For martial arts movie enthusiasts, “The 36th Chamber of Shaolin” is one of the best. Gordon Liu plays San De, a university student rebelling against Manchu rule during the early Ching Dynasty. When his family, teacher and fellow students are massacred, he escapes and makes his way to the Shaolin Temple. Determined to learn kung fu in order to seek revenge against the Manchu oppressors, he submits to the rigorous training of the Shaolin monks.
One of the film's highlights is watching San De progress through the 36 chambers. The training sequences are impressive, combining solid action with a bit of whimsy as San De discovers that mastering the various fighting techniques and weapons is not as easy as he initially thought.
What raises “The 36th Chamber of Shaolin” above the typical martial-arts revenge flick is its depiction of the spiritual essence of kung fu. We come to admire San De not because he becomes a master fighter but because, by developing his inner discipline, he becomes a better and more enlightened person.
