'Enter the Dragon' - Bruce Lee's shocking kick

"Enter the Dragon" starring Bruce Lee is one of the works that changed world cinema.

Released 50 years ago, the film was listed by Total Film magazine (USA) as one of the 67 films that changed the world cinema. This was the fourth project starring Bruce Lee, and also the last completed work he made. The actor passed away on July 20, 1973, a week before Enter the Dragon premiered.

The film was produced by an American and Hong Kong company and filmed in Hong Kong. Directed by Robert Clouse, written by Michael Allin, the cast also includes John Saxon, Ahna Capri, and Shi Jian. The film revolves around Lee, a disciple of a Shaolin monk, who investigates a brother for drug trafficking, with a series of confrontations with his enemies.

Filmed in early 1973, in addition to boxing and kicking, Bruce Lee used weapons such as the Qi Mi Kun, Filipino short stick, and nunchaku. During filming, the actor suffered from headaches at least seven times. On May 10, 1973, he fell into a coma for several hours.

Once, while filming an action scene, Bruce Lee gave an "Ok" sign to his co-star. Shi Jian thought his co-star was giving him the sign. Thinking that filming had officially started, Shi Jian hit Bruce Lee hard, injuring him.

The martial arts star had high hopes for Dragon Fight Tiger Fight, but on July 20, 1973, he suddenly passed away at the home of Dinh Boi - his lover in Hong Kong. A week later, the work was released in theaters in Asia and the West.

January 1973, during filming, Bruce Lee discussed with American actor John Saxon. Photo: HK01

In August 1973, the film premiered in Los Angeles, USA, two Chinese dragon and lion dance teams walked from the Walk of Fame to Grauman's Chinese Theatre, promoting the film. The night before, the audience had gathered along the entire street. John Saxon recalled: "I was sitting in the back seat of the car, saw the line of people and the crowd, so I asked the driver what was going on, he said they came to see my film".

John Saxon was not the only one surprised by the success of Dragon Fight Tiger Fight. The New York Times said that the film was produced to standard, the script was attractive, the action scenes were fast and concise, and the film's color scheme also matched the content. "You have never seen an Eastern hero as fierce, cold and sharp as in this work. The character does not use any modern weapons, only relying on punches and kicks to create fierce action scenes," commented the New York Times writer.

The film is highly entertaining, changing Westerners' prejudices about Asian martial arts films, which were considered "cheap". According to Dianyingjie, with an investment of only 850,000 USD, the film has been shown many times, to date reaching a total global revenue of about 400 million USD. In a letter to screenwriter Michael Allin, a lawyer for Warner Bros. wrote that the company was making so much money that "there was no place to put it".

Enter the Dragon and the Tiger made a splash around the world. British singer Carl Douglas released a song about martial arts masters, "They're as fast as lightning," which sold 11 million copies. In Japan, teenagers love to have Bruce Lee's hairstyle. In India, Bruce Lee made a song about it, with the line: "Come on, let's drink to that badass, Bruce Lee."

According to The Paper, thanks to Bruce Lee, Hong Kong martial arts films have a place in Hollywood. Before Enter the Dragon, a few films of this genre were released in American theaters but did not make a splash. Bruce Lee is said to have kicked open the door, opening up a completely new genre of film to Western audiences. In New York, there was a time when 30 Hong Kong films were shown at a time.

Bruce Lee became more famous after his death. The English word "Kungfu" was born because of the actor. Products related to him were continuously released, forming a complete economic sector. The main items include mannequins, T-shirts, sportswear, various types of Bruce Lee posters, and pendants of the actor. Film critic Kenneth Turan once wrote in the Los Angeles Times: "Since the death of James Dean, no Hollywood star has had as great a commercial value as Bruce Lee."

Bruce Lee in "Enter the Dragon". Photo: Mtime

Bruce Lee's appearance changed the face of Chinese martial arts films, paving the way for Chinese people to enter Hollywood. In 1999, Time magazine ranked Bruce Lee among the 100 most influential people in the world in the 20th century. Although he passed away 50 years ago, Bruce Lee is still in the top three most recognized Chinese actors in the world.

Bruce Lee has had a great influence on many artists of Chinese origin. Stephen Chow once said about the martial arts legend: "Bruce Lee's works made me feel a burning fire in my chest, he made me determined to become a martial artist or an actor. In the history of Hong Kong cinema, Bruce Lee is a special figure. He had a talent for martial arts, enjoyed favorable conditions of time, place, and people. He was the first person to see the future development trend of martial arts, a true pioneer."

Hoang Ha (According to vnexpress.net)

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