Viewers who enjoyed watching Bruce Lee in the legendary movie Enter the Dragon should certainly take a look at The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, considered by many to be a martial arts classic. Released in 1973, Enter the Dragon focuses on three different protagonists of different backgrounds, who travel to a private island to participate in a martial arts tournament, but eventually learn that the tournament is not what it seems. Enter the Dragon was released shortly after Bruce Lee’s death in 1973, and received worldwide acclaim for its casting, screenplay, musical score, and powerful depiction of martial arts.

In the decades following its original release, Enter the Dragon has been credited with helping grow the popularity of the martial arts genre in the entertainment industry and is regarded as one of the most motivational martial arts movies ever made. Many movies have since done their best to reach the same levels of success as Enter the Dragon. Living up to the legendary Bruce Lee movie is a difficult task, but The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, released in 1978, is a martial arts movie that has proven itself worthy of watching.

Enter The Dragon Fans Will Love The 36th Chamber Of Shaolin

The 36th Chamber Of Shaolin Was Produced By Shaw Brothers Studio

Directed by Lau Kar-leung, The 36th Chamber of Shaolin was made by the Shaw Brothers, producers of some of the greatest martial arts movies in history. The movie follows a young student, Liu Yu-de (Gordon Liu), who witnesses the murder of his family and friends in a Manchu attack. Liu escapes to the Shaolin Temple and decides to learn martial arts to fight back against the Manchus and avenge his loved ones’ deaths. Liu devotes his time to mastering the martial arts and eventually rises to become one of the Temple’s most powerful fighters under his new name of San Te.

The 36th Chamber of Shaolin was released to critical acclaim and widely praised for its screenplay, performances, soundtrack, fight sequences, and realistic portrayal of the martial arts genre (via Martial Journal). The movie was also acclaimed for providing viewers with an intriguing depiction of the legend of the real martial artist, San Te (via Den of Geek). Arguably, the strongest aspect of The 36th Chamber of Shaolin is Gordon Liu’s performance as San Te, who provides epic martial arts fight sequences similar to Bruce Lee’s work in Enter The Dragon.

It May Not Be As Famous, But The 36th Chamber Of Shaolin Was Incredibly Influential

It Led To Two Sequel Movies & Has Been Referenced In Pop Culture Many Times

The 36th Chamber of Shaolin is credited with revolutionizing how martial arts were depicted in Hong Kong movies and for providing viewers with a strong story of empowerment, never giving up despite the odds, and learning how to live with a tragic loss (via Collider). It won the Best Martial Arts Award at the 24th Asian Film Festival and has been ranked as one of the best martial arts movies from the 1970s. Its success also led to the release of two sequels, Return to the 36th Chamber (1980), and Disciples of the 36th Chamber (1985).

Nearly five decades after its original release, The 36th Chamber of Shaolin is still considered one of the most influential martial arts movies in history. It inspired Wu-Tang Clan’s first album and has been referenced in other movies, including Kung Fu Panda and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The success of The 36th Chamber of Shaolin also helped launch the careers of Lau Kar-leung and Gordon Liu, who later collaborated with Quentin Tarantino on Kill Bill. While not as famous as Bruce Lee’s iconic movie, The 36th Chamber of Shaolin has a thrilling story and action sequences that make it just as exciting as Enter the Dragon.

Sources: Martial Journal, Den of Geek, Collider