Rent The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978)
3.8 of 5 from 75 ratings
1h 51min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
The anti-Qing patriots, under the guidance of Ho Kuang-han, have secretly set up their base in Canton under cover of being school masters. Liu Yude, one of Ho's pupils, having been inspired by his teacher's patriotism, is determined to join the anti-Qing ranks. Liu works as an espionage courier for his fellow countrymen until the Manchu General in Canton, Tianda, orders his troops to round up all the anti-Qing patriots. The Manchu soldiers, acting on information, surround the Ho school and kill Ho and many of his students. Later, Liu's father is also murdered by the Qing lackeys; Liu escapes to the Shaolin Temple in hopes of learning martial arts, with which he may avenge his father's death. The Abbot of the Shaolin Temple sympathizes with Liu's plight, accepting him as an inmate and giving him the name "San De". Liu does nothing but sweep the floors for nearly a year before being given permission to learn the Shaolin kung fu techniques, comprising 35 chambers. Of course, as a novice, he has to start from the lowest chamber. One of the 35 chambers concerns the study of Buddhism, and the others are devoted to the martial arts. Each pupil has to endure a stiff test in order to pass through any one chamber before going on to the next. In an incredibly short time, Liu has mastered and passed 10 chambers, specializing in the employment of the fists, feet, palms, swords, sticks, lance, and other weapons. He continues to make tremendous progress in the art of kung fu, and with the approval of the Abbot, he leaves the temple and goes out into the country to not only attack the cruel Manchu henchmen, but also to recruit more patriotic youths for training. Meanwhile, the Qing authorities order Tianda and his troops to catch Liu and his fellow monks. In a fierce encounter, Liu, aided by Hong Xiguan, kills many enemies, including Tianda. Liu and his new fellow fighters then return to the Shaolin Temple, where he immediately develops the "36th Chamber" which is the apex of the art of kung fu. The new blood, including Hong Xiguan, Tong Qianjin, Lu A-Cai and Chung Mi-lu (Miller Six), under the leadership of Liu, become a barb to torment the Qing flesh. - Actors:
- Chia-Hui Liu, Lieh Lo, Chia Yung Liu, Norman Chu, Yu Yang, John Cheung, Wilson Tong, Hang-Sheng Wu, Yue Wong, Tung-kua Ai, Billy Chan, Lung Chan, Shen Chan, Szu-Chia Chen, Wah Cheung, Han Chiang, Nan Chiang, Yuet Sang Chin, Alan Chung San Chui, Ging Man Fung
- Directors:
- Chia-Liang Liu
- Producers:
- Run Run Shaw
- Writers:
- Kuang Ni
- Aka:
- Shao Lin san shi liu fang / Master Killer
- Studio:
- Momentum
- Genres:
- Action & Adventure, Classics, Drama
- Collections:
- 10 Films to Watch if You Like: Raise the Red Lantern, Films to Watch If You Like...
- Countries:
- Hong Kong
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 21/11/2022
- Run Time:
- 116 minutes
- Languages:
- Cantonese LPCM Mono, Dubbed, English LPCM Mono, Mandarin LPCM Mono
- Subtitles:
- English, English Hard of Hearing
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 2.35:1
- Colour:
- Colour
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
- Bonus:
- Brand new feature commentary by critic Travis Crawford
- Brand new select-scene commentary by film critic and historian Tony Rayns
- Interview with star Gordon Liu, filmed in 2003
- Interview with cinematographer Arthur Wong, filmed in 2006
- Shaolin: Birthplace of a Hero and Elegant Trails, two archive featurettes with Gordon Liu produced by Celestial Pictures in 2003
- Tiger Style: The Musical Impact of Martial Arts Cinema, a newly filmed overview of Shaw Brothers' influence on hip hop and other music genres, featuring music historian Lovely Jon
- Cinema Hong Kong: Swordfighting, the second instalment in a three-part documentary produced by Celestial Pictures in 2003 and featuring interviews with Gordon Liu, Lau Kar-leung, Cheng Pei-pei, John Woo, Sammo Hung, Kara Hui, David Chiang and others
- Alternate opening credits from the American version titled Master Killer
- Hong Kong and German theatrical trailers, plus US TV spot
- Image gallery
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