NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Imprint Blu-ray (December 2025): Imprint have transferred two Shaw Studio 'erotic' entries to Blu-ray.; 1972's Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan and its remake from 1984, Lust For Love of a Chinese Courtesan - both directed by Chor Yuen who was credited with over 120 films as director, over 70 films as a writer and over 40 films as an actor.

The video presentation for the Imprint Blu-ray box set offers a 1080P transfers for both discs that attempts to preserve the original Shaw Brothers aesthetic, including vibrant colors, intricate set designs, and the eclectic cinematography typical of Chor Yuen's direction, though the results are uneven and often underwhelming. The 1972 film, framed at its native 2.40:1 aspect ratio, suffers from subpar image quality with a waxy appearance suggestive of an upscaled SD source, where anamorphic lens effects and fluctuating grain feel artificially smoothed, leading to a loss of natural film-like texture that diminishes the impact of the erotic sequences, opulent brothel environments, and martial arts action despite minimal excessive digital noise reduction. In contrast, the 1984 remake at 2.35:1 fares better with a clearer, more detailed image boasting solid contrast and shadow detail, though still occasionally soft due to source limitations; while both represent some improvement over prior SD releases, the worldwide Blu-ray debut for the remake stands out as the stronger image, making the set a mixed bag for visually discerning fans of Hong Kong cinema.

NOTE: We have added 126 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE.

On their Blu-ray, Imprint use linear PCM dual-mono tracks (24-bit) in the original Mandarin language. For the 1972 original there is also an English DUB option. The mono mix balances dialogue, sound effects, and Chou Fu-Liang's (Drunken Master, 7 Grandmasters,) eclectic score - blending traditional Chinese instruments with dramatic stings - without distortion, ensuring that key moments like the intense confrontations and sensual interludes come through sharply. The 1984 version follows suit with a clean mono presentation - score by Chin-Yung Shing (Robotrix, Lady Assassin, Dragons Forever, Five Elements Ninjas, The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter, Mr. Vampire III and Mr. Vampire IV,) and Chen-Hou Su 8 Diagram Pole Fighter, Five Elements Ninjas) - though it lacks the same auditory flair, focusing more on dialogue-driven melodrama. Imprint offer optional English subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-ray.

The Imprint Blu-ray extras package leans heavier on the 1972 film, featuring a new audio commentary by author Stefan Hammond (More Sex, Better Zen, Faster Bullets: The Encyclopedia of Hong Kong Film) and Asian film expert Arne Venema that delves into production context and cultural significance, a fresh 1/4 hour interview with film historian Paul Fonoroff (At the Hong Kong Movies: 600 Reviews from 1988 Till the Handover) discussing Shaw Brothers' erotic output, the dozen-minute featurette Intimate Confessions of 3 Shaw Girls (Shaw Yin-Yin, Candace Yu, Lily Li) directed by Frédéric Ambroisine, an 18-minute archival roundtable with critics and filmmakers, plus the original trailer and DVD-sourced trailer. In contrast, the 1984 remake offers slimmer supplements with a new commentary by film historian Samm Deighan (The Legacy of World War II in European Arthouse Cinema) exploring themes of remake evolution and exploitation elements, alongside a brief DVD trailer, making the set feel somewhat unbalanced but still valuable for archival content.

Both Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan (1972) and Lust for Love of a Chinese Courtesan (1984), directed by Chor Yuen for Shaw Brothers Studio, represent a fascinating case of self-remake within Hong Kong cinema, blending elements of wuxia martial arts, erotic melodrama, and revenge narratives set against the backdrop of institutionalized sex work in ancient China. The original film, also known as Ai Nu, follows the young woman Ainu (Lily Ho - The Golden Buddha,) who is kidnapped, sold into the opulent yet oppressive Four Seasons brothel run by the formidable lesbian madam Lady Chun (Betty Pei Ti - her first feature film), endures repeated sexual assaults and humiliations, and ultimately transforms into a vengeful courtesan using martial arts and seduction to systematically eliminate her abusers, including Lady Chun herself, while evading a sympathetic police chief (Yueh Hua). In contrast, the 1984 remake, Ai Nu Xin Zhuan, reimagines the story with Ai Nu (Nancy Hu Guan-Chen) as a starving orphan coerced into the Merryland brothel under Lady Chun (Candice Yu On-On - Beauty and the Seven Beasts), incorporating more explicit romantic entanglements, a murder investigation, and a shift away from pure revenge toward themes of lost innocence and forbidden love, culminating in a tragic resolution amid betrayal and violence. Eroticism and lesbianism are central, with the original controversially featuring scenes of nudity, orgies, and Lady Chun's obsessive affection for Ainu - depicted not as titillating but as perverse and manipulative, blending sensuality with savagery to highlight depravity. In terms of style and direction, Chor Yuen's 1972 film stands out as a visual masterpiece within Shaw Brothers' oeuvre, with opulent art direction, atmospheric cinematography that transforms soundstage sets into a magical, snow-blanketed fairy tale contrasting the narrative's ugliness, and disciplined editing that avoids excess while incorporating innovative techniques like close-up two-shots and shallow focus to isolate characters emotionally. This creates a sleazy elegance influenced by gritty US and European cinema, diverging from the macho wuxia dominance of directors like Chang Cheh by centering a female antihero in a genre outlier that pushes sexual boundaries. The nudity and intimacy are more inferred than explicit in both films. Performances highlight the original's strengths: Lily Ho delivers a sincere, affecting portrayal of Ainu's transformation from victim to vengeful force, isolated and manipulative, while Betty Pei Ti's Lady Chun adds layers of obsession and kung fu prowess, supported by Yueh Hua's charismatic lawman. In the remake, Candice Yu and Nancy Hu Shui are adequate but lack the memorability of their predecessors, with the ensemble praised for attractiveness and competence yet criticized for not elevating the material beyond average. This limited edition 2-Blu-ray hardbox from Imprint is a welcome addition for collectors of Shaw Brothers classics, adding insightful extras that prioritize the influential original over its lesser remake - it's a compact, region-free package that effectively bundles these erotic wuxia gems for modern audiences.

Gary Tooze