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Cast:
Bruce
Lee
James
Tien
Miao
Ker Shin
Han
Ying Chieh
Lam
Ching Ying
Action:
Han
Ying Chieh
Bruce
Lee
Producer:
Raymond
Chow
Director:
Lo
Wei
Score:
 
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THE
BIG BOSS
AKA:
Fists Of Fury (US)
Year:
1971 Reviewer: Tony
Ryan
This
film deserves its place in cinematic history for two reasons.
Firstly, it was Lee's debut in Hong Kong Action Cinema
introducing the East to the "little dragon" and
secondly, redefined the genre in terms of fight chorography
and the since widely used "revenge" storyline.
Lee's
character is a Chinese country bumpkin, seemingly placid and
quiet, refusing to fight when trouble presents itself. This
display of patience is explained as a result of a promise he
made to his family not to fight, of which he is constantly
reminded by a Jade emblem around his neck. As the story
progresses Lee's patience wears increasingly thin with the
brutal regime of bosses at the ice factory where he works, and
in a confrontation his necklace is snapped, allowing Bruce’s
inner dragon to be unleashed, demonstrating for the first time
the now trademark Jeet Kune Do and passionate fighting
screams.
The
final reel of the film is pure energy and a masterful display
of martial arts as Bruce goes one-on-one with the factory
owner (the titular "Big Boss" and also the movie's
choreographer!) showcasing some of the best action ever
committed to celluloid at that time.
Surprisingly,
for such a low budget movie featuring an unknown, 'The Big
Boss' broke all box office records across the East immediately
elevating Lee to cult status, and gave the people a new hero
while simultaneously breathing new life into the Kung Fu
genre. Unfortunately, the boom of martial arts movies created
by this film and Bruce Lee in particular, was just as quickly
quashed by his death, leaving us all to wonder how fight
choreography would have developed if he had lived even 10
years longer.
All
in all, this is a classic martial arts film, if a little rough
around the edges and is an essential purchase now that it is
available in a restored uncut form throughout Europe. Of note,
Bruce's follow up 'Fist
of Fury' in 1972 is even better, as Lee was allowed more
creativity with the action scenes and also famously inspired
the equally popular 'Fist
of Legend' with Jet Li, all of which are must have movies.
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