A Retrospective Review
By Cesare Augusto Directed by: Bruce Lee Starring: Tang Lung – BRUCE LEE Miss Chen – NORA MIAO Colt – CHUCK NORRIS The Boss – JON T. BENN Ah Quen – TI CHIN “Empty your mind. Be formless, shapeless, like water. Put water into a cup, becomes the cup put water into a teapot, becomes the teapot water can flow or creep or dip or crash. Be like water, my friend…” Bruce Lee, the Chinese-American god of martial arts and pop culture who’s transcended generations of fans for more than 50 years, was heavily renowned not only for his incredible fighting prowess, but also for his countless pearls of inspirational wisdom. The “Little Dragon” (as Lee is so affectionately referred to the world over) sprouted as many axioms of positivity, courage, and self-motivation as he did with his deadly flurry of devastating one-inch-punches. Fans also ought to know Lee’s heavy list of accolades and accomplishments: his tournament victories; how he analyzed and transformed traditional Kung Fu into the hybrid martial arts philosophy he called Jeet Kune Do; his meteoric rise to fame in American television; and finally his unparalleled successes in the Hong Kong and Hollywood big screens before his sudden death at age 32 in 1972. Put simply, Bruce Lee was the proverbial game changer, in many respects of the term. As do many Asian-Americans, I have more than my share of respect and admiration to Bruce Lee. The man was a multi-faceted hero of my childhood, and who I continue to hero-worship to this day. With his unexpected passing, he left behind a mere snapshot of his legacy. We may never know what Lee could have brought to the table further. The varied film lover in me, however, could actually envision Bruce Lee actually breaking free mold of the martial arts flick. The man oozed charisma, had a humorously sharp wit, and a lady-killing smile, which tells me that Lee could have stood a chance at being an actor and not just an action star. Could the Little Dragon have been adept at, perhaps, Romantic Comedies? Science Fiction? Westerns? He nearly won the role of “Kwai Chang Caine” in the 1970s Western drama Kung Fu, if only the incredibly racially-biased Hollywood studio system hadn’t rejected him and given it to Caucasian actor David Carradine instead. In any case, I know, deep in my heart, that had Bruce Lee not pass away so prematurely, there were many other media-based endeavors that he could have had the potential in excelling in. Such as directing pictures himself? In his short but exemplary film career, Lee did have one directorial credit: the top-of-the-heap 1972 urban thriller The Way of the Dragon (released as Return of the Dragon in the US a year later, just to cash in on the success of Lee’s final movie, Enter the Dragon.) The film is highly regarded for Lee’s sole directorial debut, along with his signature frenetic Kung Fu maneuvers, and as the dynamic first onscreen appearance of fellow martial arts action god Chuck Norris. But before I proceed with my analysis on Way, here is a brief history of the 20th century martial arts movie craze. Once upon a time, in China, came “Wuxia,” the film genre depicting martial arts warriors in more historical and fantastical period pieces. Notable examples of Wuxia include such cult classics as Come Drink With Me, Last Hurrah for Chivalry, and Golden Swallow, and were produced by famous Hong Kong-based studios like The Shaw Brothers or Golden Harvest. A vast majority of these movies put major stock on colorful Chinese history or mythology, and the high-flying heroics of ancient heroes and villains of their classic culture. When the late 1960s transitioned into the 1970s, Bruce Lee had since burst into the scene. Lee first became a television household name as masked vigilante Kato in his phenomenal TV series The Green Hornet. As Lee’s fame grew, so did the appeal of martial arts in America. Even though the Hornet would last just one season, Lee’s popularity would only climb among mainstream Western audiences. Since the Wuxia pictures were mainly released within the Asian market, they unfortunately were allowed little exposure for Western audiences to see, save for drive-in theaters. But Lee’s later pictures to come would eschew the over-the-top fantasy of Wuxia, focusing instead for grittier, more modern, and more violent takes on the martial arts film genre. After The Green Hornet’s cancellation and losing the Kung Fu role no thanks to gutless Hollywood execs, Lee opted to leave the US for stronger opportunities in Hong Kong. And from there, did Lee deliver the goods when it came to grittier, more modern, and more violent martial arts flicks! From 1971 to 1972, he made two feature films, The Big Boss (released internationally as Fists of Fury) and Fists of Fury (or The Chinese Connection overseas). Both are remarkable and action-packed statements to Lee’s martial arts talents and larger-than-life cinematic presence. Yet, they were directed by other filmmakers, and he wanted to strut more than just his on-screen stuff. So Lee struck a deal with legendary Golden Harvest founder Raymond Chow for a chance at writing, producing, directing, and starring in his film, entitled The Way of the Dragon. Story-wise, Way is quite simple: it tells the tale of Tang Lung (Lee), a stranger in a strange land who uses deadly fighting skills to protect a friend’s restaurant business in Rome from vicious criminals. Tang Lung is a naïve and seemingly innocent young man from Hong Kong venturing outside his original environment for the first time. Lee had portrayed a character not unlike Tang Lung before, as a Kung Fu-fighting country bumpkin in The Big Boss. And like in Boss, Lee’s Tang Lung would keep his fierce talents at bay until the occasion called for their use. Until then, Lee displays more acting kicks than literal ones first when he meets Miss Chen (the lovely Nora Miao). Chen explains that her uncle’s restaurant is under siege by a local crime boss (Jon T. Benn), who wants his dirty fingers around the business. Tang Lung assures Chen that he will do everything he can to help protect her restaurant. She is hesitant to believe him. Tang Lung appears goofy, unaware, and clearly out of his league. Her restaurant employs feel the same way. How will this clueless-looking stranger be of any help to their situation? Naturally, that all changes soon when the crime boss’ goons arrives to stir trouble at the restaurant. Tang Lung goes from playing the seemingly-innocent fella from Hong Kong, to highly-experienced Kung Fu master, as he unleashes a barrage of lightning-fast roundhouse kicks upon the cocky invaders, much to the restaurant employees’, and the audience’s astounding surprise. This was undeniable proof of Lee’s potential dynamic as an actor and a movie star. His transition from ordinary Joe to near-invincible warrior was initially smooth before turning lethal within a fraction of a second. And speaking of fractions and seconds, many of Lee’s Kung Fu skills (or as the film’s comic relief, Ah Quen, humorously yet enthusiastically calls it, “Chinese boxing!”) were so blindingly speedy, they were shot in slow motion as to not disorient audiences, at least not badly. Lee’s speed and power, combined by his charisma, made him nothing short of hypnotic. There is even a night training scene where, Lee, naked from the waist up and illuminated with light, flexes his sculpted upper body muscles and boasting a near-perfect physique. The man had a freakishly great build, with absolutely ZERO flab. I can recall many years ago, during a viewing of Way of the Dragon, when an old college buddy of mine declared: “I am OFFICIALLY FAT!” Who else within during this era of film where one star had that ability to simulataneously charm and thrill audiences all at the same time, than Bruce Lee? Despite the film’s amazing action aesthetics, Lee’s first and only attempt at directing was still at novice level, and it showed. Way suffers from a low budget, unremarkable script, hammy acting, and, painfully-obvious post-sync dubbing. In other words, you can still see the actors’ mouths still moving even as their voice stops; it was a technical snafu evident in many English-dubbed foreign films, not just in Asian martial arts pictures. No matter, because we the audience would be too caught up with the exciting fight scenes, all of which choreographed by Lee himself. Besides, nobody expects Sir Laurence Olivier-level acting in these movies anyway! Lee took heavy concentration on each fight scene, from minor to major. Two of these scenes in particular were so beautifully shot that they should go down as among the greatest fight sequences ever caught on camera. First would be the back alley weapons combat, where Tang Lung, armed with two spinning nunchucks, would dispatch the evil gang members one by one. Nunchucks were a weapons specialty of Lee’s, and the way he twirled them from back to front was spell-binding right before their handles would crack some poor sucker’s head. The second significant fight scene would pit Tang Lung against the film’s other major martial artist, Chuck Norris, in one of only two villainous roles in his entire acting resume. Norris plays Colt, a drastic last resort who, as the crime boss’ effeminate right-hand-man Ho decrees, is “America’s best.” Judging by his laconic , stone cold demeanor, Colt is a martial arts mercenary who means business. Colt is such a badass that a sampled dark guitar portion of the Once Upon a Time in the West soundtrack is used as his theme song! The film’s final showdown between Colt and Tang Lung takes place, fittingly, in the Roman Coliseum, the ultimate battleground for warriors ancient and modern alike. Their duel is one for the ages, as both men perform in a deadly combat ballet. The fight swings in favor between the two fighters as they seemingly are equally-matched, with Lee coming close to defeat in several instances. But when he switches to his rapid Jeet Kune Do shuffle, Lee quickly and powerfully switches the momentum back to his favor. Conversely, Norris is in true brutal form and almost like a martial arts grim reaper. Unlike his later, more heroically one-dimensional roles, Norris made a strikingly memorable villain and should have considered portraying evil more often down the line. The almost 10-minute showdown is an examination of two action icons shaking the earth with their fists and kicks of doom. And the martial arts movie would never, ever be the same again. Yes, this film has its flaws. But Way of the Dragon is proof in my mind that Lee had what it takes to not only effectively prove his worth as an action star, but as a filmmaker in his own right. We will never know how well he could have done as a director. But clearly, Brucee Lee had an eye for storytelling, and how he could have utilized that eye is left to our imaginations. I’m reminded of another inspirational quote by the Little Dragon, which went like this: “Absorb what is useful. Discard what is not. Add what is uniquely your own…” In terms of his directorial debut, Bruce Lee certainly lived up to this quote’s message, wouldn’t you also say? See the original trailer here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttOZyaEwmQM
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About Yours Truly
Unearthing great forgotten and criminally underrated pop culture mediums is my specialty! Whether the topic be about cinema, television, music, or other fun bits of obscure minutiae, I love analyzing and unleashing these lost treasures to the unwitting public! Archives
October 2020
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