A young man is forced to escape from the oppressive Tartars and into the doors of a Shaolin temple in this exceptional high point of ‘70s HK kung-fu cinema that is as entertaining and cathartic as they come.

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There had been so many Hong Kong martial arts movies in its heyday that some were relegated to B-movie fodder to keep the commercial wheels turning. 

Few, however, come as distinguished from that fertile period of action filmmaking as The 36^th Chamber of Shaolin, often considered one of the kung-fu genre’s highest points, directed by Lau Kar-leung at the height of his powers and starring his ‘god-brother’ Gordon Liu in a scene-stealing lead role as San Te, a docile student-turned-fighting monk. 

In a way, 36^th Chamber works like an ‘origin story’, as San Te is forced to escape from the oppressive Tartars and into the doors of a Shaolin temple, where he begins a physical-cum-spiritual education that will transform his life—and possibly the lives of others. 

As entertaining and cathartic as these kinds of movies can ever aspire to be, Lau’s film spends nearly half of its runtime in the confines of the temple as San Te must advance from one increasingly difficult training chamber to another. 

“I should have learned kung-fu instead of ethics.”

It feels, at times, like a video game movie, where quests must be completed to move on to the next phase. While the film’s denouement feels a tad rushed, one can’t fault the contagious energy and dynamic film language on display from the get-go.

With spirited fight scenes that are skilfully choreographed and edited, 36^th Chamber promises everything that we love about the genre, and reminds us that Hollywood’s attempts at cannibalising martial arts have rarely succeeded at this level. 

What I appreciated most about Lau’s work here is how he painstakingly shows—with sharp dashes of comedy—the mental and physical discipline that is required to be a master of one’s craft. 

Through San Te’s exploits and practical application of his learnings, we take comfort in the fact that perseverance and mentorship are key to achieving great things together with others.

Grade: A-

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