Shaolin Temple

Chang Cheh's 1976 Hong Kong film is one of the entries in the Shaw Brothers Shaolin cycle and tells of the temple's destruction by the Qing army. The story proceeds not around one hero but through the crowd of students in training. Its most valuable passage is the long training sequence in the middle: the stages of instruction, the corridor of wooden men and the tests of endurance are shown in detail. Chang Cheh's interest was always male solidarity and sacrifice; here that turns into an account of collective death. Alexander Fu Sheng and Ti Lung are in the cast. The narrative is episodic with too many characters, and the final section runs long. Who it's for: viewers who love classic Hong Kong martial arts cinema and Shaolin stories. Who it's not for: anyone wanting depth of character, or who will find long fight sequences wearing.