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Intimate Confessions of a Chinese
Courtesan (1972, HK) (aka Ai Nu)
In Yuen Chor's lesbian-tinged cult drama, an exploitational,
semi-soft-core, not very graphic martial-arts tale of unrequited
love and revenge in medieval China (one of the earliest erotic lesbian
films in Chinese cinema):
- the opening prologue (green-tinted, but replayed
later in full color) - a night-time image of snowflakes falling
into the open roof of a feudal-era estate, and dropping into the
study, where the butler had found the corpse of an assassinated
nobleman-aristocrat of the Liao family; police inspector Ji De
(Yueh Hua) was investigating the murder allegedly committed by
a vengeful prostitute named Ai Nu (Lily Ho) - the last person to
see the wealthy dead man
- the backstory flashback -- the forced subjugation
and kidnapping of the film's heroine by brigands -- the hot-tempered
young teacher Ai Nu; she was delivered to an exclusive and decadent
brothel, the Four Seasons; the brothel was managed by regal, icy
lesbian Lady Chun (Betty Pei Ti); the madame predicted: "Men
will definitely go crazy for this girl"
- the scene of the defiant, uncontrollable and willful
Ai Nu who refused to eat, while the other female abductees were having
their virginity tested (vaginally-inspected by red candle-light by
an old woman)
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Vaginal Inspections in Brothel
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- the sequence of one hapless girl who was sexually
tortured by the candle with spread legs to divulge who had deflowered
her three days earlier; shortly later, Lady Chun's minion Chou
Hai (Hao Li), who had taken the girl's virginity, was identified
and killed with one of her bare hands, using a secret kung-fu martial-arts
technique known as "Ghost Hands" - she then threatened
everyone watching: "I've told you people before. Don't ever
mess with Lady Chun"; she was known for licking her bloody
fingers after using her gruesome technique
- Ai Nu resisted being treated with sexual brutalities
and exploitation: ("I know this is hell. You're all beasts!");
to subdue her, she was imprisoned and then subjected to a cane-thrashing,
after which Lady Chun licked blood from her open back wounds: ("You've
got silky smooth skin...Why don't you just listen to me? You know
what? You're really beautiful. I think I may have fallen for you");
Ai Nu was then given unsolicited oral sex (off-screen)
- the auction scene, when four wealthy lecherous males
were given the opportunity to bid on Ai Nu: "The highest bidder
will enjoy her first" - although Ai Nu's price was set higher
than usual; after being bought by the bearded, elderly father of
the local governor, she was deflowered, and the other three were
next in line, who raped her multiple times (ineffectively seen in
slow-motion, reaction shots, in-and-out zooms, and freeze frames
almost exclusively); methods of murder of her assailants varied:
fire, an overdose of aphrodisiacs, a hairpin, and a whipping
Ai Nu's Auction - Followed by Multiple Rapes by
the Highest Bidders
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- Ali Nu was driven by retribution to seek delayed
revenge against the four bidders, while pretending to be Lady Chun's
protégé and lover (as the brothel's most desirable
hooker), in sapphic, soft-focus love scenes; the film contained
a number of instances of topless courtesans in the background
- the final sequence of Ai Nu's bringing of total carnage
and revenge to the slavers and the brothel guards; Lady Chun assisted
her - and thrust her right hand completely (with her "Ghost
Hands" technique) into the chest of her major-domo enforcer
Pao Hu (Lam Tung), as her right arm was chopped off at the same time;
after Pao Hu fell dead (with her truncated arm stuck in his chest),
Lady Chun asked about Ai Nu's reaction to her deformity: "Ai
Nu, you won't stop loving me just because I'm now handicapped, would
you?" - Ai Nu replied harshly:
"No, I won't, because I never loved you"
- then in the film's final fancy and frenzied swordplay
confrontation, Lady Chun and Ai Nu fought against each other, as
they discussed Ai Nu's revenge:
"Looks like this is it. Today is the day for revenge. I wanted
to use hatred for revenge, but I failed. Then I came up with the most
brilliant idea in the whole world. I used love to take my revenge....To
bring the brothel down, I used love to come between you and Pao Hu.
Never could I imagine the damage love could inflict"; Lady Chun
was shocked: "I didn't expect you to be more vicious than me";
Ai Nu responded that they had both become very alike: "Stop it.
We are both despicable, heartless, merciless, cruel and sick. Now,
perhaps, you've had a glimpse of how repulsive you are"; soon
after some more fighting, Lady Chun's left arm was also chopped off
(disarmed completely!)
- Lady Chun spoke her last words, making a final request
for a kiss: "You don't have to do this. I am dying anyway. I
suppose this is karma. Even though you have killed me, yet I-I don't
hate you a bit. Ai Nu, I love you. Could you kiss me once more before
I die? It's my last request. Have pity on me. (They kissed) Thank
you, Ai Nu"
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Lady Chun to Ali Nu: "Could you kiss me...?" --
Dying Request
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- in the film's ending plot twist, Lady Chun revealed
that she had secretly taken a poison capsule with the intent to
poison Ali Nu during a kiss: ("Thank you for dying with me.
I put a poisonous pill in my mouth. I was chewing it when you kissed
me. You aren't like me. You still have a conscience. And a little
love"); and then she abruptly expired; Ai Nu struggled to
wipe her mouth, but to no avail - she also died
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Corpse Discovered in Liao Family Estate
Abducted Ai Nu
Brothel Madam: Lady Chun
Lady Chun Licking Blood from Ai Nu's Thrashing Back Wounds
Topless Courtesans in Brothel
Lady Chung Licking Her Bloody Fingers After Using "Ghost
Hands" Technique
Ali Nui - Lady Chun's Protege and Lover
Ai Nui and Lady Chun Allied Together to Fight with
Martial Arts and Fancy Swordplay
Lady Chun's Right Arm Sliced Off as She Killed Pao
Hu with
"Ghost Hands" Technique
Lady Chun Disarmed Completely by Ali Nu
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