Reviewed by: STSH Date: 01/28/2007 Summary: A waste This one just didn't grab me. Maybe it was the lack of subtitles, though from the look of what was going on, I really don't think they would have lifted the quality any. The opening scene is unsettling in an awful way, and the scenes following swung between nightmarish (both the supernatural scenes and those where people are struggled against) to banal and boring (e.g. where Tony Leung and Joey Wong walk together, pushing their bikes). Joey Wong spends a lot of time playing Song Of Joy on a harmonica for no apparent reason. By the time Joey's Dad, some sort of local communist administrator, employs recently- attained supernatural powers to behead a dissenter, I gave up. This was just under an hour into the film. And I suggest any other viewer do the same, long before this point. Seems a waste of a lot of money and a very fine cast. Reviewer Score: 1

Reviewed by: danton Date: 12/30/2002 A HK horror film that places the usual story elements (a "Blood Demon" victimizes the village and can only be stopped by the courageous hero in an act of supreme sacrifice, using a mysterious holy weapon) within the context of the Chinese Cultural Revolution - I found this premise intriguing, and it certainly would have offered ample opportunity for veiled political messages about one of the most violent and tumultuous periods in Chinese history. However, this low-budget B-movie wastes most of those opportunities by combining a haphazardously put-together script with shoddy production values and overly simplistic characters. Even the action scenes (usually the one element that makes these kinds of formula pictures worthwhile seeing) are unimaginatively staged and completely waste the considerable talents of Lam Ching Ying, who plays one of the heroes (along with Leung Kar-Fai and Joey Wong). I watched the film with someone who actually lived through the Cultural Revolution, and she found the superficial treatment given to this part of the story almost offensive, given the amount of true suffering, anxiety and passionate albeit misguided idealism this period caused. But worst of all, it's just plain poorly staged, and not very effective in its depiction of what could have been a very dramatic, intense background to the main storyline. Overall, the movie barely manages to avoid being outright boring, and it certainly didn't leave a very positive or lasting impression on me. Not recommended (try Tsui Hark's King of Chess for a more effective, albeit still flawed look at this period).

Reviewed by: Inner Strength Date: 08/15/2002 Summary: Poor Red and Black is unfortunately a film about nothing, and is clear from the start that it was never going anywhere. It’s uninteresting, a poor and confusing story, terrible acting at the most of times, horribly bad editing and poor effects. Over all one of the most painful ways to spend 90 minutes. It’s confusing mainly because the film seems to change pace every 5 minutes, going from horror, to drama, to strong political views, to violent action…it’s just all over the place. The acting is just as bad, the majority is way over the top, and it’s more laughable than being able to take it seriously. The only people who don’t ruin the film are Wu Ma and Joey Wong who even so barely hold it together for themselves. Tony Leung unfortunately was the worst actor by a long shot in this film, and it’s probably the worst I have seem him perform. If you consider watching this, I would strongly suggest looking at other similar titles first. [1.5/5]

Reviewed by: MrBooth Date: 07/08/2002 A curious mixture of supernatural horror and politics. A blood demon once banished by the heroics of a couple of exorcists is later released by the workers of post-cultural revolution China. The struggle between the new ideology vs. traditional beliefs is given tangible form by the presence of a supernatural killer, whose very existence is impossible under the New Society, but must never-the-less be stopped. Surprisingly serious in tone for a HK movie, and does actually tackle the political issues with some intelligence and candour. Leung Ka Fai is excellent as the youth who reports his own father for anti-revolutionary thoughts, but begins to realise there is more to the world than the party admits. Lam Ching Ying is cool as ever as the traditionalist horrified by the changes to the world around him, and Wu Ma plays a coward and traitor with his usual skill. Joey Wang is pretty good here, though not called upon to do much. More about the politics than the scares or the action, but does use those elements to carry its message across. Clearly the movie's politics are vastly simpler than in FAREWELL MY CONCUBINE or other artier fair, but they are an unusual and quite welcome addition to the supernatural horror genre, and give RED & BLACK a unique and quite satisfying character.

Reviewed by: ElectraWoman Date: 01/21/2001 Summary: 8/10-Very interesting Actually I do think part of its message is a bit obvious-a RED spirit invading a General, I wonder what that's supposed to mean?? :) Anyways probably requires an extra viewing to completely understand but a very interesting film. Totally worth the hire fee.

Reviewed by: hkcinema Date: 12/21/1999 A romantic saga spanning war-torn China during the Japaneseinvasion to the ascendancy of Mao and the Communist Revolution. This cult classic with supernatural overtones stars JOEY WANG and TONY LEUNG KAR FAI. [Reviewed by Tai Seng Catalog]

Reviewed by: jfierro Date: 12/21/1999 Of all the movies I've seen in which a high-ranking member of the Communist Party is taken over by an ancient evil spirit during the Cultural Revolution, this is my favorite. In this movie, Lam Ching-Ying's father sacrifices his life to prevent a powerful evil spirit from escaping into the human world. Lam Ching-Ying is raised by Leung Ka-Fai's parents, which causes deep jealousy in Leung Ka-Fai. When the Cultural Revolution sweeps across the nation, Leung Ka-Fai sees his chance, and helps expel the traditional Taoist Lam Ching-Ying for "re-education". Years later, the evil spirit manages to escape and overtake the local leader of the Party, forcing Lam Ching-Ying and Leung Ka-Fai to forget past differences and work together to destroy the evil. There is even a love triangle that develops between the two brothers and the daughter of the possessed Party member. Even though the plot sounds confusing, this ambitious mix of political and supernatural genres manages to work, getting its message across without being too obvious. I would recommend it.