Made in Hong Kong

Reincarnation of Golden Lotus

Dir: Clara Law
Orig Story/Scr: Lilian Lee
Prod Co: Friend Cheers
Cast: Joey Wong, Wilson Lam, Eric Tsang, Pal Sinn, Kuk Fung
1989 | Colour | DCP | Mandarin & Cantonese | Chi & Eng Subtitles | 91min

Lilian Lee, known for her extraordinary plots involving time traversal and unconventional relationships, adapts her own novel into the screenplay for Reincarnation of Golden Lotus. This bold reimagining of one of Chinese literature’s most condemned female characters serves as a creative sequel to the literary classic The Plum in the Golden Vase, in which the main character Golden Lotus is portrayed as promiscuous and morally corrupt.

In this adaptation, she is reincarnated as Lin (Joey Wong), a ballet student in Shanghai during the Cultural Revolution. Lin becomes entangled in complex relationships once again. After being deflowered by her school principal (Kuk Fung), she falls in love with a factory worker (Wilson Lam) but only to be denounced for it. Later, Lin marries a businessman (Eric Tsang) and moves to Hong Kong, where she also becomes involved with a seductive designer (Pal Sinn). Haunted by patterns from her past life, Lin seems destined to repeat the same transgressions, leading to a turbulent existence that mirrors her previous incarnation.

Clara Law’s adaptation, while featuring sensual scenes, avoids moral judgement on Lin. Instead, it offers a psychological exploration of a woman trapped by her own history and destiny. Following the success of this film, Law adapted Lilian Lee’s Temptation of a Monk, which also delves into the themes of lust and desire, earning critical acclaim and prestigious awards.

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