, but it's interesting enough in the context of "what were they thinking?" curio.

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.

Chung Sun, who directed, amongst many other films, the superb "The Sexy Killer" (see review), is unable to make the elements gel in "Human Lanterns" aka "Human Skin Lanterns". Personally, I have always loved the idea of using human skin to make lanterns, so this film was an eagerly awaited one by me. Unfortunately, there's too little skinning and too much martial arts in this. In fact, the skinning scenes (there are two), while well done, feel like they belong in a different movie altogether. This is a strange effort to make a martial arts fantasy and cross it with a Hammer-style horror plot. It doesn't work. That said, "Human Lanterns" is still a sumptuously photographed and designed period piece. The Shaw's certainly spent big on its sets, cast and special effects. It's a shame they didn't focus more on the horror promised in the title. Disappointing horror. Satisfactory period-fu epic.