Tang shan da xiong (1971)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Wei Lo

Writer:

Wei Lo (writer)

Release Date:

3 October 1971 (Hong Kong)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

KARATE KUNG-FU! The new screen excitement that gives you the biggest kick of your life!

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Ice Factory | Drugs | B Movie | Kung Fu Master | Circular Saw

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
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)
Cheng Ying Tu

Also Known As:

Big Brother of Tongshan (Hong Kong: English title) (literal title)
Fists of Fury (USA)
Fists of Glory (Europe: English title)
The Big Boss (Hong Kong: English title)
Tong san dai hing (Hong Kong: Cantonese title)

Runtime:

100 min | UK:101 min | USA:99 min | Argentina:102 min | 115 min (uncut version)

Country:

Hong Kong

Language:

Mandarin | Cantonese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-18 (DVD rating) | Portugal:M/16 | Finland:K-16 (video rating) | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A | France:U | Hong Kong:IIB | Hong Kong:III | Ireland:18 | Japan:R-15 | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:18 (video premiere) | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:15 (DVD rating) (2004) | Spain:18 | UK:18 | USA:R (edited for re-rating) | USA:X (uncut Hong Kong version) | West Germany:18 | Iceland:16 | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Pak Chong, Thailand

Company:

Golden Harvest Company

Trivia:

Bruce Lee was originally against two of director Wei Lo's ideas used in the film. First, was when one of the foremen was to be punched through a wooden wall. Wei wanted to leave the villain's outline in the wall, similar to something in a cartoon. Lee tried his best to change it, but somehow Wei got the upper hand. The second, and the most famous scene of the film, is the climactic "jump kick joust" between Lee and villain 'Yin-Chieh Han'. Lee, once again, didn't like the idea due to its separation from realism. However, he gave in, and the shot was done.

Goofs:

Continuity: The bandage on Bruce's left hand changes sizes through out the course of the film. It eventually disappears by the film's end.

Quotes:

Cheng Chao-an: Beat it or I'll kill you right now.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties (2006)

Soundtrack:

Communication in Hyperspace

The Power of Holding Back

Throughout this film you see a constrained Bruce Lee. Lo Wei is deliberately holding him back in order to introduce him to audiences and to save the best of his fighting for the second film. What we see here is a humane Bruce Lee who has feelings, a sense of humour, enjoys sex and is in control of his temper. He strikes up a good friendship with Shu Sheng who life is eventually claimed by the antagonists. When Bruce witnesses the mistreatment of his family in the workplace, he still holds back. Until...they break his necklace. At that moment, he explodes into action with centrifugal force, picking off each opponent with pin-point accurate kicks. It is a work of art that is akin to 'Samson and Delilah'.