Though they have produced movies in nearly all genres, the Shaw Brothers are most renowned for their deep history of kung-fu epics that have set the standard for all other filmmakers. The genre of martial arts cinema is much more diverse than most people realize, embodying a wide variety of traditions, values and societal conventions. Elements of swordplay, hand-to-hand combat and story arcs from traditional Eastern mythology are present in most of the Shaw Brothers films, but a select few incorporate themes from other realms of filmmaking to form bizarre hybrids. Directed by Yuen Chor, Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan is one such work that adds elements of softcore erotic exploitation to the successful kung-fu formula. In spite of its blatant sex appeal, Intimate Confessions manages to deliver a surreal viewing experience like only Shaw Studios can.

The film opens with a band of marauders delivering a hefty cargo into the possession of Lady Chun, a strikingly beautiful woman who runs the local brothel. Predictably enough, the packages contain kidnapped virgins for use in her prostitution ring. One captive, Ainu, is particularly horrified and fights to escape with determined ferocity, but she is quickly subdued and locked up with the other frightened girls. Lady Chun is intrigued by her feisty spirit and offers to make Ainu into a high-ranking courtesan who will serve only the richest clients. Ainu refuses and is subsequently auctioned off to the highest bidder among four wealthy aristocrats. The winning bidder is not the only one to ravage the terrified Ainu however, as all four men take their turn raping her in their own personal style.

After an attempted suicide, Ainu comes to identify with the mute boy who saves her life. He sympathizes with her due to her resemblance to his lost love and vows to help her. He turns out to be an accomplished swordsman and attempts to escape with Ainu, though even he is no match for a horde of armed bouncers and the incredibly skilled Lady Chun. With her only means of escape gone, Ainu reluctantly pledges her allegiance to the mysterious head courtesan. She is trained in the ways of seduction and swordplay, and quickly begins an intense homo-erotic affair with Lady Chun. Yet Ainu's intentions are less than genuine, as she secretly plots deadly revenge against all who have wronged her, starting with one of the depraved aristocrats.

Ainu systematically works her way through the rapists, killing them in the manner most befitting their personality. Following the first murder, the local police chief becomes suspicious and starts investigating, only to find his efforts hindered by Lady Chun. She is quite smitten with Ainu and does whatever it takes to protect her. Eventually Ainu brings about the deaths of all four aristocrats, and she then turns her sights on Lady Chun and the brothel itself. Unaware of her treachery, Lady Chun and Ainu fight alongside each other against the overwhelming forces of both the police brigade and the newly-returned kidnappers. What follows is a mesmerizing display of martial arts action and choreographed physical artistry, as Ainu and Lady Chun fight their way through hordes of male attackers before confronting each other in a final showdown.

Intimate Confessions is a lush, beautiful film made all the more spectacular courtesy of a newly-remastered print. Much like Come Drink With Me and One-Armed Swordsman, Intimate Confessions looks dazzling in its restored state and is virtually free of defects. Yuen Chor makes excellent use of color and contrast throughout, giving the film a sharp, vivid feel. The typical Shaw Brothers attention to detail is on display in the various interior and courtyard settings, as the wonderfully-crafted locales provide an inviting backdrop for the film's themes of loyalty, perversion and revenge. The highlight of the film is the outstanding costume design: the top courtesans in particular are decked out in colorful, stylish and downright ornate costumes that bring out the more subtle aspects of their sexuality. Through their costumes the ladies in the film are eroticized rather than objectified, keeping the film from denigrating into third-rate sleaze.

Like Cheng Pei Pei in Come Drink With Me, the breathtaking Pei Ti drives this film forward with her commanding presence as the seductive Lady Chun. She brings an icy demeanor and unearthly beauty to the character of Lady Chun and imparts an effective air of mystery about her. She is so striking that if you didn't know otherwise you could easily think she was carved out of fine porcelain. Equally important to the film is Lily Ho's performance as the deceptive Ainu; watching these two beautiful, elegant women charm, manipulate and fight their way through the film is riveting, to say the very least. As courtesans, they wear the most elaborate and exquisite costumes that are complimented by ornately-decorated headdresses and stunning makeup. They don't show more than a fleeting glimpse of skin at any time, and yet their screentime together is always highly erotic and highly enjoyable.

Though the film is shorter on action set pieces than most other Shaw Brothers films, the extended carnage towards the end of the film more than makes up for it. Both Pei Ti and Lily Ho are incredible athletes who perform their acrobatic maneuvers with grace and style. From bare-fisted action to skillful swordplay to aerial backflips, the ladies make these amazingly complex manuevers look almost too easy. Although Intimate Confessions is billed as erotic exploitation, these elements are actually rather tame compared to other genre films of the time. There is some nudity (mostly background characters with no speaking parts) and a few deviant sexual elements (whips, bondage, hot wax), but these see relatively little screentime. A handful of lesbian encounters between Ainu and Lady Chun are certainly titillating but are limited strictly to sensual kissing and caressing.

Intimate Confessions is definitely a different kind of Shaw Brothers experience, and yet the artistic and technical skills that are synonymous with the studio are all present and accounted for. Purists may hastily dismiss it as sleaze, but in my view the film is actually rather quaint in its depictions of prostitution and sexual perversion. Though the pacing is perhaps a little too slow towards the beginning of the film, the elaborate sets, well-crafted story and exotic characters work wonderfully together to move the film forward. When the action finally does pick up, it picks up with a vengeance. And like many other Shaw Brothers films, the female leads are absolutely stunning and command undivided attention whenever they appear on screen. Intimate Confessions is a kung-fu feast of sex and violence that comes highly recommended.

Thumbs Up. Lead by a pair of exquisitely beautiful stars, Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan is a stimulating Shaw Brothers showpiece loaded with mind-numbing martial arts action.