Bruce Lee

(Tubi Streaming, April 2020) It’s sobering to realize that most of Bruce Lee’s feature-length filmography (aside from a few very early efforts) is a mere six films, from a supporting turn in Marlowe to Game of Death—and even that last one is a posthumous salvage job. In this list, Fist of Fury is arguably his breakout feature. Given that the plot takes us to Japanese-occupied Shanghai in 1908, much of the film’s running time is about historical context, setting up the fight sequences between a Chinese dojo and a Japanese one. There is some perceptible nationalistic material considering how the Japanese invaders are depicted not only as enemies, but perfidious, cheating ones. Considering this, it’s fine if any North American viewer finds much of the film duller than expected—it’s immersion in an unfamiliar era, and we’re here to see Lee fight, not talk. It doesn’t help that the film is a prime example of early-1970s Golden Harvest Hong Kong martial arts film—it’s technically rough, grainy and sometimes amateurish. Still, writer-director Lo Wei wisely steps back to see Lee do his thing during the fight sequences, and they make the film come alive. Watching the film, it’s obvious why Lee commanded such charismatic respect—he dominates fight sequences, putting personality where other films would have just run with the combat. Various techniques work at maximizing the coolness factor of Lee’s fights, whether it’s slow motion, overprinting, multiple bosses to defeat, tense moments in which nothing happens in-between the fights, and so on. There’s a bit of romance to round out the whole—and more nudity than I expected. Clearly, this is Lee’s showcase, even if I found Enter the Dragon significantly more memorable. The English dub is not particularly good, but it was the only option available. Jackie Chan briefly appears as an extra in one of his earliest roles. The freeze-frame ending ends up being elegiac, considering what would soon happen to Lee.

(Second Viewing, Amazon Streaming, May 2021) It only took a look at the biographical documentary I Am Bruce Lee to get me rewatching Fist of Fury. It’s not disrespectful to note that this isn’t quite the best Lee showcase: this was an early film to feature him as lead, and writer-director Lo Wei didn’t necessarily how to best showcase his talents. Lee is clearly the hero with some impressive moves, but the camera doesn’t quite capture him as well as later films. It’s also worth noting that the overall plot of the film, going back to early-twentieth-century China to depict their struggles against foreigners, would become nearly a cliché in the following decades, as it formed the backbone of numerous martial arts epics. Fist of Fury is also noticeably grimmer than other Lee films—or other martial arts films, actually—with a freeze-frame ending right before things turn bad. Still, Lee remains remarkable here as a young Chinese martial art student who comes to fight against Japanese intruders. His wiry physicality remains impressive and while the film is rough in presenting its action sequences, there’s no mistaking his raw talent. The film remains a reference for Lee fans for a reason — not the best, but still an impressive showcase. The only problem is the same as when I contemplate the rest of his filmography — I can’t help but wonder what else Lee could have done had he lived longer. Fist of Fury is an impressive first draft, but it’s far from being the ultimate depiction of what he was capable of.