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

Director:

Wei Lo
(more)

Writer:

Wei Lo

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 | Fight | Violence | Action Hero | Kung Fu Fighting

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)
Cheng Ying Tu

Directed by
Wei Lo
Chia-hsiang Wu		(uncredited)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Wei Lo

Produced by
Raymond Chow	....	producer
Liang Hua Liu	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Peter Thomas		(Soundtrack for Europe)
Fu-ling Wang

Cinematography by
Ching-Chu Chen

Film Editing by
Ming Sung

Production Design by
Liu Chu

Makeup Department
Kuo Hsiung Chen	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Liang Hua Liu	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Chench Chang	....	assistant director (as Chih Yao Chung)
Tso Chen	....	assistant director
Yao-chang Chih	....	assistant director

Stunts
Ying-Chieh Han	....	action coordinator (as fighting instructor)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Liu Chu	....	wardrobe manager

Production Companies

• Golden Harvest Company

Distributors

• Cathay Films Ltd. (1973) (UK) (theatrical)
• National General Pictures (1973) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• Columbia Pictures (1978) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Finnkino Video (1993) (Finland) (VHS)
• PolyGram Video (1995) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (2000) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• GoodTimes Home Video (2000) (worldwide) (DVD)
• Future Film (2001) (Finland) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• YLE Teema (2002) (Finland) (TV)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (VHS)
• Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Hong Kong Legends (2003) (UK) (DVD)
• Future Film (2008) (Finland) (DVD)
• Filmways Australasian Distributors (Australia) (theatrical)
• CBS/Fox
• F.J. Lucas (Brazil) (VHS)
• Front Row Entertainment (video)
• Media Asia Distribution (Hong Kong) (DVD)
• Wonder Multimídia (Brazil) (DVD)
• Éditions René Chateau (France)

Also Known As:

"Tang shan da xiong" - Hong Kong (original title)
"The Big Boss" - Hong Kong (English title) (imdb display title), USA (alternative title)
"Big Brother of Tongshan" - Hong Kong (English title) (literal title)
"Fists of Glory" - Europe (English title) (imdb display 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:

The Thai brothel featured in the film was actually a genuine and functioning brothel. The extras who feature in these scenes (excluding Malalene's character) were actual prostitutes who were paid more by Golden Harvest than they would normally receive in a day by their clients so that they could appear in the film.

Goofs:

Continuity: The knife in the villain's chest disappears after Cheng punches him multiple times on the ground.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Kung Fu Hustle (2004)

Soundtrack:

Time

Very impressive

After seeing and admiring Enter The Dragon, I knew Bruce Lee wasn't just a name but a man with remarkable skills. Better than Jackie Chan and Jet Li. I figured the next Bruce Lee movies I'd see would have lousy plots but good action. That's how every Jackie Chan movie goes. Well, I was thrown a curveball. Fists of Fury has a very cool plot. It involves a company that smuggles heroin in blocks of ice and does away with employees who find out. An action movie with a plot. It's almost unheard of. The action is pretty good too. I'm always afraid when starting out a bruce lee movie that because it is so dated, the action will seem fake. Up until Lee starts fighting it ussually does. But once the man gets into it, the intensity is unquestionable. This movie was not quite as cool as Enter The Dragon, but it was very good. Much better than I would have ever thought. Its got a better plot than any of Chan's films and I've seen them all. Lucky me. At least Lee doesn't do corny humor. This guy is the real deal and this movie is dam good.