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The Big Boss (1971, HK) (aka Tang
shan da Xiong, or Fists of Fury)
In writer/director Wei Lo's "karate - kung fu" martial-arts
masterpiece, introducing Bruce Lee in his first starring role as
a formidable opponent in choreographed fight sequences - and containing
many of Lee's trademarked actions seen in future films:
- the character of young Chineseman Cheng Chao-an
(Bruce Lee), sworn to non-violence, who moved from China to work
in a blue-collar job at an ice factory in a rural area in Thailand
with his extended family - mostly of cousins
- Cheng's powerful attraction and flirtation upon meeting
his only female cousin Chiao Mei (Maria Yi)
- the character of corrupt, heroin-drug-dealing mob "Big
Boss" - Hsiao Mi (Han Ying-Chieh), the head of the factory,
and a skilled kung-fu master, who lived in a grand mansion with lots
of vicious German Shepherds; often, he would be surrounded by female
masseuses
- the baffling and inexplicable disappearances of Cheng's
bullied and often bribed co-working relatives: cousins Chen (Peter
Yang) and Wong (Li Hua-sze) who were murdered after they discovered
a package of white-powdered heroin hidden in a block of ice for smuggling
purposes; their bodies were chopped up by an industrial buzz-saw
and hidden in frozen blocks of ice
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Heroin Hidden in Blocks of Ice
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Retaliation for Witnessing Drug Trade: Buzz-Sawed
Body
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- Cheng kept a restrained attitude toward his tough
cousin Hsu Chien (James Tien) in resistance efforts, until his
necklace was broken - allowing him to break his vow of non-violence;
he decided to engage in his first major brawl against many of the
Big Boss' henchmen at the factory; in an action sequence filmed
with precise choreography, Cheng used energetic, deadly-accurate,
lightning-fast high-kicks and swiveling movements to fight off
numerous attackers; he then challenged the remaining group: "You
wanna fight, I'll take you on!" - and when they resumed their
attack, he dispatched all of the men (seen with POV kicks to their
heads)
Cheng's Fight Against the Factory Henchmen
of the Big Boss
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- Cheng's drunken dalliance with sexy prostitute Miss
Sun Wuman (Marilyn Bautista) in a brothel; she ultimately told
him about the illicit drug operation and warned Cheng to be careful
because his life "might be in danger"; she showed him
her naked right breast scarred by cigarette burns when she was
the Big Boss' girlfriend
- the scene of Cheng's visit to the Boss' mansion where
he unrealistically jumped high over attacking German shepherds
- the murder of Sun Wuman by Hsiao's murderous son Hsiao
Chiun (Tony Liu), who threw a knife into her heart (sometimes edited
out of some reels)
- later, Cheng vengefully fought one-on-one against
Hsiao Chiun and some of his followers - and powerfully punched one
of the gang members through a wall, leaving a perfect impact silhouette
or outline of his body etched in the wall; then, he pummeled Hsiao
to death in the abdomen
- the scene of Cheng's musings (in voice-over) about
all of his murdered relatives (imagined in a row) except for Chiao
Mei (who was kidnapped), and the promises made to his mother Chow
Mei (Maria Yi) as he contemplated his next move: "I promised
my mother I'd keep out of trouble. I tried to do it, too. But now,
I'm really in a hell on this. What can I do? If I had any sense,
I'd get out of here. If anything happened to me, who'd take care
of Mei? She needs somebody now. She's over 70. But I can't just walk
away from this. I just can't do that. I can't!"
Cheng's Final Showdown Against the Big Boss
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- the ultimate bloody and intense showdown sequence
on the manicured green lawn grounds of the Boss' mansion, where
Cheng calmly munched on a prawn cracker as six of the Boss' goons
approached with knives to outnumber him; he single-handedly and
quickly vanquished the group ("Beat it, or I'll kill you,
right now!"), and then the bare-chested, muscular Cheng faced
off against the big Boss himself who was wielding two long knives;
he was able to kill him with an infamous "death by finger
impalement" technique into his rib-cage; then, Cheng repeatedly
punched the Boss' face before collapsing exhaustedly onto the Boss'
dead body as the camera zoomed out; he surrendered to police when
arrested for his murderous revenge, with the rescued Chiao Mei
embracing him
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Ice Factory Worker Cheng Chao-an (Bruce Lee)
Romance With Cousin Chiao Mei (Maria Yi)
"Big Boss" Hsiao Mi
Cheng Restrained and Let Loose
Cheng With Brothel Prostitute
Prostitute's Knife-Into-Heart Murder
Cartoonish Wall Outline - Punching Gang Member Through
Wall
Cheng's Musings About All His Murdered Relatives
The Rescue of Chiao Mei
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