User reviews

Lung Wei Wang's film ESCAPE FROM BROTHEL (1992) tells the unhappy story of two prostitutes working in a Hong Kong brothel. One of the girls has a boyfriend in the mainland and she is wishing to see him some day again, as does the boyfriend, too. He goes to Hong Kong and tries to save the girl(s) but it is easy to tell what'll follow since this is a CAT III rated film and made in 1992 in Hong Kong.

Director Lung Wei Wang has also directed another ultra violent exploitation actioner called CITY WARRIORS (1991) which is pretty close to ESCAPE FROM BROTHEL but lacks its strong sex scenes. Wang also plays a gang leader in Billy Tang's incredible RUN AND KILL (1993). ESCAPE FROM BROTHEL stars Pauline Chan, who died very recently and sadly so. The cast is adequate in BROTHEL and after all it is a once watchable exploitation junk if the viewer has high tolerance for this kind of film.

The film opens with very graphic and strong sex scene to secure the target audience's interest. There's full frontal female nudity which I haven't seen too often in a "straight" Hong Kong (exploitation) film like this. But the Eastern girls are very beautiful, natural and sensual, and BROTHEL naturally isn't an exception. Alongside sex, there's one other thing this film was made for, and that isn't hard to guess..

Violence, mindless and over-the-top violence which together with sex, makes this among the maddest efforts of the genre even thought it is FAR away from the real masterpieces of the Hong Kong cinema in the 90's. BROTHEL is just exploitation and nothing more, but still it could be much worse than this, and I'm glad I haven't seen too many of the really worst ones.

BROTHEL has some very nice "blue night time photography" which makes the film easier to watch as there's at least some talent in the director. The "plot" turns very slow at the end part of the film, and it is very unnecessary and totally waste of celluloid. The film runs approximately 95 PAL minutes in its uncut form and at least 15 minutes of that is too much. The "dramatic" discussions at the end really makes it hard to watch the film without falling asleep. Also the theme about immigrants and foreigner's in Hong Kong could've been an interesting one, but I would feel naive to try to look this film as anything more than just exploitation. There is some sparks between he and she at the end, but the film makers didn't want to concentrate on those deeper and more ambitious sides, they were interested in the third level rating only.

ESCAPE FROM BROTHEL is among the Hong Kong films that really don't give much clue to what they can really achieve if they want to. BROTHEL is a noteworthy example of Eastern (s)exploitation at its most graphic and insane element. 3/10

"Escape from (the) Brothel" is one of those Hongkong films that mix drama with action, nudity and pure terror to make a notorious "Category-III-classic". In a way, it's also a love story, but don't expect to get a Hollywood-standard happy end here.

A man falls in love with a prostitute who works in a brothel. He wants to get her out but there is no way to do that. The more he tries to help her, the more violence he witnesses and he has to fight against it. In one scene, he is attacked by a kick boxing nude amazon blonde (sic!).

The second half of the film is a violent "tour de force", and as bodies are piling up during the action-packed climax, this film also becomes one of the goriest Hongkong films aside the great "The Untold Story" and the viciously funny "The Ebola Syndrome".

I recommend this film to everyone who likes "Category-III"-movies from Hongkong. However, people who are easily offended by the blending of sex and violence surely should let this one be.

Hung and Ann(Pauline Chan and Rena Murakami)are down-on-their luck prostitutes trapped in Hong Kong.Pauline's boyfriend,Sam back in China,who is under the impression that she is away working at a factory,is double-crossed by Billy Chow,and while looking to escape;flees for Hong Kong and winds up at the brothel where Pauline is employed.He is crushed when he finds out the truth..."Escape from the Brothel" combines plenty of gory fighting,romance,sleaze including several violent and unpleasant rape scenes and comedy,all into one.There is plenty of full-frontal female nudity and I'm not complaining about that.The violence is rather brief until the full-blooded finale,although one scene where a woman is strung up and has her nipples wired to a portable electric generator is strong stuff even for Cat III sleaze.A must-see for die-hard fans of smut!

This film tells the story of two young and pretty prostitutes working in a Hong Kong brothel. One of them is rather carefree and accepts her life, while the other longs to be reunited with her boyfriend back in mainland China. Owing to her unfortunate circumstances, she has no choice but to work as a prostitute, and has to suffer the slobbering sex of some truly unsavoury and repugnant characters. She is too ashamed to tell her boyfriend the truth, telling him that she works in a factory.

Being true to the CAT III genre, there is plenty of sex and full-frontal nudity. There is without doubt a high exploitation feel throughout the movie, and features the girls in several humiliating scenes (cut in the UK version, but fully shown in the Hong Kong DVD). The film also features a high degree of violence.

Rating this film within its genre and after a couple of beers , I would give it 4 stars out of five. Without the beers and on a more serious note, it's not the sort of film to watch with your parents unless they're extremely liberal !