Lau Siu-Ming | Through the Shattered Lens

Loosely based on the real-life exploits of a serial killer in Hong Kong in the mid-80’s, THE UNTOLD STORY (1993) unfolds over a couple of different timelines. The film opens with a flashback to Hong Kong circa 1978, where we witness a horrific murder committed by Chan Chi-Leung (Anthony Wong) over a game of mahjong. In order to try to conceal the murder, we see the killer as he destroys his old identification documents and creates a completely new identity. As the opening credits end, we’re “in the present” and join a group of kids playing on the beach when they discover a plastic bag containing severed human body parts. Soon the police are on the scene, led by Inspector Lee (Danny Lee) and a ragtag team of wisecracking detectives. Their investigation leads them to the Eight Immortals Restaurant, a place that is known for its barbecued pork buns, and its seemingly polite but evasive owner, Wong Chi Hang, who just happens to be the same guy we saw committing vicious murder at the opening of the film. Wong claims he bought the place from Cheng Lam (Siu-Ming Lau), who along with his entire family, has mysteriously vanished. As the cops dig deeper, too many things just aren’t adding up, like the restaurant’s high employee turnover rate and Wong’s inability to produce ownership papers. The cops eventually arrest him and attempt to torture a confession out of him. The flashback timeline kicks back in after Wong is arrested and put through hell by his fellow jailbirds and by the police themselves. When he finally cracks, we learn the secrets of “the untold story!”

Right off the bat, I want to make the statement that THE UNTOLD STORY is not a film that’s meant for everyone. Unless you have a strong stomach and can handle extreme gore and vicious cruelty (of both a violent and sexual nature) depicted in graphic detail, you may want to stay away. As I’m definitely a squeamish viewer, I stayed away from this film for many years due to its reputation. My curiosity eventually overcame my good sense, and I gave it a watch a number of years ago. I mean, the film is a Hong Kong “Category III” rated landmark, and Anthony Wong did win the Best Actor Award at the Hong Kong Film Awards for his performance in the movie. It stands to reason that a guy who calls himself a true fan of Hong Kong cinema should give THE UNTOLD STORY a go! Let me just say this, as someone who grew up on Hollywood films, even the goriest films had certain lines that they would not cross. There are no such lines in this film. Director Herman Yau’s 1993 Hong Kong exploitation film is an unflinching punch to the gut in its willingness to go to unacceptable extremes without any apology to the viewer. Just know that going in.

Now that I’ve properly prepared you for the excessively cruel and gruesome nature of the violence in the film, I now have to try to put into words my actual thoughts on the film itself. One of the things that stood out to me as I watched the movie is the stark contrast between the horrific nature of the violence on screen and the “zany antics” of the police who are working the case. Led by THE KILLER’s Danny Lee as the distracted Inspector Lee, who always has a beautiful prostitute on his arm as he visits crimes scenes and the police station, this group of investigators spends a lot of their time acting like immature teenagers rather than serious cops. Imagine if you and your friends in high school were trying to solve a serial killer case, and we got to watch how you acted on stakeouts and in the police locker room, and you might get an idea of what I mean. My guess is that this is meant to make the violent content a little easier to swallow, as well as poke some fun at the “macho men” who are in charge of solving these kinds of crimes. In some ways it works, but there’s still no protection once Wong goes bonkers.

And speaking of Anthony Wong, he is absolutely incredible in this film as the unimaginably disturbed killer. We watch him explode with rage, commit the most heinous acts imaginable, and then just clean up his mess like he’s doing his daily household chores. I guess it helps that he’s a good cook! Hell, there’s a point near the end of the film where his performance almost leads you to having sympathy for him as the police and his fellow inmates are torturing him! Almost, because the worst flashbacks are still yet to come. Wong is one of the best actors to have ever worked in Hong Kong cinema, and his masterful acting elevates the film to a level of cinematic respectability not yet afforded to such a grisly exploitation film. This is the first of five Hong Kong Film awards won by Anthony Wong.

Overall, THE UNTOLD STORY is cinema as an endurance test, delivering an all too real depiction of a vicious killer committing unspeakable violence on screen. The goofy police squad provides some tonal relief, but this movie is not for the faint of stomach. However, for those brave viewers who can handle the graphic violence and who enjoy dramatizations of true crime from incredible actors, you will be rewarded because the filmmakers were able to come up with something special. As I type this, it’s streaming on Tubi for free!

A CHINESE GHOST STORY (1987) is a landmark film in the golden age of 1980’s Hong Kong cinema. While my primary interest in the cinema of Hong Kong centers around directors like John Woo, Ringo Lam and Johnnie To, as well as the actors Chow Yun-Fat, Lau Ching-Wan and Andy Lau, I’ve been aware of this film from the very beginning. It’s been a couple of decades since I watched it, so I felt I was well past due for a revisit.

Directed by Ching Siu-tung and produced by the legendary Tsui Hark, A CHINESE GHOST STORY follows Ling Choi San (Leslie Cheung), a naive young scholar who finds himself working as a tax collector. Overly timid and a complete failure at his job, Ling is completely broke, so he seeks shelter in the only place he can afford, a haunted temple on the outskirts of a remote village. That night he encounters Lip Siu Sin (Joey Wong), a ghostly maiden who is being forced to use her feminine wiles to lure unfortunate men to their doom at the hands, or shall I say tongue, of the millennium-old, shape-shifting Tree Demoness Lao Lao (Lau Siu-Ming), who devours the life essence of its victims. Ling’s unusual and genuine kindness towards Siu Sin causes her to have pity on the young man so she decides to protect him from Lao Lao. The two soon share a night of tender romance, where Siu Sin reveals her tragic past and Ling immediately pledges to do anything he can to protect her. As part of this protection, Ling seeks the assistance of the Taoist swordsman Yin Chek Ha (Wu Ma), who initially rejects his request but eventually becomes an unlikely and powerful ally in the young scholar’s quest to keep Siu Sin safe. Ling and Master Yin soon find themselves in the underworld, battling armies of the undead and writhing tongue-tentacles, in an attempt to save Siu Sin from the evil Tree Demoness. Will they free her, or will she spend eternity setting up horny guys to have their essences sucked away and turned into zombies? It’s the age old question that will be answered by the end of the film’s 96 minute runtime.

Blending elements of horror, romance, comedy, and swordplay, while incorporating innovative special effects, A CHINESE GHOST STORY revitalized the Hong Kong fantasy film and kicked off a trend for folklore ghost films, including its own two sequels. At its core, the film is a timeless, love story, and even with all of the crazy stuff going on, that central theme kept me engaged to the very end. Director Ching Siu-tung is at the top of his game as his film contains a poetic energy that’s extremely rare in any nation’s cinema these days, including Hong Kong. Leslie Cheung, who plays the scholar Ling, had a tendency to overplay the annoying aspects of his characters at this point in his career in the 80’s (I’m looking at you A BETTER TOMORROW). Here, while I don’t love his character for the early sections of the film, I do enjoy it when he decides he’s going to do anything possible to save Siu Sin’s eternal soul and give her a chance to reincarnate. What he lacks in bravery, he makes up in sheer will and his character grows on me by the end. And then there’s Joey Wong as the ghostly seductress Siu Sin. What can I say about her other than this… if you don’t fall in love with Joey Wong in A CHINESE GHOST STORY, there’s probably something wrong with you. It’s a performance that helped propel Wong into her stardom across Asia. Her strong chemistry with Cheung elevates the film’s central love story and gives his character some much needed credibility. Wu Ma plays the cynical and brave Taoist swordsman, Yin, who gives Ling a fighting chance against the tree demoness. It’s a fun character and his mid-film, sword-training “rap” is one of my favorite scenes in the movie. Lau Siu-Ming, a man, plays the tree demoness Lao Lao. It’s an interesting character. Siu Sin continually refers to the tree demon as an “old woman,” but the demon is actually gender fluid and when we see it, it looks more like a man, which seems to enhance its power. We also see the tree demon in its monster form, which is the biggest, longest and slimiest tongue you will ever see. It’s unique and gross at the same time!

I will admit that watching any film starring Leslie Cheung, at this point in my life, is bittersweet. The man was a Canto-Pop superstar and over time, grew to become one of the best and most interesting actors from Hong Kong. That’s Cheung singing the theme song that plays over the opening credits of A CHINESE GHOST STORY. His work with John Woo and Chow Yun-Fat in the A BETTER TOMORROW film series and ONCE A THIEF are some of the first films I watched when I began my obsession with Hong Kong Cinema in the 90’s. In some ways, my love of Hong Kong movies is inseparable from Leslie Cheung. Suffering from depression, Cheung tragically took his own life on April 1st, 2003 by jumping from the 24th floor of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, which is located in the central district on Hong Kong Island. It was a horrifically sad end for an extremely talented man.

Ultimately, in the world of Hong Kong Cinema, A CHINESE GHOST STORY is an easy recommendation in much the same way that movies like JAWS or STAR WARS are here in America. Its legacy of influence over the Hong Kong film industry has stood the test of time, making it a true classic!