Shaolin Temple vs. 36th Chamber of Shaolin

[Iron_Leopard]

Two movies that focus on the legendary training regiment of the Shaolin Temple. Overall though two very different movies.

Everyone knows the story of how Lau Kar Leung wasn't satisfied with how the temple was portrayed in Chang Chehs film so he went out on his own and made his own version. One he felt was more true to Shaolin.

So which do you enjoy more?

Chang Cheh's "Shaolin Temple "

Or.

Lau Kar Leung's "36th Chamber of Shaolin"

[sym8]

I think 36 was a better all round film,Choreography was better and the pacing better.Shaolin Temple for me had times when it just dragged and became slow,not taking anything away from the movie but there’s just to be many different characters,there is an all star cast and I think that maybe a problem,it’s still enjoyable and worth a watch though but for me 36 all day.

[morpheus]

I prefer 36th Chamber only because it focuses on fewer stars -well only one in this film.  My reasons are very much like sym8 above.  While Shaolin Temple tries to equalize screen time (and does a pretty good job of this), it fragments each of the actors so that there is less character development; it is still a very watchable film and one that I do like.  My personal favorite scene is Bruce Tong Yim Chaan turning blank pages while stepping on the stone spikes.  Both are excellent films though.

[CT KID]

I have to go with 36th Chamber as well, it had more of an emotional impact on me as a kid when first seeing it and it's full of heart. 

[NoKUNGFUforYU]

I go with Shaolin Temple all day. The Wing Chun, Steel Whip, Hung Gar, Staff Fighting and the build up is all much more interesting. I never really bought Gordon Liu as a bad ass. He has a very frail looking back (no shoulders or lats) and that is simply too important for a real fighter. So for me, he looks like his strikes would not hurt (and they probably didn't!).  Ti Lung, Fu Sheng, Chi Kuan Chun all were athletic (I know there are a lot of Fu Sheng haters, but he was a martial artist before Shaw bros and was one of Lau's favorite students. Phillip Ko Fei once said he was "Too clever at Kung fu!") while Liu looked rather soft. The one thing that is good about 36 chambers is that there is more focus on hard exercises to an extent and less on learning a magical form or kata that suddenly gives you the timing to fight. My personal belief is that before the boxer rebellion Chinese martial arts were rough, practiced by country illiterates and focused on hitting hard objects, doing resistance exercises, balance exercises along with forms of wrestling and sparring. They probably sparred with bamboo or wooden swords. The boxer rebellion comes and wipes out the tough, battle ready courageous ones, and after that it's all "Look at my Taming the Tiger form! Do this one thousand times and no can defend!".I enjoy the forms demos, I just have a tough time believing they were the center of the practice.

 

 

[Tex Killer]

17 minutes ago, NoKUNGFUforYU said:

I go with Shaolin Temple all day.

 

 

And equal weight with kwok choy and lu feng..

[morpheus]

3 hours ago, NoKUNGFUforYU said:

I go with Shaolin Temple all day. The Wing Chun, Steel Whip, Hung Gar, Staff Fighting and the build up is all much more interesting. I never really bought Gordon Liu as a bad ass. He has a very frail looking back (no shoulders or lats) and that is simply too important for a real fighter. So for me, he looks like his strikes would not hurt (and they probably didn't!).  Ti Lung, Fu Sheng, Chi Kuan Chun all were athletic (I know there are a lot of Fu Sheng haters, but he was a martial artist before Shaw bros and was one of Lau's favorite students. Phillip Ko Fei once said he was "Too clever at Kung fu!") while Liu looked rather soft. The one thing that is good about 36 chambers is that there is more focus on hard exercises to an extent and less on learning a magical form or kata that suddenly gives you the timing to fight. My personal belief is that before the boxer rebellion Chinese martial arts were rough, practiced by country illiterates and focused on hitting hard objects, doing resistance exercises, balance exercises along with forms of wrestling and sparring. They probably sparred with bamboo or wooden swords. The boxer rebellion comes and wipes out the tough, battle ready courageous ones, and after that it's all "Look at my Taming the Tiger form! Do this one thousand times and no can defend!".I enjoy the forms demos, I just have a tough time believing they were the center of the practice.

 

 

I've known a number of martial artists that ranged from excellent to downright terrible and found that body type has just about nothing to do with ability or strength.  A Korean guy I hung around with as a youngster had an ectomorphic body much like Lau Kar Fai.  However, on the street, he destroyed larger opponents -many of them were also good martial artists who pushed a challenge on him.  Yet he was never boastful or started trouble. While people may look "soft", don't underestimate them.

[Chu Liu Hsiang]

On 6/14/2020 at 10:26 AM, Iron_Leopard said:

So which do you enjoy more?

Love both of them for what they are. I cannot make a general statement. Depending on the daily mood, I watch the one or the other. I'm awfully bad at "deserted island" questions. 

[morpheus]

On 6/15/2020 at 10:06 PM, Chu Liu Hsiang said:

Love both of them for what they are. I cannot make a general statement. Depending on the daily mood, I watch the one or the other. I'm awfully bad at "deserted island" questions. 

I give you credit.  On the other side, I would have a difficult time choosing because neither film really appeals to my taste -go ahead and impale me for it.  Even seeing Water Margin on the big screen does not do it for me.  I find that too many actors and condensing a huge story into a short film is sometimes a recipe for disaster.  However, if a really had to choose......Water Margin.

[nectarsis]

On 6/16/2020 at 3:06 AM, Chu Liu Hsiang said:

Love both of them for what they are. I cannot make a general statement. Depending on the daily mood, I watch the one or the other. I'm awfully bad at "deserted island" questions. 

I'm similar, though in this case 36th Chamber is an easy win in this one.  Shaolin Temple is a GREAT movie, and admittedly I'm very tinged with nostalgia with my love for 36th, but this is still close.

[Iron_Leopard]

On 6/15/2020 at 5:11 PM, NoKUNGFUforYU said:

I go with Shaolin Temple all day. The Wing Chun, Steel Whip, Hung Gar, Staff Fighting and the build up is all much more interesting. I never really bought Gordon Liu as a bad ass. He has a very frail looking back (no shoulders or lats) and that is simply too important for a real fighter. So for me, he looks like his strikes would not hurt (and they probably didn't!).  Ti Lung, Fu Sheng, Chi Kuan Chun all were athletic (I know there are a lot of Fu Sheng haters, but he was a martial artist before Shaw bros and was one of Lau's favorite students. Phillip Ko Fei once said he was "Too clever at Kung fu!") while Liu looked rather soft. The one thing that is good about 36 chambers is that there is more focus on hard exercises to an extent and less on learning a magical form or kata that suddenly gives you the timing to fight. My personal belief is that before the boxer rebellion Chinese martial arts were rough, practiced by country illiterates and focused on hitting hard objects, doing resistance exercises, balance exercises along with forms of wrestling and sparring. They probably sparred with bamboo or wooden swords. The boxer rebellion comes and wipes out the tough, battle ready courageous ones, and after that it's all "Look at my Taming the Tiger form! Do this one thousand times and no can defend!".I enjoy the forms demos, I just have a tough time believing they were the center of the practice.

 

 

I'm surprised @SMK didn't reply to this comment. 

The disrespect to Gordon Liu lol.

[NoKUNGFUforYU]

10 hours ago, Iron_Leopard said:

I'm surprised @SMK didn't reply to this comment. 

The disrespect to Gordon Liu lol.

Everyone is entitled to their favorites. My view was based on sport karate and kickboxing that was going on at the time. I also didn't, at the time, understand why Sammo was in certain roles, like Game of Death, etc. He simply did not look like an athlete. Of course, by that time, neither did Bob Wall. I realize that there are some overweight champions, as well as guys like BJ Penn who could not get cut to save his life it seemed, who did just fine for a certain period of a fighters career (the winning streak before inevitable loss or well timed retirement), but Liu just did not have the explosiveness in my opinion. But it is just an opinion which are like as-.... I digress, but you get what I mean.

[Omni Dragon]

Overall I prefer The 36th Chamber of Shaolin. I agree with what others have essentially said about the characters. 36 focusing on one main character does, to me at least make it feel like your going on the journey with San Te.

From an English dub point of view I might prefer Shaolin Temple.