Innocent Lust

Ho Fan started his career as a Shaw Brothers actor, best known for his role as the monk Tang Seng in the classic Monkey Goes West film series. As a director, however, his forte was erotica. Like Li Han Hsiang, Ho Fan was a pioneer of the aesthetic school of erotica, known for his luscious cinematography and seductive lens. He is certainly one of the few Hong Kong erotica filmmakers to have made a respectable name for himself with Category III offerings like Adventure in Denmark, Yu Pu Tuan, and 1977's Innocent Lust. One of Ho Fan's representative works, Innocent Lust stars Ai Fei, Chan Chun Ho, and Lam Choi as college friends who are unlucky in love. They decide to go to a night club, and are surprised to discover that their innocent-looking classmate (Chan Wai Ying) works as a hostess there. When they step up to defend her from a lecherous old man, the encounter sparks off an unexpected journey of love and lust.

Directed by Ho Fan, Innocent Lust leans on a strong ensemble — Ho Yen, Ai Fei, Chan Wai-Ying — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 1977.