Bullet Points: Fist of Fury
I cannot help but think of this quote whenever I think of Bruce Lee…
“If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.” – Obi-Wan Kenobi, Star Wars (1977)
After the release of The Big Boss, Bruce Lee quickly became a worldwide sensation. Bruce Lee was white hot and his flame was burning bright, but only a few short years later that flame was extinguished. However Bruce’s impact on the world only got stronger and stronger as the years passed.
Today in honor of Bruce Lee’s birthday, I am going to look back at his second film, 1972’s Fist of Fury…
- What’s the Story Mourning Glory?: The movie begins with Chen Zhen (Bruce Lee, The Big Boss) returning to the Jingwu School after receiving word that Master Huo has died unexpectedly. The death of his teacher hits Chen hard and as the dirt is starting to be thrown on top of Master Huo’s casket, Chen is overcome with emotion. This is a fantastic scene, with Chen Zhen in his white suit breaking down with the rain pouring down and some of Chen’s fellow Jingwu students trying to subdue him.
- Pushing Buttons: After the funeral, the Jingwu School gets some unwelcome visitors in the form of Interpreter Wu (Wei Ping-Ao, The Way of the Dragon) who is flanked by two students from Hiroshi Suzuki’s school (played by Max Lee and Peter Chan). Wu delivers a message from his Japanese boss, informing the Jingwu School that they need to shut down their operation because apparently there’s only room for one school in Shanghai and that belongs to Suzuki. A “gift” is then presented to the Jingwu School, a sign that reads “Sick Man of Asia” throwing more fire on the Japanese/Chinese rivalry. At this point Chen Zhen is boiling inside, but he manages to contain himself. But when Max Lee’s character proclaims if anyone can defeat him he’ll eat those words in reference to the “Sick Man of Asia” sign, he threw down a gauntlet…
- Answering the Challenge: Chen Zhen shows up at Suzuki’s school (with the “Sick Man of Asia” sign) and we get our first taste of Chen Zhen in action. Chen Zhen does not disappoint, laying waste to the entire school including the head instructor Yoshida (Fung Ngai, Heroes Two). Before it is all said and done Chen busts the “Sick Man of Asia” sign and does in fact make Max Lee and Peter Chan eat those words. I feel like it was this scene in the dojo in Fist of Fury with Chen Zhen kicking everybody’s ass that made Bruce Lee a hero to aspiring martial artists everywhere.
- Retaliation: Hiroshi Suzuki is none too pleased that Chen Zhen embarrassed his entire school, so he rallies the troops and orders them to go over to the Jingwu School and basically fuck shit up. This is a great sequence of events with the two schools battling it out with martial arts mayhem taking place inside and out of the Jingwu School… the fighting comes to an end when Suzuki’s students try to destroy the portrait of Master Huo, but Fan Jia Qi (James Tien, Shaolin Iron Finger) throws himself on top to prevent it… however the message is sent, Hiroshi Suzuki wants Chen Zhen… Speaking of Chen, he shows up to see the aftermath and the school collectively decides that turning Chen Zhen over would certainly result in him being killed, so instead the best option is for Chen Zhen to get on the next train out of Shanghai.
- That Escalated Quickly: We can all relate to losing a loved one, but one of the reasons that Chen Zhen has taken his grief to the extreme is because he suspects foul play was involved in Master Huo’s death… and that suspicion is confirmed late that night when Chen Zhen discovers that two men who worked at the Jingwu School, Cook Tien and Housekeeper Feng (played by The Big Boss himself, Han Ying-Chieh) poisoned Master Huo. Chen Zhen quickly becomes judge, jury and executioner… killing both men and then hanging them from a lamp post for all of Shanghai to see. This took the movie in a darker direction for sure and there’d be more darkness to come from Chen Zhen… but oddly mixed with an almost comedic tone when Chen starts becoming a master of disguise to get closer to the man that ordered Master Huo’s death, Hiroshi Suzuki.
- The Russian is Coming: There is one more obstacle in between Chen Zhen and Hiroshi Suzuki in the form Petrov the Russian (played by longtime Bruce Lee student Bob Baker). Petrov shows up at Suzuki’s school and does some demonstrations to establish what a badass he is and instantly build up anticipation for a Petrov vs. Chen Zhen fight. And it is Chen Zhen’s fight with Petrov where we get the iconic shot of Bruce’s mesmerizing hands. After that, Petrov isn’t long for the world and there’s only one man left to feel Chen Zhen’s fist of fury!
Fist of Fury is a fantastic revenge tale and showcase of Bruce Lee’s amazing skills. The movie, which was loosely inspired by true events, inspired three sequels (one starring Jackie Chan and two starring Bruce Li) and two remakes (one starring Jet Li and the other starring Donnie Yen). More proof of the enduring legacy of Bruce Lee.
If you can endure a little bit more of this review, I have some Bonus Bullet Points for you…
- If You Ever: …wanted to see Bruce Lee have a romantic scene in a graveyard, then Fist of Fury is the movie for you.
- Familiar Face: One name I did not mention in my review is Nora Miao. Miao plays Yuan Li Er, the woman Chen Zhen had planned on marrying before he found himself in full vigilante mode. Miao also co-starred with Bruce Lee in The Big Boss and Way of the Dragon. She would also reprise the role in the sequel, New Fist of Fury starring Jackie Chan.
- Double Duty: And speaking of Jackie Chan, he pulled double duty in Fist of Fury, you can spot him as one of the students at the Jingwu School. More importantly, he doubled for Hashimoto Riki, who played Hiroshi Suzuki, for the big stunt where Suzuki is kicked through the window and out to the garden.
