Fists of Fury (1971)
"Tang shan da xiong" (original title)

A young man sworn to an oath of non-violence works with his cousins in an ice factory where they mysteriously begin to disappear.

Director:

Wei Lo

Writer:

Wei Lo

Stars:

Bruce Lee, Maria Yi, James Tien

Cast

Credited cast:
Bruce Lee	...	Cheng Chao-an
Maria Yi	...	Chow Mei
James Tien	...	Hsiu Chien
Ying-Chieh Han	...	Hsiao Mi (The Boss)
Malalene	...	Miss Wuman
Tony Liu	...	Hsiao Chiun (Mi's son)
Kun Li	...	Ah Kun (as Quin Lee)
Nora Miao	...	Drinkstand owner (as Mao Ke-hsiu)
San Chin	...	Hua Sze
Chih Chen	...	Foreman (as Chen Chao)
Chia-Cheng Tu	...	Uncle
Tso Chen	...	Ice Factory Manager
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Billy Chan	...	(as Hui-yi Chen)
Lung Chan	...	Gatekeeper / Blue Shirt Henchman
Ching-Ying Lam	...	Ah Yen (Cheng's cousin)

Storyline

Chein is a city boy who moves with his cousins to work at a ice factory. He does this with a family promise never to get involved in any fight. However, when members of his family begin disappearing after meeting the management of the factor, the resulting mystery and pressures forces him to break that vow and take on the villainy of the Big Boss.

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Plot Keywords:

ice factory | fight | fist fight | fighting | action hero | 

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Taglines:

Every Limb Of His Body Is A Leathal Weapon!!!

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

Hong Kong

Language:

Cantonese

Release Date:

3 October 1971 (Hong Kong)

Also Known As:

The Big Boss

Filming Locations:

Pak Chong, Thailand

Box Office

Budget:

$100,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Golden Harvest Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min 115 min (uncut)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film was based on the true story of Cheng Chiu-on who fought the tyrants in Thailand. Cheng lived at the end of the 1800s and beginning of the 20th century. A memorial statue of him was erected in a garden in the Bangkok more than 80 years ago.

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Goofs

Despite receiving a deep cut to his left arm the night before, Cheng has no scar on his left arm the next day while fighting "The Boss".

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Quotes

[first lines]
Cheng Chao-an: Uncle, is this it?
Uncle: Yes, right over there. That's the town, Cheng. That's right. Not much further to go.

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Connections

Referenced in Balls of Fury (2007)

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Soundtracks

"Communication in Hyperspace"
Performed by Peter Thomas
(Only in English dubbed versions)

User Reviews

Bruce Lee's Goriest Movie

Tang Shan Da Xiong/The Big Boss(1971) is of all the Bruce Lee movies the most censored and cut because of some scenes of graphic violence. The violence in its uncut form seems to be on the level of the Street Fighter flicks with Sonny Cheiba. Bruce Lee doesn't show off his fighting skills until mid way through the film. What a great fighting performance Bruce Lee gives the viewer when he beats up the big boss's factory workers. Interestingly, the film has a couple of erotic scenes that are unusual for a Kung Fu movie. Both these scenes were either trimmed or cut from the picture. Bruce Lee's films would get less bloody by the time he did Enter the Dragon(1973). Mr. Vampire actor, Ching Ying Lam has a small part as the cousin of Cheng Chao An. Film that brought Bruce Lee international stardom even though the film was not very good. For a Kung Fu flick Bruce Lee is unable to show his full ability as a martial artist due to the filmmakers concern about his appearence in film. Bruce Lee would not fully utilized his excellent skills until the fight sequence at the Japanese martial arts school in Jing Wu Men(1972)/The Chinese Connection.

The Big Boss(1971) is noted for the infamous scene cut from the film of Bruce Lee spitting a man's head in half with a saw. A scene that has been lost scene since probably the film's debut in Hong Kong theatres. Just as infamous as the lost Pirhana scene of Cannibal Holocaust or the lost eye sucking scene from Full Contact. This sequence is definitely a scene that may have influenced similar sequences in The Streetfighter(1974). This one scene makes The Big Boss(1971) a must find in its fully uncut and uncensored form. Bruce Lee does well for what little material he had to work with. One gory sequence that was trimmed for the film's US release was the scene where Cheng sticks his fingers deep into the main villain's torso. It would be great if someone would find elements from The Big Boss(1971) in order to put together the longest print possible. The Hong Kong version is superior to the badly cut and badly dubbed American version. Its the version that I recommand the most for Bruce Lee admirers and fans.