Enter the Dragon (1973)

Director:

Robert Clouse

Writer:

Michael Allin (written by)

Release Date:

19 August 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

The first American produced martial arts spectacular!

Plot:

A martial artist agrees to spy on a reclusive crime lord using his invitation to a tournament there as cover.

Plot Keywords:

Tournament | Martial Arts | Shaolin | Island | Temple

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Bruce Lee	...	Lee
John Saxon	...	Roper
Kien Shih	...	Han (as Shih Kien)
Ahna Capri	...	Tania
Angela Mao	...	Su Lin (as Angela Mao Ying)
Jim Kelly	...	Williams
Robert Wall	...	Oharra (as Bob Wall)
Bolo Yeung	...	Bolo (as Yang Sze)
Betty Chung	...	Mei Ling
Geoffrey Weeks	...	Braithwaite
Peter Archer	...	Parsons
Li Jen Ho	...	Old Man
Marlene Clark	...	Roper's Secretary
Allan Kent	...	Golfer
William Keller	...	Los Angeles Cop #1

Also Known As:

Long zheng hu dou (Hong Kong: Mandarin title)
Operation Dragon (Europe: English title)
The Deadly Three (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for martial arts violence and brief nudity.

Runtime:

98 min | USA:110 min (25th Anniversary Edition) | USA:99 min (theatrical version)

Country:

Hong Kong | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS (re-release) | Dolby Digital (re-release) | Mono (original release) | SDDS (re-release)

Certification:

Finland:(Banned) (1973) | Finland:K-18 (1999) | Iceland:16 | UK:18 (uncut) | Sweden:15 (edited for re-rating) | Sweden:(Banned) (original rating) | Australia:MA (DVD rating) | Australia:R (original rating) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A | France:U | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:18 | Japan:R-15 | New Zealand:R16 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:15 (DVD rating) | Spain:18 | UK:18 (director's cut) (1998) (uncut) | UK:18 (video rating) (1988) (cut) | UK:X (original rating) (cut) | USA:R | West Germany:18 | Norway:18 (video) (cut) | Norway:(Banned) (1973-2003) (cinema release)

Filming Locations:

Aberdeen Harbour, Aberdeen, Hong Kong, China

Company:

Concord Productions Inc.

Trivia:

After cutting his hand on the bottles (a miscue by Bob Wall) Bruce hit him in a subsequent scene with a "real" flying kick. Even though Wall knew this was coming, and tried to stonewall it, he was knocked into the man behind him so hard it broke both his arms.

Goofs:

Continuity: Roper walks into the rough looking for his golf ball with his club in his hand. We see three bad guys approach and his club disappears.

Quotes:

Roper: What's the matter? You on a diet?
Williams: I like to eat, if I can find something I can keep down.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Epic Movie (2007)

.....simply the best

Even though it is more than 25 years since Enter the Dragon was first released, to this day it is still hailed as the landmark of martial arts films.

Used primarily as a vehicle for the late, great Bruce Lee this movie has a thin plot, little actual character development and the acting isn't fantastic.....it was never meant to be another Citizen Kane. Its merit lies purely in the action content. If you were to ask any learned martial artist I'm sure that 9 out of 10 would tell you that the fight sequences are unparalleled, even today. The fluidity of Lee is astounding. Unlike most martial arts films of that time the fighting is very realistic, and has a somewhat visceral quality. There is also the use of traditional Oriental weapons (nunchaku, escrima sticks, etc..), although the British censors in their wisdom have seen fit the cut the nunchaku sequence, and I'm afraid, like any censored movie, it just isn't the same watching when you know you aren't getting the full monty, so to speak.

Still, on the whole one of my personal favourites and a must see for any action or seventies film fan. If you get the opportunity see the remastered American version with added footage....I've got one,envy me!!!