The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978)

It's Manchu vs Ming in this classic kung fu movie. I've watched it twice now, and while it has some splendid choreography and Gordon Liu is a kung fu beast I can't say it's my favorite. I did give it a .5 bump on re-watching.

A good third of the movie is devoted to Gordon training through the 35 stations at the Shaolin temple. The scenes are rigorous and impressive. Lau Kar Leung (Gordon Liu's brother IRL) is one of, if not my favorite martial arts choreographer. No slow stop action fight scenes or training scenes. While the scenes are slowed down for the human eye to follow, the movement is constant. A wide variety of weapons and challenges are used which highlight Gordon's abilities. The only caveat I have is that like a novel's page needs some white space to rest the eyes, I could have used some breaks from the action to develop the main character and give me more reasons to understand him, the people he sought to help, and the monks who trained him.

The sets, costumes, and production values are above average for a 1978 kung fu film. The copy I saw was dubbed which always takes away from the viewing experience. Almost any male actor who worked for Shaw Brothers was in this movie. It was fun to pick out all the ones I knew.

One of my favorite kung fu actors, Lo Lieh, plays the Big Bad though he sees very little screen time. This is Gordon's hero's journey. Through training and sacrifice his character seeks to avenge his family's death and bring kung to his people so that they can protect themselves from the enemy. A better than average kung fu film to pass your time with.

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World's longest training arc

Offset by the longest training montage known to man, Liu Chia-Liang's trend-setting classic, The 36th Chamber of Shaolin mythologises the true story of a monk who took his martial teaching out of the temple and into the secular world and in turn boiling the revenge drama down to almost abstract levels, one that is often heralded as one of the most influential martial arts films of all time. Leung directs this movie masterfully, making fabulous use of the epic and colourful surroundings while the exceptionally choreographed fights fill the frame. The acting is great all around with Gordon Liu more than carrying his weight but the show is really stolen by Lo Leih's villainous turn as General Tien. The music is nothing overly special but works for the film. Ultimately, it's hard to fault The 36th Chamber of Shaolin regarding its technical and landmarking achievements for the kung fu genre, although granted it does take a little bit too long to get going but once it starts, it doesn't stop.

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