The 36th Chamber of Shao Lin (AKA “Master Killer”) (Shao Lin san shi liu fang)
Directed by Chia-Liang Liu
Written by Kuang Ni
Hong Kong/1978
IMDb page
First viewing/Amazon Prime (free to members)
One of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
San Te: I should have learned Kung-fu instead of ethics.
I read that this is a jewel of kung fu cinema and I can see why.
Liu Yu-tei (Gordon Liu Chia-hui) is the latest in a long line of patriots who have fought back against the evil Manchu Government. During a brutal counter-attack, our hero’s father is killed. He decides to learn kung fu so he can take it back to the patriotic side and avenge his father’s death.
Liu applies to the Shao Lin Buddhist monastery for training. The abbot is sympathetic and takes the boy in, naming him San Te. But it is only after a year of manual labor and a lot of begging that San Te is allowed to start his training. Each “chamber” in the monastery has a lesson to teach and they must be completed in order. Final exams are arduous and dangerous but they must all be passed. Most of the movie concerns San Te’s training. Then he tries it out on some bad guys.
The kung-fu choreography is this film is simply amazing. There is very little wire work which helps a lot with the suspension of disbelief in this regard. The production is handsomely mounted. Recommended.
