Disciples of the 36th Chamber
Disciples of the 36th Chamber
霹靂十傑
Overview
"Fong Sai-Yuk is a highly skilled but wildly arrogant and mischievous martial arts student who constantly causes trouble for his school. To protect him from Qing dynasty officials he crosses, his mother hides him in the Shaolin Temple under the tutelage of the legendary San Te, but Fong's rebellious nature repeatedly clashes with monastic discipline."
Iconic Tracked Scenes
- ▶
Fong Sai-Yuk starts a chaotic, acrobatic brawl in a tea house, utilizing wooden benches as weapons and shields against multiple thugs.
"tea house bench fight""fong sai-yuk brawl" - ▶
Refusing to be disciplined, Fong Sai-Yuk disrespectfully attempts to escape the temple courtyard by running across the shoulders and heads of the meditating monks.
"walking on monks heads""escaping the temple" - ▶
A highly complex, politically charged final fight set during a sprawling lantern festival, forcing the Shaolin monks into a massive skirmish.
"lantern festival fight""disciples final battle"
Why It's Remembered
- ★Fong Sai-Yuk sneaking out of the temple by walking over the heads of meditating monks.
- ★The incredibly intricate bench fight in the tea house.
- ★The chaotic final lantern festival showdown.
Cultural Context
- ◈The final film in Lau Kar-Leung's 36th Chamber trilogy, this time actually continuing the story of San Te, now a master.
- ◈Hsiao Ho's performance as Fong Sai-Yuk perfectly captures the folkloric character's famous rebellious, wire-fu agility.
- ◈Focuses heavily on the friction between traditional Shaolin discipline and natural, undisciplined talent.
About the Action Elements
Disciples of the 36th Chamber is widely celebrated among martial arts cinema fans for sequences involving tea house, bench fight, acrobatic, brawl, arrogant. One of the most memorable sequences features Hsiao Ho naturally executing tea house bench fight, where the choreography and unique set pieces become the unexpected highlight of the film.