36th Chamber of Shaolin

Directed by: Liu Chia Liang

Starring: Gordon Liu Chia Hui, Lo Lieh, yung Wang Yu, Wilson Tong

Synopsis: Liu Yu Te, a young scholar, finds himself persecuted by the invading Manchu after speaking his mind at the execution of a rebel. He manages to escape, although wounded, and reaches the Shaolin Temple, where he hopes to learn kung fu and get revenge. He is eventually accepted and his education in the martial arts takes him through the 35 “chambers”, each specialising in a particular area of combat and strength of body and mind.



Review: Like King Boxer, this has been given the stellar treatment by Dragon Dynasty and released in the UK courtesy of Momentum pictures. All that means of course is that the picture and sound quality are superb but what of the film itself?

36th Chamber opens with a scene that shows off the wonderful Shawscope to great effect, as a rebel hero tries to assassinate the arriving governor, only to fall into a trap. Liu manages to get on the wrong side of the Manchu by stating the rebel was a hero and pays for his loose tongue with his family’s life. As good as the early scenes are though, it is the mid-section of the movie which make it one of the enduring classic kung fu movies, and contains the granddaddy of probably the biggest kung-fu movie cliché, the training sequence. In fact, the whole middle section of the film is built around it – the difference is, here it is truly integral to the plot; in fact it is the whole plot for the second act – once Liu Yu Te sets foot inside the temple, we have no idea what is going on in the outside world.

When Liu arrives at the temple, he is very arrogant and wants to learn kung fu as quickly as possible. He jumps strait to the last chamber, only to be humiliated (and a little scared). He quickly decides that its best he starts at the beginning. The training sequences have a lot of logic to them – the initial ten chambers are all about building body strength, preparing the body for the rigours of learning martial arts. It is only when they have completed the initial ten that they are allowed to start their “real” training.

Liu’s biggest challenge comes when he is tasked with defeating the temple marshal, who’s favoured weapon is twin butterfly swords. Like Lo Lieh in King Boxer , Liu has to adapt, utilising what he has learnt and produce something new (in this case, a three-sectioned staff), producing the films true standout moment.

Verdict:

Great fight scenes, inventive training sequences and a wonderful performance by Gordon Liu make this movie a bona fide classic. Like King Boxer, this is a perfect start for anyone new to the genre.