The overwhelming majority of martial arts films depict their lead warriors as supreme masters of the discipline, able to fight off hordes of attackers with hypnotic grace. What you don't often see is the rigorous training rituals that enable martial artists to achieve such astounding feats of physical endurance. Billed by many as the greatest martial arts film ever made, Lau Kar-leung's 36th Chamber of Shaolin explores in great detail what it takes to become a kung-fu master. Although it feels like a less coherent experience than a typical Shaw Brothers product, 36th Chamber does provide a fascinating "behind the scenes" glimpse into the making of a shaolin warrior and presents some of the most mesmerizing fight sequences ever seen in a martial arts film.

Unlike many of the other Shaw kung-fu epics, the overall story presented in 36th Chamber is almost a secondary element in light of the training sequences and subsequent graduation of the film's lead character. The movie opens with the execution of a Han rebel at the hands of the Qing Dynasty, which infuriates student Lau Kar-fai. Seeking retribution, he agrees to become a spy for the Han uprising by carrying secret messages inside the carcasses of the dried fish his father sells. He is quickly discovered however, and narrowly escapes after all of his friends and family are captured. His leg is badly injured in the process, but he is cognizant enough to secretly stow away with a group of shaolin monks. They take him back to their secluded mountain temple, where they kindly nurse him back to health.

Initially shunned by the monks, Lau Kar-fai is eventually allowed to study with them due to the intervention of the head monk. There are 35 shaolin chambers that must be passed in order to become a fully-fledged martial arts master. Eager for vengeance against the Qings, Lau Kar-fai (under his new name of San De) attempts to start at the most advanced chamber, only to find it greatly beyond his grasp. Starting over at the bottom, San De begins a long, arduous journey of physical torture and mental self-discovery. Each of the training chambers focuses on a specific area, like wrist strength or visual acuity. Students must become strong and disciplined before they are allowed to practice with weapons, an incentive that provides plenty of motivation for San De. The elders recognize his ambition, but his exceptional skills keep him in their favor.

San De quickly establishes himself as the top student in his class, showing fierce determination to become the best. Before he can graduate however, he must best the best the top fighter of the temple in a one-on-one match. Though San De is quite skilled, he is no match for his rival's relentless twin sword attack. While practicing with a staff he accidentally discovers a new type of weapon, a three-sectioned staff that he subsequently uses with exceptional skill to defeat his rival's butterfly swords. As a full-fledged kung-fu warrior, San De proposes a 36th Chamber to teach martial arts to the masses so that they may defend themselves from their oppressors. The temple leaders, not wanting to involve themselves in worldly affairs, force San De to leave the safety of their shaolin stronghold.

As part of the Philadelphia Film Festival's tribute to the Shaw Brothers, this newly-restored print of 36th Chamber of Shaolin was provided by the UCLA Film and Television Archive as part of its traveling series "Heroic Grace: The Chinese Martial Arts Film". Like the other Shaw Brothers films I've recently seen, 36th Chamber looks absolutely stunning in its current state. It is free of virtually all physical defects and is characterized by bright colors and sharp contrast that makes it look almost brand new. Some of the exterior town and castle locales towards the beginning and end of the film are remarkably complex and well-detailed, belying their status as mere studio set, while costumes and wire effects see the typical Shaw Brothers attention to detail. All told it's a fantastic-looking film that is very easy on the eyes.

Of course, all elements are secondary to the extensive training scenes and the hypnotic fight sequences involving San De. The training regiment starts off innocently enough, with exercises meant to hone balance, strength, timing and flexibility. While action aficionados might find these sequences a little tedious, I found them to be very enlightening and well worth watching. The action begins to pick up once San De graduates to the weapon chambers, where his mock fights with the instructors effectively illustrate his progression as a warrior. One particularly engaging battle finds San De fighting off an entire enemy army (armed with spears and swords) with his bare hands, while simultaneously having a duel with the squad's leader. It's breathtaking to watch, as are San De's incredibly-choreographed one-on-one engagements with his rivals. The fight against the highest ranking monk of the temple is executed with expert precision and deftly shows the evolution of San De's fighting skills.

There is plenty to like in Lau Kar-leung's martial arts feast, from fascinating shaolin training sequences to dazzling one-on-one battles. But taken as a whole, I did not enjoy 36th Chamber of Shaolin nearly as much as some of the other Shaw Brothers films I've recently seen (like Come Drink With Me and One-armed Swordsman). I'm not qualified to refute its claim to the title of "best martial arts film ever made", so I'll simply state that it wasn't the best martial arts film I've seen in the past week. That said, 36th Chamber of Shaolin is still essential viewing for fans of the martial arts genre, if only for the superlative choreography of its many fighting scenes and the astounding physical feats performed by Gordon Liu Jiahui.

Thumbs Up. Though not my favorite Shaw Brothers film, 36th Chamber of Shaolin is still jam-packed with loads of mind-boggling martial arts action.