Martial Arts Movie Saturday 1: Enter the Dragon

The Film Poster

Enter the Dragon is the definitive Bruce Lee film.  The last film he completed before his death, Enter the Dragon cemented his place as a Hong Kong film legend and a global iconic.  Since its release in the 70's, the film has become a must-see for generations of action film fans.  For many it represents Hong Kong action films at their best.  It's tragic that Lee died before the release of the film, because they managed to put lightning in a bottle with this one.

Very much a product of its time, the film is also worth noting because of the global events occurring during its production and release.  As the Mainland was deep in the grips of the Cultural Revolution and the British economy tanked after decades of nationalizations and socialism, Hong Kong continued to boom.  Caught in the middle of two global powers with uncertain futures, Hong Kong culture began to blossom and the films made by its production companies showcase this.  This attracted foreign audiences to action films and launched a genre of films still popular today all over the globe.  The result is a true blend of east and west.    

The man, the myth, the legend

The plot of the Enter the Dragon resembles a mashup of early James Bond films and Mortal Kombat.  A bad guy has an island, and Bruce Lee must go to his island and compete in the his diabolical kung fu tournament.  The result is awesome kung fu action.  I don't think I need to say much more about it than that.  The action is awesome, the stunts amazing, and Bruce Lee makes us all wish that we'd taken karate classes as children.

A few characters of note are the extremely British government official who approaches Lee with the mission.  His OxBridge accent and dress make the character border on the edge of parody.  Bruce Lee is joined at the tournament by two Americans, one white and the other black.  Between the British guy and the Americans from two different races, it was likely that the production company was trying to appeal to the widest range of demographics possible.  Not surprising considering that this movie was the first Hong Kong action film financed by a major American studio (Warner Brothers) and the increasing popularity of kung fu films outside Hong Kong and China.    

Bruce Lee and a young Jackie Chan

According to the extras on the DVD, Jackie Chan worked as a stunt double on the film and appears in a few scenes.  I didn't notice him during my initial screening of the film.  Likely because the scale of the production is epic.  Yeah...in case you didn't know it, Jackie Chan is way older than he looks.

If you only see one 43 year old, dubbed, kung fu film this year, make it this one.

Keep a lookout for future Martial Arts Movie Saturday reviews.