1. Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan | 愛奴 (1972)
Controversial on its release in 1972 due to its lesbian and exploitation themes, director Chor Yuen’s rape-revenge epic – mixing wuxia swordplay with moments of period erotica – still arrests the senses with the sheer intensity of its tale, which sees a defiant beauty (Lily Ho) exacting vicious retribution on her tormentors years after being abducted into a high-class brothel. The erotic moments might seem a little tame by later standards but they were particularly daring back in the day.