Kicking up a storm at the ice factory

THE BIG BOSS aka FISTS OF FURY (1971)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

The late and great Bruce Lee was said to have considered doing more historical martial-arts films post-"Enter the Dragon." I would presume the kind of 16th century or earlier costume epics, not unlike what we seen in the last decade with the likes of "Hero" or "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." Despite I gather some vicious gangsters wearing 70's fashions, "The Big Boss" could have been set in any era and that is part of its charm. This was the first kung-fu flick for Lee and, though it is awkwardly patched together and exceedingly violent (it is far more bloody than "The Chinese Connection" aka "Fist of Fury"), it is also stunning, lively and well-made.

Bruce Lee is Cheng, a country bumpkin (a role he had played for many years, and did his final version of it in "The Way of the Dragon") who makes a promise to his uncle not to fight, probably because the guy is too damn good a fighter and is always in trouble. Cheng wears a necklace to remind him to stay fight-free. He comes to Thailand to work with his cousins at an ice factory that is actually a front for cocaine smuggling. When any ice block is broken with the evidence in tow, accidentally or not by the workers, the drug syndicate has the workers killed - I do wonder if the workers are unionized. No matter, Cheng eventually finds out the truth and the inevitable slaughter of family members takes shape, leading to a dozen fight scenes in the last half hour.

As always the case with Bruce Lee's kung-fu films, the fight scenes are extraordinary and supernaturally good. They are also exaggerated to the nth degree, complete with flying kick jousts (something Lee objected to) and punches and kicks that are delivered with preternatural sounds (even when Lee tears off his shirt, you can hear it for miles). Sometimes a character can stand still and jump in the air by a good fifty feet without a running start (at one point, Lee jumps over a 12-foot fence without much exertion) Of course, these are the staples of kung-fu pictures by the hundredfold and, though such impossible feats of strength have not always appeared in Lee's films since he craved realism, it adds some flavor of wit.

Most of the actors are quite good for the paper-thin material. Maria Yi is a sweet, becalming actress playing a woman who is Cheng's cousin. James Tien plays another cousin who is seen as the family's leader and who gets into fights often. Yin-chieh Han is the formidable villain who owns the ice factory and is something of a low-level drug lord (he also choreographed the fight scenes) - his last few scenes with Bruce Lee are phantasmagoric and awesomely staged. 

The story in "The Big Boss" is minimal but it is enormously paid off by the electrifying presence of Bruce Lee (who gets to play drunk and show shards of innocence), playing a naive, sympathetic young man who possesses the eruptive anger of a fierce dragon. When he fights, the screen blazes with energy that showcases very clearly why Bruce Lee became a legend. "The Big Boss" is not one of Lee's best action films ("Fist of Fury" that followed clearly is the Master's finest hour) but it has legendary fight scenes that you will want to revisit again and again.

Footnote: The only Bruce Lee action picture not to feature Lee using nunchakus. Instead, he uses knives.