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 ong Jing's original "Chinese
Torture Chamber Story" was an undisputed classic of the Category
III genre, and one of the few which enjoyed any kind of mainstream success
or recognition. Given this, and the veritable swamp of similar sleaze films
already available for discerning fans, the inevitable sequel had a lot to
live up to in order to stand out from the crowd. Since to most casual
viewers Category III films in general are indistinguishable slices of
dubious, lamentable non-entertainment, this was somewhat of a tall order.
Thankfully, at least for those
who cares, "Chinese Torture Chamber Story 2" is indeed a worthy
follow up, and though it does not quite live up to the insane legacy of its
predecessor, it is a far superior example of the genre, and one which enjoys
pleasingly decent production values whilst plumbing new depths of depravity.
Of course, this in itself should be enough to start alarm bells ringing in
the minds of any sensible viewer, and rightly so, as "Chinese Torture
Chamber Story 2" contains liberal lashings of debauchery and some truly
shocking, odious scenes of gore and sexual violence.
Whilst the original film justified its content
through some vague claims of being based on an actual case of adultery
from ancient times, this salacious sequel seems instead to have been
inspired by some of the 1970s Shaw Brothers classics such as "All
Men are Brothers". Here, the story begins as Ma (Mark Cheng, who
also played Category III villains in the likes of "Raped by an
Angel" and "The
Peeping Tom") is waylaid by a couple of wretched bandits en route
to taking up the position of general in the capital city. The two would-be
robbers, Cheung (Wai Lam, who actually starred in "All
Men are Brothers: Blood of the Leopard") and Wong (Hung Yeung),
turn out to be good men who have fallen on hard times, and after spending
some quality time with them, Ma swears an oath of brotherhood, and that he
will take care of them in the future.
Ma does seem to be a good sort, though during his
stay he falls for Lotus (Yolinda Yam, giving a far more revealing
performance than she did in John Woo's classic "Bullet
in the Head"), who happens to be Wong's sister and the wife-to-be
of the conveniently impotent Cheung. A few months later, the reformed
bandits travel to the capital, and once more meet up with Ma, who is now
the all-powerful governor. True to his word, Ma takes his friends under
his wing, though it soon becomes clear that he is no longer the kind,
friendly man they knew, and is instead now a cruel tyrant who is obsessed
with crushing all who stand against him. Driven by an awful secret from
his past and his lust for Lotus, Ma manipulates and ultimately imprisons
his friends in a twisted bid to fulfill his political ambitions and
dreadful lusts.
One of the more surprising things about "Chinese
Torture Chamber Story 2" is that the story works rather well, and
that it is, initially at least, a genuinely affecting tale of brotherhood.
The early scenes of Ma bonding with the two bandits come across as quite
heartfelt, and provide a nice echo of the films they imitate. Director
Kin-Nam Cho (also responsible for the Category III classic "Chinese
Erotic Ghost Story") keeps the mood of the first half quite light
without resorting to an abundance of the genre's trademark lowbrow
slapstick, and this gives the atrocities of the second half an impact
often unfelt in similar Category III efforts. In this way, "Chinese
Torture Chamber Story 2" does actually resemble a proper film, unlike
so many of its brethren.
"Chinese Torture Chamber 2" does later
venture into very dark territory, dealing with such themes as child abuse
and barefaced betrayal, and the result of this is a very different
prospect than the original, where the bloodletting had a cheerfully
demented quality. In this film, the violence and sexual abuse, though at
times still played for uncomfortable titillation, are genuinely
unpleasant, and Cho throws in some fairly sickening scenes, even by the
standards of the genre.
One sequence in particular, featuring a flashback to
the assault of a child, intercut with the anal rape of a female cast
member using a paint brush (complete with spurting blood), is sure to
shock even the most jaded follower of Category III. This is just one of a
whole catalogue of similar offenses, which firmly establish the film as
one of the genre's most distasteful. However, in Cho's defense, as a
result of the efforts made at establishing plot and character earlier in
the film, and the fact that the proceedings are generally quite well
directed, these scenes are far less gratuitous than in other films, though
admittedly no less distasteful. Similarly, although the film is
undoubtedly misogynistic, the male characters are subjected to equally
frequent and barbaric humiliations and tortures, which is somewhat rare
for the genre.
At the end of the day, no matter what is written
about it, only fans of Category III cinema are likely to watch
"Chinese Torture Chamber Story 2", which is probably just as
well, as it would undoubtedly prove a traumatic experience for the
uninitiated viewer. The film is definitely above average for its type, and
is recommended for connoisseurs of the form, though with a slight warning
not to expect the rather jovial nature of the original, and to be prepared
for some genuinely unpleasant scenes.
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