The 18 Bronzemen
The 18 Bronzemen
少林寺十八銅人
Overview
"During the Qing dynasty's purge of Ming loyalists, a young boy takes refuge in the Shaolin Temple. To graduate and leave the temple to seek his vengeance against the Emperor, he must endure the grueling, labyrinthine test of the '18 Bronzemen'—a gauntlet of elite monks painted entirely in gold and utilizing bizarre, mechanized traps."
Iconic Tracked Scenes
- ▶
The protagonist enters the dark labyrinth and is immediately ambushed by the intimidating Bronzemen, elite monks painted entirely in gold who fight with robotic, relentless precision.
"fighting the gold painted monks""18 bronzemen ambush" - ▶
Moving deeper into the gauntlet, the hero must dodge mechanized traps, swinging logs, and walls of moving spikes, all while fighting off the golden monks.
"fighting in the spike room""dodging wooden traps" - ▶
Having defeated the men and the traps, the exhausted hero must pass the final test by lifting a massive, red-hot iron cauldron, permanently branding his forearms with the temple's crest.
"lifting the hot cauldron""branding the arms with dragon and tiger"
Why It's Remembered
- ★The terrifying first appearance of the Bronzemen, covered head-to-toe in reflective gold paint.
- ★The protagonist having to fight his way out of a room where the walls are covered in moving spikes.
- ★The final, exhausting trial where the hero must lift a massive, burning metal cauldron with his bare forearms to brand the Shaolin dragon and tiger onto his skin.
Cultural Context
- ◈Directed by Joseph Kuo, this Taiwanese production became a massive cult hit and defined the cinematic trope of the 'Shaolin Wooden Men / Bronzemen gauntlet'.
- ◈The 'Bronzemen' became iconic pop-culture figures in Taiwan and Hong Kong, appearing in numerous sequels, parodies, and commercials.
- ◈Heavily influential on video game level design and the concept of a 'boss rush' gauntlet.
About the Action Elements
The 18 Bronzemen is widely celebrated among martial arts cinema fans for sequences involving bronzemen, gold paint, labyrinth, ambush, relentless. One of the most memorable sequences features Carter Wong naturally executing fighting the gold painted monks, where the choreography and unique set pieces become the unexpected highlight of the film.