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''The Way of the Dragon'' (, originally released in the United States as ''Return of the Dragon'') is a 1972
Hong Kong martial arts Hong Kong action cinema is the principal source of the Hong Kong film industry's global fame. Action films from Hong Kong have roots in Chinese culture, Chinese and Culture of Hong Kong, Hong Kong cultures including Chinese opera, storytelling an ...
action comedy Action comedy is a genre that combines aspects of action and comedy. The genre is most prevalent in film with action comedy films, though several TV series fit this genre. Film The action comedy film is a film genre that combines aspects of act ...
film written, co-produced and directed by
Bruce Lee Bruce Lee (; born Lee Jun-fan, ; November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973) was a Hong Kong and American martial artist and actor. He was the founder of Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial arts philosophy drawing from different combat disciplines that ...
, who also stars in the lead role. This is Lee's only complete directorial film and the last one released during his lifetime. The film co-stars
Nora Miao Nora Miao () (born Chan Wing-man (); 8 February 1952) is a Hong Kong film actress. She is best known for appearing in many kung fu films in the 1970s, opposite Hong Kong action movie stars such as Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan. Background Chan Wing- ...
,
Robert Wall Robert Alan Wall (August 22, 1939 – January 30, 2022) was an American actor and martial artist. Early life Wall was born on August 22, 1939 in San Jose, California to Ray Wall, a construction worker and Reva (Wingo) Wall, a nurse. While in ...
, and Wei Ping-ou, with
Chuck Norris Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris (born March 10, 1940) is an American martial artist and actor. He is a black belt in Tang Soo Do, Brazilian jiu jitsu and judo. After serving in the United States Air Force, Norris won many martial arts championshi ...
playing his debut screen role. ''The Way of the Dragon'' was released in Hong Kong on 30 December 1972, and in the United States in August 1974. The film went on to gross an estimated worldwide (equivalent to over adjusted for inflation), against a tight budget of $130,000, earning a thousand times its budget. It was the highest-grossing
Hong Kong film The cinema of Hong Kong ( zh, t=香港電影) is one of the three major threads in the history of Chinese language cinema, alongside the cinema of China and the cinema of Taiwan. As a former British colony, Hong Kong had a greater degree of pol ...
up until Lee's next film, '' Enter the Dragon'' (1973).


Plot

In Rome, Chen Ching-hua and her uncle Wang experience trouble with their restaurant from a crime boss who wants their property. When Chen refuses to give it up, the boss sends gangsters there to scare away the customers. Appealing to an uncle in Hong Kong, Chen receives help in the form of a young martial artist, Tang Lung (Bruce Lee). On his first arrival he is disoriented by his new surroundings and appears to be nothing but a country bumpkin. Disappointed, Chen asks what help he can be, but Tang confidently assures her that he is capable enough. At the restaurant, Tang learns that the staff have begun to learn
karate (; ; Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the influence of Chinese martial arts, particularly Fujia ...
, much to the annoyance of Quen, an employee who favors Chinese Kung Fu. Tang advises Quen to be open-minded and make use of anything that works. Before long, the gangsters appear at the restaurant and threaten the customers away while Tang is using the bathroom. Upset by Tang's poor timing, the staff question his skill and the usefulness of his style. When the gangsters later return, the staff engage the thugs in a fight, only to be beaten. However, Tang single-handedly defeats them, causing the staff to decide to train under him. Uncle Wang warns them that the gangsters will seek revenge, but Tang vows to protect the restaurant. Chen and Tang grow closer, and she takes him on a tour of Rome, though Tang is unimpressed by the city. Ho, the crime boss's subordinate, returns with armed men and takes the restaurant staff hostage. Ho gives Tang a ticket to Hong Kong and tells him to go back. However, when his men escort Tang outside, Tang fights back and defeats the thugs with his two nunchakus, followed by the help of the restaurant staff. Tang warns Ho not to return, and the thugs leave the restaurant. The staff celebrate their victory, but the gang boss threatens to have Tang killed unless he leaves by
Chinese New Year Chinese New Year is the festival that celebrates the beginning of a new year on the traditional lunisolar and solar Chinese calendar. In Chinese and other East Asian cultures, the festival is commonly referred to as the Spring Festival () as t ...
, and Uncle Wang urges Chen to convince Tang to leave. When Tang refuses to abandon the restaurant, an assassin tries to kill him from a nearby rooftop with a sniper rifle. Already fidgety from nearby fireworks, Tang survives the attempt. He then tracks down and defeats the assassin after tricking him into wasting his ammunition. When he returns to the apartment, he finds that Chen is gone. Assuming that Ho has kidnapped her, Tang goes to the boss' headquarters with the restaurant staff, defeating his men. Tang issues a final warning to the boss to leave the restaurant alone. The staff again celebrate, but a telegram for Tang cuts this short when they learn that he has been summoned back to Hong Kong. Tang assures them that he will not leave until the situation is resolved. Ho hires two martial artists to challenge Tang - Japanese and European karate masters who initially refuse to work together. When the mafia boss indicates that money is no issue, Ho also recruits a world-class martial artist named Colt. Ho leads some of the restaurant staff to an isolated spot under the pretence of a truce, where the two martial artists ambush them. These initially defeat the staff, until Tang intervenes and leaves the staff to finish the last one off. Meanwhile, Ho lures Tang away to fight Colt at the Colosseum. Left behind, Uncle Wang knifes the two remaining members of the staff, as he wants to sell the restaurant to the crime boss and return to Hong Kong a rich man. In a decisive ten-minute battle, Tang disables Colt. When Colt refuses an opportunity for mercy, Tang kills him with reluctance. Tang then places Colt's gi and black belt atop his dead body as a gesture of respect, before discovering Ho and chasing after him out of the Colosseum. As Tang and Ho return to the ambush site, the mob boss arrives and shoots both Ho and Uncle Wang. Then the police drive up, led by Chen, and arrest the boss as he tries to kill Tang. With the matter finally resolved, Tang sets out to return to Hong Kong. As he leaves, Quen tells Chen that Tang is a loner who will never settle down.


Cast


Production

Bruce Lee formed his own production company,
Concord Production Inc. Concord Production Inc. () was a production company founded in 1972 in Hong Kong by Bruce Lee and Raymond Chow (50%). Lee was in charge of the creative decisions and Chow was in charge of the administration. The '' Golden Harvest'' was in charge o ...
, with Golden Harvest founder
Raymond Chow Raymond Chow Man-wai, (; 8 October 1927 – 2 November 2018) was a Hong Kong film producer, and presenter. He was responsible for successfully launching martial arts and the Hong Kong cinema onto the international stage. As the founder of G ...
, and ''The Way of the Dragon'' was the company's first film. As well as acting as its producer, Lee also wrote the script, directed the film and played percussion on the soundtrack. The film was originally intended as only for the Asian market, but was ultimately "responsible for maintaining the momentum of martial arts films in America". What makes it particularly memorable is the treatment of the fight in the Colosseum, with Chuck Norris making his film debut there. Lee filmed it "in long takes, framing it so that you could see their entire bodies. He used dramatic lighting, making both of them look larger-than-life."


Box office

Prior to release, the film's initial tight budget of US$130,000 was already covered by pre-sales in Taiwan alone. Upon release, the film earned 5,307,350.50 at the Hong Kong box office, beating previous records set by Lee's own films, ''
The Big Boss ''The Big Boss'' (, lit. "The Big Brother from Tangshan"; originally titled ''Fists of Fury'' in America) is a 1971 Hong Kong action martial arts film produced by Raymond Chow and starring Bruce Lee in his first major film in a lead role. The ...
'' and ''
Fist of Fury ''Fist of Fury'' is a 1972 Hong Kong action martial arts film written and directed by Lo Wei, produced by Raymond Chow, and starring Bruce Lee in his second major role after ''The Big Boss'' (1971). Lee, who was also the film's action choreogr ...
'', and making it the highest-grossing film of 1972 in Hong Kong. ''The Way of the Dragon'' went on to gross , making it the highest-grossing film ever in Hong Kong up until then. In the United States and Canada, the film received a wide release in August 1974, topping the North American box office charts. In New York City alone, the film opened with earnings of more than in its first five days. At Chicago's Oriental Theater, the film drew long queues before opening, setting an all-time theater record with 4,000 tickets sold within several hours of its opening. The film grossed within two weeks of release at the Oriental Theater. At two other Chicago theaters in
black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have of ...
neighbourhoods, the film earned in its opening week. At a number of theaters, the film drew loud cheers from audiences like a prizefight, particularly during the climactic fight where audiences cheered on Lee as he fought Chuck Norris. Within a month of its release, the film earned nearly in the United States. The film earned in US distributor rentals during its initial run. With later re-releases, the film went on to gross a total box office revenue of in the United States. In France, it became the eighth highest-grossing film of 1974 (below '' Enter the Dragon'' at #5 and above ''
Fist of Fury ''Fist of Fury'' is a 1972 Hong Kong action martial arts film written and directed by Lo Wei, produced by Raymond Chow, and starring Bruce Lee in his second major role after ''The Big Boss'' (1971). Lee, who was also the film's action choreogr ...
'' at #12), with 4,002,004 ticket sales. In Spain, the film sold 2,345,259 tickets. In Germany, it was the 13th highest-grossing film of 1975, with ticket sales. In Japan, the film earned in distribution rentals, becoming the ninth highest-grossing film of 1975. In South Korea, the film sold 182,530 tickets in the capital city of Seoul. The film was also a commercial success in India when it released there in 1979. In one
Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
theater alone, New Excelsior, the film earned an estimated in its first eight weeks. Against the film's final budget of $150,000, the film initially grossed worldwide, before increasing its gross to and then by 1974. It eventually grossed an estimated total of (equivalent to approximately adjusted for inflation), earning times its budget. It was the highest-grossing Hong Kong film up until Lee's next film, '' Enter the Dragon'' (1973).


Reception and legacy

'' Rotten Tomatoes'' reported an 92% favourable critics' response, commenting on Lee's work that it shows “a surprising change of pace from his usual hard-hitting action fare because it favors humor as much as it does kung-fu”. Upon release,
Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...
initially gave a mixed review in the ''
Chicago Sun-Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has the second largest circulation among Chicago newspapers, after the '' Chicag ...
'', saying he found the plot simplistic and its conventions unbelievable but commented that "this sort of stuff is magnificently silly, and Lee, to give him credit, never tried to rise above it." Retrospective reviews have since been positive, with the film's comedy elements compared favourably to
Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is consider ...
and Jackie Chan, while the final fight between Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris is considered one of the greatest
fight scenes Stage combat, fight craft or fight choreography is a specialised technique in theatre designed to create the illusion of physical combat without causing harm to the performers. It is employed in live stage plays as well as operatic and ballet p ...
of all time. At the
11th Golden Horse Awards The 11th Golden Horse Awards (Mandarin:第11屆金馬獎) took place on October 30, 1973 at Zhongshan Hall in Taipei, Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South ...
, it was judged a runner-up Best Feature Film and was recognised for Best Film Editing. Later on, it ranked #95 in ''
Empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
'' magazine's list "The 100 Best Films of World Cinema" in 2010. According to Gene Freese, the final fight between Lee and Norris is considered "by many to be the greatest movie fight ever" filmed. It has been listed as one of the greatest fight scenes of all time in a number of publications. In 1978, following Lee's death, an exploitation sequel was released titled '' Way of the Dragon 2'', starring
Bruce Le Bruce Le (; born June 5, 1950, Burma), birth name Huang Jianlong (), a.k.a. Wong Kin-lung, is a Macao-established Burmese (or Taiwanese; there are conflicting reports) born (British descent/Macao descent and half-Chinese/half-Burmese)
and
Bolo Yeung Yang Sze (; born 3 July 1946), better known as Bolo Yeung, is a Hong Kong former competitive bodybuilder, martial artist and a martial arts film actor. Globally known for his performances as Bolo in ''Enter the Dragon'' (starring Bruce Lee), an ...
. During the fight scene between Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris, Lee demonstrated and popularized a technique that would later be called the oblique kick. This technique is frequently used by several modern mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters, most notably the
UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
pound-for-pound Pound for pound is a ranking used in combat sports, such as boxing, wrestling, or mixed martial arts, of who the better fighters are irrespective of their weight, i.e. adjusted to compensate for weight class. As these fighters do not compete direc ...
champion Jon Jones, who cited Lee as an inspiration.


See also

*
Bruce Lee filmography This article details the filmography of actor and martial artist Bruce Lee. Several of Lee's films premiered after his death, including ''Enter the Dragon'', ''Game of Death'' and ''Circle of Iron''. Feature films Released posthumously Box ...
*
Chuck Norris filmography Chuck Norris is an American actor and martial artist. He has appeared in a number of action films, such as ''Way of the Dragon'', in which he starred alongside Bruce Lee, and was The Cannon Group's leading star in the 1980s. He played the starr ...
* List of Hong Kong films of 1972


Notes


References


External links

* *
''猛龍過江''
at the Hong Kong Movie DataBase * *
Bruce Lee: Way of the Dragon
– slideshow by '' Life'' magazine {{DEFAULTSORT:Way Of The Dragon, The 1972 films 1970s action comedy films 1970s martial arts comedy films 1972 comedy films 1972 martial arts films 1972 directorial debut films Hong Kong action comedy films Hong Kong martial arts films Jeet Kune Do films Karate films Kung fu films 1970s Cantonese-language films 1970s Mandarin-language films Concord Production Inc. films Golden Harvest films Films directed by Bruce Lee Films set in Rome Films shot in Rome 1970s Hong Kong films