The sacking of the Shaolin Temple by the Manchus has been depicted on screen many times and is the basis for the story here although begins with a feud between the Manchu emperor and his sister (Chia Ling), suspected of conspiring with rebels. When her immediate family is murdered by the emperor and her retaliatory assassination attempt fails, Chia Ling turns to the Shaolin monks for help. A rebellion is anticipated however and the emperor sends an army to destroy the Shaolin temple, unleashing a terrific cannon assault.

The monks are forced to escape from the temple but the abbott insists that, in keeping with tradition, they must still face the trials required of all leaving monks before they are allowed to go. You'd think that, given the circumstances, they would have waived this rule (time being of the essence and all) and you also kind of wonder why the 18 bronzemen aren't getting the hell out of there themselves. But anyway.

Just before making his escape, Carter Wong is entrusted with a martial arts book by the Abbott and tasked with leading the rebellion against the emperor. Forced to hide in the hills the monks decide to take the fight to their enemies and attack the emperor's palace in the film's climax.

As mentioned earlier, the film does feature some impressive sets and costumes, and a large cast of extras, indicating a relatively large budget. External shots of the temple are obviously of a model which is used quite extensively during the burning of the temple scenes. The fight action is confined to the start and end of the film, with main section concerning the sacking of Shaolin, and is largely swordplay. Only at the end, when Carter Wong, unleashes his 18 styles, does hand to hand combat feature.

The fight scenes are all lively affairs, especially the ending which sees Carter Wong surrounded by multiple attackers and working himself into a bit of a frenzy. These sequences don't really seem to be the main focus of the film though, rather it's the drama of the attack on Shaolin lent extra weight through the inclusion of characters with real substance.

The Ching Emperor Yungzheng believes that the Ming rebels are hidden among the Shaolin Temple and orders his troops to burn the Shaolin monastery so that the anti-Ching factions will be destroyed. The people become enraged that their place of worship is targeted for annihilation and warn the chief Abbot. He prepares his men for the attack on the temple, and as the Ching Troops move against them, a specially trained group of monks (made up of Carter Wong, Kam Kong, Chang Yi, and others) escape the burning of the temple. The monks team up with revolutionaries to plot their revenge against Yungzheng. Their plans are easier said than done though, because it appears there is a secret traitor in their midst as the Emperor is aware of their every move.

The box office success of Jackie Chan’s DRUNKEN MASTER (1978) forever changed the face of the Chinese martial arts film. All independent production companies attempted to follow in the tradition of Jackie Chan’s comedic antics, including Joseph Kuo, who started making Kung Fu comedies like DRAGON CLAWS (1979), MYSTERY OF CHESS BOXING (1979), and WORLD OF DRUNKEN MASTER (1979). Luckily, THE BLAZING TEMPLE precedes DRUNKEN MASTER by a couple years and is completely free of comedy. Joseph Kuo, more influenced by Chang Cheh in this stage of his career, imbues THE BLAZING TEMPLE with atmosphere, characterization, and a bleak mood, which complements the apocalyptic approach of the film’s "government vs. religion" theme. The story is a tightly scripted ensemble piece that makes heroes of some unlikely players such as Kam Kong and Chang Yi. The multi-layered plotline takes a unique approach with this tragic event in China’s history. If THE BLAZING TEMPLE has any faults at all, its in the area of the pacing and the actual fight choreography itself. There are long stretches between fights to allow the drama and characterization to unfold. Folks with short attention spans might get bored. Kuo could have resolved this dilemma by spacing out the action. And the fights themselves are rather restrained and common of that era. Lots of jumping around and camera tricks to make the combatants look better than they are. The best choreographed sequences are the large scale battle scenes between the Ching invaders and the monks. THE BLAZING TEMPLE, though far from perfect, is a true feather in the director’s cap.

REVIEW:
Countless kung fu films have dealt with the historical Ming vs. Ching conflict and the famed Shaolin Temple but few have managed to create such an entertaining and ambitious account of the Temple's destruction.

Joseph Kou, who not only directed but wrote the story in this third entry in an unofficial trilogy beginning with "The 18 Bronzemen" and followed by "The 18 Bronzemen: Part 2" is not content to focus on Shaolin Temple alone. The beginning strays from the film's main story with a bit about the Emperor's sister played by Chia Ling ("Revengeful Swordswoman") whose immediate family is suspected of having Ming sympathies and therefore subjected to Emperor Yong Zheng's wrath. His sister, a competent fighter, thwarts Yong's attempt to imprison their family and she later goes into hiding after a failed attempt to assassinate him. From here on the focus shifts to the plight of Shaolin Temple and its inhabitants.

After discovering that Shaolin is linked with Liu and the Eight Swordsmen -- all rebels, Emperor Yong Zheng orders General Kim and his his cannon squad to lay waste to the Temple. With little warning, Kim's soldiers begin to fire on the Temple, causing massive death and destruction. Despite the severity of the situation, the abbot orders that the only way students may leave the Temple is by passing through the hall of 18 Bronzemen, in keeping with Temple tradition. Students pour into the hall, ill-prepared to face the rigors of the Bronzemen. After agonizing over his loss of judgment, the abbot rushes to open another escape route by holding up an enormous stone while students rush underneath. Unable to save himself, the abbot gives the final copy of the famed "18 styles" of kung fu to his trusted student Siu (Carter Wong). Having escaped, Siu and the remaining students and teachers hide from their Ching pursuers while plotting to kill the Emperor. As one attempt fails, their hopes are set on a final plot, of which the success or failure rests upon a fellow Shaolin monk turned traitor.

As mentioned earlier, the story begins to move in one direction and promptly shifts into another once the Shaolin Temple takes center stage. Thankfully, this is where the story really gets interesting. In fact, with decent production values (okay, Shaolin Temple long shots are obviously of a model) and a genuinely compelling story, "The Blazing Temple" actually transcends the usual chopsocky vibe and becomes more along the lines of a well-played historical epic. Its a historical fact that the Ching Dynasty rulers sacked Shaolin Temple, adding one more wound to the pride of the majority of Chinese who considered their Manchu rulers to be unwanted oppressors. Like most films based upon history, "The Blazing Temple" plays up the melodrama, but there is some genuine emotional strings to be pulled here. The stereotypical image of the wise old Shaolin abbot who is unruffled by adversity is shattered by the overwhelming force of the Ching assault. One chillingly relevant scene shows an elder monk setting fire to himself while General Kim and his stunned soldiers look on in disbelief. This of course, recalls the real life actions of a Falun Gong member in China who set fire to herself and her young daughter to protest the government's crackdown on the movement.

While the film contains less then the average quotient of kung fu, the action-packed opening scenes involving the Emperor's daughter seem to have been inserted for just this reason and Chia Ling really hams it up. Likewise, Carter Wong gets to shine in the final reel as the last attempt on the Emperor's life plays out. After a series of increasingly vicious battles, Wong suddenly goes berserk with the "18 styles." The real beauty of this film is that all of the dramatic buildup that has gone before gives Wong's last performance a tremendous impact that will make you want to stand up and cheer.

The presence of the usually welcome Chia Ling at the beginning and end of the film never congeals with the rest of the story. In addition, the gimmick of the Emperor's mysterious "sword-proof vest" seems oddly out of place in this film, but these are minor complaints. All in all, "The Blazing Temple" is a sure fire classic featuring Holst-inspired music, great sets and costumes, and fine performances wrapped in a timeless tale of heroism.