The Big Boss – Tangshan da xiong (1971)

Directed by: Lo Wei | 96 minutes | action, drama, romance, crime | Actors: Bruce Lee, Maria Yi, James Tien, Yin-Chieh Han, Malalene, Tony Liu, Quin Lee, Nora Miao, San Chin, Chao Chen, Chia Ching Tu, Tso Chen, Lung Chan, Hui-yi Chen, Pu San Cheung, Ching-Ying Lam, Kwan Lee, Gam Saan, Cheng Ying Tu

Every Bruce Lee fan must have seen it: ‘The Big Boss’. This is the movie that started it all. The film launched Lee as a martial arts star and marked a major flight for the entire genre. It was Lee’s first film since his return to Hong Kong from the United States, where he acted as Kato in the series “The Green Hornet” (and Tarantino later reused the masks for “Kill Bill”). ‘The Big Boss’ hit like a bomb and drew full houses everywhere. For all these reasons, ‘The Big Boss’ can be considered a classic, although this does not mean that the film is a masterpiece, or the best film in Lee’s oeuvre. Fortunately, Lee’s presence is enough to make the film interesting.

No, Bruce Lee himself is not to blame. The man’s charisma is unmistakable; even when he’s not throwing punches, he knows how to draw attention to himself. And that’s very important in this film because he doesn’t get to fight for the first forty minutes. That is, he does have to deal with gangs, but because of a promise to his mother – symbolized by a chain around his neck – he is not allowed to get involved. Lee’s grimaces, intimidating facial expressions, and body language actually make him a perfect silent movie actor.

Still, you can’t let a Bruce Lee movie go too long without a fight from the man in question. Stretching this moment should probably generate tension, but it only partially works. This is partly because Cheng (Lee) and brother Hsu hardly ever really get into trouble. Hsu can manage on his own for a long time. Cheng does want to participate, but then takes out the chain again, which is accompanied by a sweet music box music, after which he stops himself again. It is as if the filmmakers think that the viewer has quickly forgotten his promise and needs a visual cue. Anyway, it’s funny. The movie has a lot of props. In addition to Cheng’s necklace, the birdcage in the hands of the “big boss” himself is a recurring object. When Cheng visits him for the decisive fight, the cage figures amusingly. The villain has it in his hand and throws it with a well-aimed throw at the branch of a tree, ready to start the fight. Cheng then throws a branch against the cage, causing the thing to fall open on the floor and allow the bird to escape. Most likely symbolic of the enslaved workers who must release the rich boss and his manager. Also, the bag of cookies he is eating when Cheng arrives at the “big boss” estate is a nice dramatic object, which creates a quasi-casual effect.

But luckily there is also fighting. First by Hsu with random scum – which doesn’t look bad, but can’t match Lee’s spectacle – but later Cheng joins in too, when his chain is broken and the measure is full. And then we see the Bruce Lee we all know. The nimble jumps, the lightning-fast kicks and punches, the short, animalistic screams he gives out when he punches or kicks, the theatrical taste of his own blood after an injury, the explosive facial expression just before an important fight. It’s just a shame that so little is fought by Lee himself. Actually, there are only three fight sequences with him in the film, and it takes quite a while for him to pack a punch.

The story and characters are unmemorable, dramatic subplots remain unfinished, and the acting is generally lousy, but with a little good will you can praise the dramatic slant, and perhaps see an interesting political undertone (much like Eisenstein’s communist pamphlet on the mutinous sailors, ‘Battleship Potemkin’). The film also distinguishes itself from the standard fighting material by fairly extreme violence and a pointless nude scene. All in all, though, most viewers will care about the fight scenes and Lee’s screen presence. These elements, combined with the unintentionally comedic quality of the acting, the cheesy seventies music, dialogue, and plot twists, ensure that there is still plenty to enjoy in Bruce Lee’s big break through ‘The Big Boss’. For the enthusiast, that is.