Reviewed by: STSH Date: 01/28/2007 Summary: Max as Eunuch The film starts with Mok as an old man awoken by a parade, who is browbeaten to dropping his drawers so that American tourists can gawk at his lack of testicles. Then starts the memory of how he came to be what he was. He fell in love with a minor court lady, and could only be with her if he became a court eunuch. He agreed to become one, not knowing what he had to lose...... Covers much the same story as Sex_And_The_Emperor, with just as much violence, but a lot less fun, and from a different viewpoint. Quite similar to the later Twilight_Of_The_Forbidden_City (also starring Mok - is he attracted to this sort of stuff ?), except LEIC is even more downbeat. Reviewer Score: 4

Reviewed by: MrBooth Date: 01/16/2006 Lai Shi is a decent young man living in rural china at the start of the 20th century. Seeing the power the eunuchs hold, he declares his intention to become one. His family object, but his father is won over by the promise of "chicken ass" (to eat!). Unfortunately, no sooner has Lai Shi had the snip than news arrives that the emperor has been overthrown... not a good time to be a eunuch! Lai Shi goes to Peking and joins Sammo's opera troupe, hoping that the tides will turn and his sacrifice will reap some rewards. A good performance from Max Mok, who is on screen almost constantly. Irene Wan (who, according to her bio on the Universe DVD, "besides her career, all her love affairs were bad too"!) is solid as his childhood friend, and Wu Ma and Sammo are also good. The subject matter is perhaps an odd one for a western viewer to understand. The film isn't exactly a deep, philosophical study of the politics of the time which made Lai Shi's decision a plausible one then a regrettable one - nor an especially profound study of Lai Shi's character. It's an interesting enough tale and well presented, carried mainly by Max Mok's performance. Reviewer Score: 6

Reviewed by: Inner Strength Date: 01/25/2003 Summary: Hmmm Could be much better. Historical as it may be, there is too much comedy trying to break through in this, which kind of wrecks it from being as it should be. Still, I've seen much much worse. 2.5/5 Reviewer Score: 5

Reviewed by: jpopphan Date: 01/24/2002 Summary: Wonderful film! I recently saw this film and was overwhelmed by the beauty of the sets and costumes. One of my favorite movies about China's history is "The Last Emperor", and this film dovetails quite nicely with it. It provides a view of the fall of the old imperial system and the transition toward the modern period. The acting is wonderful, and I recommend this film to other fans of historical fiction.

Reviewed by: ElectraWoman Date: 01/21/2001 Summary: 8/10-Great film Someone called me a masochist for liking this film, but I don't care :Þ This film pulls no punches-the beginning is painful watching as a terrified Lam Ching-Ying runs off after half-severing his son's penis. His son then reaches over and finishes the job. Eeek! Anyways, there's well-developed characters, good storyline, and nice performances all-round, esp. from Max Mok, who I think is pretty under-rated. This film avoids the sentimentality trap, which, for a film of its tragic nature, would have been very easy. Instead, I found this film emotional and uplifting. Highly recommended :)

Reviewed by: hkcinema Date: 12/08/1999 The end of the reign of the Manchus sees the confinement ofthe Emperor Pu Yi to the Forbidden City and the dissolution of his court. Court officials and the once-powerful eunuchs leave Peking and spread across the countryside. In a village in the Shantung Province, Lai Shi, the nine-year-old son of a poor family, decides to be a eunuch. Lai Shi does not comprehend the dramatic forces of republicanism and revolution that are sweeping the vast country. Finding no place for himself in the service of the Emperor, this Eunuch's life goes through dramatic turns eventually taking him to a railway station, where fate takes a hand. [Reviewed by Rim Films Catalog]