9th Old School Kung Fu Fest: The 18 Bronzemen Review

This will be one of many reviews during the 9th Annual Old School Kung Fu Fest by the Museum of the Moving Image and Subway Cinema featuring the works of Director Joseph Kuo, to keep up with our latest coverage, click here.

The 18 Bronzemen is yet another Kung-Fu classic directed by Joseph Kuo that is considered a film in the larger Shaolin series, which were several Shaolin-centric films involving the battles against the Qing dynasty.

The 18 Bronzemen centers around the fearful orphan, Shaolung, who is on the run from his family’s killers and with help from a friend takes refuge in a Shaolin Temple in order to avoid the members of the Qing dynasty seeking his death. While there, he trains in the basic art of Kung-Fu with the ultimate test being a set of extremely difficult trials that tests a warriors skills, heart, and endurance, otherwise known as the 18 Bronzemen. Those who complete these tests is considered the best Kung-Fu warrior the Shaolin Temple has produced and Shaolung makes it his mission to one day pass these trials and avenge his family for their murders.

The film not only features great fight choreography but also offers a strong narrative with characters that have believable motivations complete with interesting lore that supports Shaolung’s journey of revenge. More importantly, the film offers a wonderful lead-up to the finale as Shaolung embarks against the 18 Bronzemen, who live true to their moniker as various forms of metallic sparring counterparts each with their own unique obstacle for the challenging warrior to overcome and whose practical effects are indicative of the film’s budget, but nevertheless, are one of the coolest aspects of the entire film (complete with metallic sound effects with each landing blow).

Ultimately, the entirety of The 18 Bronzemen revolves around a sense of hope for the future. Despite the central theme of revenge, there is a more positive spin placed upon the main protagonist as he progresses through the Shaoling training, but the overall feeling is that his journey is one that many who oppose the Qing dynasty should undergo in order to beat their oppressors and take back their land. This sentiment is never fully spoken aloud by any one character throughout the film but is still realized through heavy subtext as we see Shaolung’s motivation begin with strict revenge for his immediate family shift towards being an instrument of change for an entire people.

In the end, The 18 Bronzemen offers so much of what many fans of this genre will love and while reminiscent of many similar kung-fu films in premise, it still offers something truly unique that is worth experiencing until the very end.

still courtesy of MUBI

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