Burning Fists, Broken Hearts: A Review of Fist of Fury

 

Directed & written by Lo Wei

Uncredited co-writer: Ni Kuang

Composed by & starring Bruce Lee

Produced by Raymond Chow

Starring
Nora Miao
Riki Hashimoto
Cinematography  Chen Ching-chu
Edited by  Peter Cheung
Music by Joseph Koo
Distributed by Golden Harvest

Release date (Australia): July 1, 1973

Synopsis

 A young man seeks vengence for the death of his teacher.

Review 

All I ever hear action cinema fans talk about is how amazing either how good Lee was in Enter the Dragon or how good he was in this movie - Fist of Fury. And I have to say, they are right.

Bruce Lee plays Cheng Zhen, a Chinese Kung-fu student on a rampage to stop the racism in Japan. He kills many people during the process. One of the reasons I live this movie so much is because of how realistic it is. The Japanese in the 20th century were complete jerks. The world isn't all butterflies and toys. Behind the punches and yelling, there is a lesson behind it. The world should be united and not hating each-other no matter the race. The ending is also the most realistic part of the movie, with the main character dying. The good guy always wins right? Well, no. In this movie he kills & hangs at least 6 people, which is illegal, but it was for a good reason!! He gets shot down by the police which are also very unfair to the Chinese residents. And if you just think about 2020, that's pretty accurate to real life. Why is it a rule that in Hong Kong action cinema, the good guy has something bad happen to him at the end? Drunken Master 2, Fei-hung is blind and mentally stupid. The Young Master, Dragon is in a full-body cast. The Big Boss, Cheng-Chao an gets arrested. Urgh.

But enough the sad parts of this movie, can we talk about the action? This movie was one of the first to use the classic Nunchucks that Bruce Lee would go on to use in The Way of the Dragon, Enter the Dragon & Game of Death. The action is cleanly choreographed, and it might be so fast, but you can see every hit, and it makes you grimace. Mission succeeded! The beginning fight is one of Lee's most iconic fights ever and I see why. Trust me. He beats up about 20 Japanese students all by himself and with little-to-no emotion.

Speaking of emotion, this is a pretty emotional movie, as Lee comes to marry a women but then dies at the end of the movie. This film is one of my highest recommendations, and I guarantee you, you NEED to watch it. 

Rating: 9.5/10

WATCH FIST OF FURY AT 

https://archive.org/details/bruce-lee-fist-of-fury-1972-eng-sub (Cantonese version)

https://archive.org/details/fist-of-fury-bruce-lee-full-movie-in-english-black-belt-movie-night (English dub)

https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/movie/fist-of-fury/493677123527 (Original version, Eng subs)

THE WAY OF THE DRAGON review coming soon.

The Big Boss: A Fistful of Reasons to Watch

 This review is the first one to be written in 2024, first written Jan 01.

Directed by 

Lo Wei
Wu Chia Hsiang
Produced by    Raymond Chow

STARRING

Bruce Lee
Maria Yi
James Tien
Han Ying-chieh
Cinematography  Chen Ching-chu
Edited by  Sung Ming
Music by  Wang Fu-ling
Distributed by  Golden Harvest
Release date (Australia): April 1974

 Synopsis

Cheng is a city boy who moves with his cousins to work at a ice factory. He does this with a family promise never to get involved in any fight. However, when members of his family begin disappearing after meeting the management of the factor, the resulting mystery and pressures forces him to break that vow and take on the villainy of the Big Boss.

 

Review 

This movie is unrealistic. Cheng Chao An gets arrested for defeating the Big Boss, police officers are beat up and nothing is done about it, Cheng gets drunk and sees a woman at a dinner as his crush, and one of the Big Boss' men are killed with a saw put in their head. 

Regardless this movie is awesome.

This movie has tons of violence, which is what I was looking for. Sometimes it's really really bloody and violent, but not enough to get it banned in May 1973, but too much to get an M rating.Cheng is a can of whup-butt the whole way through the movie. Thank god he broke the oath he sweared to his mother.  Before watching The Big Boss / Fists of Fury, I would defend Jackie Chan and say he was a million times better then Bruce Lee. And while Chan is still my favourite action star, Lee is amazing too and they both are in their both ways. I highly recommend this movie, no matter which version of it you have. 

Hopefully I get to see more Lo Wei films. I have a way of watching Fist of Fury, Shaolin Wooden Men and Fearless Hyena now!

Rating: 7/10 

 

 Watch the 1983 Cantonese dub of "The Big Boss" at SBS On Demand