Cheng Chao-an, a young Chinese man, moves to Thailand to work with his cousins at an ice factory. Things seem peaceful at first until two of his cousins mysteriously disappear and two more who inquire about the disappearance follow suit. Tensions build up among the workers; a mysterious drug operation comes to light; and Cheng must decide between keeping the vow he made to his mother to never fight and breaking it to take revenge on the corrupt, titular boss.
While The Big Boss is not a perfect film, it’s still the stuff of legends. After Bruce Lee spent his time in the United States opening up martial arts schools along the West Coast and gaining recognition for his supporting TV roles (notably in The Green Hornet), he was ready to become a leading man.
He helped develop a show called The Warrior, a kung-fu Western show that is believed to have eventually turned into Kung Fu, but he was unable to get the starring role because it did not seem possible for American audiences to accept an Asian lead. So instead, he went back to Hong Kong, accepting a deal from Raymond Chow of the newly formed Golden Harvest production company and became the biggest Asian star in the world within a few years.
And that’s simply because there’s never been anyone like him. He infuses the underdog character with confidence; the goofy country bumpkin with the deadly serious martial artist; and his small, light frame with jaw-dropping power. He becomes a symbol for many viewers, standing for Chinese nationalism, male power or the oppressed fighting back. He’s simply an inspiring and exciting character.
But is The Big Boss a good movie? Yes-- mainly because Bruce Lee is in it. He has an undeniable screen presence even when he is not fighting, and it builds up a ridiculous amount of tension for the film’s first half. But when he snaps, the action truly explodes. Hearing his scream will make viewers want to kick the person next to them in the face. He fights hordes of thugs, sometimes with his trademark nunchaku or whatever props happen to be in his environment, and he does it with lightning quick speed, fluid choreography and clear wide-shots that emphasize his fighting prowess.
The action retains some qualities of the mid-late 60’s new wave of wu-xia films, be it the strong individual against many or the rhythm of long pauses with short bursts of intense action. But Lee’s fights are not drawn out like King Hu’s Beijing opera inspired action nor are they as shocking and gleefully violent as Zhang Che’s. These are grounded in a sort of realism as Lee floors most opponents with single moves and usually with his bare hands. He relies less on special effects, trick shooting techniques or strategically placed trampolines. The fights are cool, but with the enduring myth of Bruce Lee, the fact he could perform such feats is even cooler.
The film’s plotting will definitely seem slow and quite forgettable at many points, but it’s all instantly forgivable for Lee’s merits. This is one of the films that finally gave Hong Kong and martial arts films the attention they deserved from international viewers and it’s no less powerful than it was nearly forty years ago.
Reviewed by Tarun
