Listening to Bey Logan's detailed audio commentary for the incredible Full Contact (1992-also reviewed) I was shocked to learn that the film unexpectedly failed at the box office,and became not only the end of a era for film maker Ringo Lam, but also finished big budgets being given to movies in the Heroic Bloodshed genre.

Planning a "Auteurs in '94" viewing week,I took a look at the output of Hong Kong from the year,and was intrigued to spot a work from Lam,which led to me seeing paradise burn.

View on the film:

Returning from a two year break with the first departure he had made from Heroic Bloodshed since his directing debut Esprit D'amour (1983-also reviewed) directing auteur Ringo Lam takes the distinctive, hard-knuckle, on the street fights of his Action past, and twirls them into spectacular Wire-Fu.

Although the movie would sadly end up being the second biggest flop at the box office he had in a row, Lam makes the continued expansion of his recurring themes and motifs into a smash hit, spanning his ultra-stylised whip-pans into fluid swords and spears chopping horses in half and decapitation of warriors held in the pit, all pinned by Lam's expertly held crisp tracking shots on Sai-yuk's Wire-Fu battles to take down Elder Kung.

Bathing Yuk before battle (a recurring image in his films) Lam bathes the audience in dazzling, bright colours which even turn paint into a weapon for one set-piece (!)thanks to the burning reds and oranges splattered on the caves of the Red Lotus Temple, fittingly turning it into a living cave, thunderous lines of red run across the sadistic face of Kung.

Continuing to work with Lam, Yin Nam is here joined by co-writer Wan Choi Wong making his last script credits with one which combines Lam's recurring themes with a supernatural flourish. Giving Chinese folk legend character Sai-yuk a modern battle warrior status, the writers superbly tie Lam's theme of bloodshed heroism to Sai-yuk attempting to take all Kung can throw at him in order to free fellow prisoners and save his love Tou-Tou from being held as Kung's sex slave.

At first appearing to be united with Kung in dishing out torment, Chun Lam makes her lone film appearance as Brooke (bit of a odd name for this historical setting!)a great turn, continuing Lam's theme of lustful femme fatales, who in this case actually has a change of heart. Chained up by Kung as his slave, Carman Lee gives a terrific turn as Tou-Tou, whose screams for Sai-yuk's survival are hardened by Lee into a brave push back against Kung. Completed with a evil cackle,Wong Kam-kong gives a excellent End of Level Boss boo-hiss turn as Kung, while Willie Chi makes his debut as Sai-yuk, who Chi has brimming with a never say die optimism of saving the burning paradise.

BURNING PARADISE is another prison film from Hong Kong director Ringo Lam, although it's very different to his contemporary fare. This is a wuxia epic and another tale about the popular folk hero Fong Sai Yuk, best known for being played by Jet Li in the likes of THE LEGEND. This film has a lengthy opening introducing the characters and various outlandish tropes, including desert battles with an army led by a general wielding a flying guillotine! It's actually a remake of the old Shaw flick TEMPLE OF THE RED LOTUS, not that you'd know, and our hero is a Shaolin escapee.

Most of the film is set in a grim, trap-filled prison presided over by a seemingly immortal megalomaniac. Lam shoots the thing like a horror movie, all mood and garish colours, and the action is as brutal and bloody as you'd expect. It's not realistic at all, but then neither are the obvious inspirations like the Indiana Jones movies. The cast give enthusiastic turns and yes, there is room for some humour amid the gloom and murder.

An unusual film from Ringo Lam and one that's strangely under-appreciated. The mix of fantasy kung-fu with a more realistic depiction of swords and spears being driven thru bodies is startling especially during the first ten minutes. A horseback rider get chopped in two and his waist and legs keep riding the horse. Several horses get chopped up. It's very unexpected.

The story is very simple, Fong and his Shaolin brothers are captured by a crazed maniac general and imprisoned in the Red Lotus temple which seems to be more of a torture chamber then a temple. The General has a similarity to Kurtz in Apocalypse Now as he spouts warped philosophy and makes frightening paintings with human blood.

The production is very impressive and the setting is bleak. Blood is everywhere. The action is very well done and mostly coherent unlike many HK action scenes from the time. Sometimes the movie veers into absurdity or the effects are cheesy but it's never bad enough to ruin the film.

Find this one, it's one of the best HK kung fu films from the early nineties. Just remember it's not child friendly.