I got an opportunity to watch "Enter the Dragon" yesterday (12th Nov’08) on HBO at 9:00 PM. Well this is not the first time I have seen this flick but this time around I was concentrating on this great flick as if I am watching it for the first time.
Well, it is BRUCE LEE. I should say the perfectionist of all Martial Artists of today. His execution of the fights and stunts are truly breath taking and fascinating.
History:
In the years since his bizarre and tragic death, martial arts legend and master Bruce Lee has become a sort of icon within the Kung-fu movie circuit. Even today most of the new generation kids love watching his films like Big Boss, Fist of Fury, Game of Death.
The last film that he completed before his death, 1973’s "Enter the Dragon, " has become not only a masterful showcase for Lee’s talents (both fighting and acting), 35 years since its release this film has become the definitive martial arts movie of all time. Even today one cherishes the perfection of Bruce lee and his action & stunt sequences.
Enter the Dragon (1973) was Bruce Lee’s first (and only) solo big Hollywood production. Too bad he never got to see the fruits of his labor. He passed away during the film’s post production (don’t fret, two more official Bruce Lee films were made after this one. Despite all of the years of hard work and finally making it to the big times, he wasn’t around long enough to enjoy it. Even though Robert Clouse is credited as director and another person is credited for writing the screenplay. This film has Bruce Lee’s fingerprints all over it.
"Enter the Dragon, " a joint American-Chinese production, was intended
to be Bruce Lee’s introduction to Western audiences, but due to his
tragic death just weeks before the film’s American release, we will
never know what he would have been capable of in the states.
The Cast:
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Lee -> Bruce Lee
Roper -> John Saxon
Williams-> Jim Kelly
Han -> Shih Kien
O’hhara -> Robert Wall
Bolo -> Bolo Yeung
Mei Ling ->Betty Chung
The Plot:
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The movie is about a shady underworld crime lord Han (aren’t they always) who controls most of the world’s opium drug ring and a lot of other illegal dealings like drug trafficking, girls transported to various locations etc. he works from a solo island somewhere in South China sea. Every three years he holds a martial arts tournament. During the tournaments he also does all his drug business with the delegation that comes to his islands.
Besides Han was also a student of Shaolin temple whose commandments he has disrespected and has been marked as a traitor. Due to his nefarious activities the Shaolin temple has got disrepute in the teaching society. The teacher of this temple wants the respect of Shaolin back and has informd Lee about Han’s activities.
A particular line that Bruce Lee uses in his dialogs too often in the movie is "Fighting without Fighting". This indicates that he is free of any thoughts and anxiety while fighting. He connects well with his opponents and instills fear even before the fight begins.
The British Intelligence is stumped, after understanding about Han and his business. They know everything about him and his business but cannot prove a thing because of lack of evidence.So they seek out someone who’s slick, sly, stealth and who can fight like a pro and take care of himself.
A man named Braithwaite visits the Shaolin temple to speak with Lee. Braithwaite is the
representative of an international intelligence organization that has
been secretly investigating Han.
They find their man (Bruce Lee). After a great deal of convincing Braithwaite gets him to go to the island and participate in the crime lord’s fighting tournament. In the tournament there are fights between two competitors and the one who wins goes to the next round.
Before leaving, Braithwaite shows Lee a short video taken of Han and his bodyguard Oharra ,
who is a professional martial artist. Lee agrees to enter the
tournament, both on behalf of Braithwaite and his teacher of Shaolin Temple, who has
requested Lee reclaim their "lost honour and respect."
Along the way, Bruce meets two American fighters (John Saxon and Jim Kelly) who are in the tournament for various reasons, one of which is bankruptcy and debts.
On reaching Han’s Island, bruce comes across various things that the outside world is unaware of.On the island, Bruce does his nightly snooping around so he can find out more about the crime lord and his illegal activities.
The plot unveils after the first couple of fights and Bruce finds Han’s underground laboratory and research centre where he carries out drug testing and other activities.
There is more to the plot after Bruce finds more about Han’s activities on the island. after snooping around for a couple of days.(Better to watch it in the Movie)
In the Movie, you would see Jackie Chan’s brief apperance. Chan appears in a couple of scenes, as one of the guards or henchmen with O’Harra. The first is when he is kicked in the groin while coming on to Lee’s sister. He is wearing the light blue clothing. He is also the only person to get any serious type of damage on Lee’s sister. (Punches, a kick, and pushing her head into the wall) Later on, he gets his neck snapped by Bruce Lee during a battle with several guards, where Bruce Lee uses a number of weapons including the nunchakus.
On the last day of tournament Han call for a fight between Lee and John Saxon to protect his self interest and his business.
The end is much more thrilling then it seems with a fight sequence between Lee and Han in a closed Mirror room Illusion where Lee has scares on his body and displays one of the greatest martial arts action of all time.The mirror room fight is the best fight in this movie. Where Han uses all the tricks to try and kill Bruce by fooling him via mirror illusions.
Mirror Fight:https://in.youtube.com/watch?v=Mx-KxZHKKOQ
Conclusion:
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In today’s digital work of fight sequences especially after the success of Matrix series, that I still cherish, one would rarely find the class of Bruce Lee’s martial arts abilities and his stiffening of his physique during these fights.
There are many classic fight scenes in this movie, which I would watch over and over
without them ever becoming boring. Bruce Lee, in the movie, has brought a kind of grace to
his action scenes that have yet to be topped by any actor alive today.
I love Jackie Chan and Jet Li and even the few Chow
Yun Fat roles involving martial arts, but each of these actors have their own, very big, personalities, and - at least in the case of Chan
- have built their own unique legend. But if you compare these actors to Bruce Lee, they are nothing closer to his charisma and personality.
Unlike his successors, what Lee excelled at was the intense physicality and drama of his performance. He worked every muscle of his body in every beautifully choreographed fight scene of Enter The Dragon, and made art out of violence in ways that today’s Hollywood gun violence directors can only dream of. And Enter the Dragon is one of his most stunning vehicles.
It is a Must Watch for any one who is a fan of Martial Arts and wants to see BRUCE LEE at his