Circle of Iron (1978)

A young martial artist, Cord the Seeker, competes for and loses the right to go on a quest for the Book of All Knowlege held by a wizard named Zetan, but he goes along the path to seek ... See full summary »

Director:

Richard Moore

Writers:

Stirling Silliphant (screenplay), Stanley Mann (screenplay),

Stars:

David Carradine, Jeff Cooper, Christopher Lee

1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
David Carradine	...	The Blind Man / Monkeyman / Death / Changsha
Jeff Cooper	...	Cord
Christopher Lee	...	Zetan
Roddy McDowall	...	White Robe
Eli Wallach	...	Man-in-Oil
Anthony De Longis	...	Morthond (as Anthony de Longis)
Earl Maynard	...	Black Giant
Erica Creer	...	Tara
Michael M. Vendrell	...	Martial Artist (as Michael Vendrell)
Leo Whang	...	Martial Artist
Donnie Williams	...	Martial Artist
Robert Gardner	...	Martial Artist
Tom Ascensio	...	Martial Artist

Storyline

A young martial artist, Cord the Seeker, competes for and loses the right to go on a quest for the Book of All Knowlege held by a wizard named Zetan, but he goes along the path to seek Zetan anyway. Along the way, he meets strange tests and challenges by enemies and allies - often having difficulty determining which is which.

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Plot Keywords:

martial artist | quest | martial arts | buddhist | desert | 

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Taglines:

It challenges your courage, tests your manhood and throws you into an arena of life and death.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Fantasy

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 July 1978 (France)

Also Known As:

The Silent Flute

Filming Locations:

Bet Shean, Israel

Box Office

Budget:

$4,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sandy Howard/Richard St. Johns Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jeff Cooper had one of his front teeth knocked out while filming a fight scene on the first day of shooting.

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Goofs

During the fight between Changsha and the Black Giant David Carradine's wig falls off after a high kick.

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Quotes

Blind Man: A fish saved my life once.
Cord: How?
Blind Man: I ate him.

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Connections

Referenced in Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)

User Reviews

The contrast of brutality and Zen gracefulness

This movie served as my introduction to mysticism and eastern thought during a most auspicious time in my life--adolescence. Even as horrible as the production values were and with all the sub-par acting, I can think of no other film that has has a greater impact on the course of my life. Bruce Lee had an understanding of life and nature that few have ever glimpsed. If it didn't sound so irreverent I would call him the poster child for Richard Bach's book, Johnathan Livingston Seagull. But on to the movie..

Based on an idea Bruce Lee had before his death, Circle of Iron aimed at expressing his Zen philosophy through a an extremely raw martial arts forum. The central character, Cord, is a seeker on a quest for the book of all knowledge. He experiences the trials and tribulations spelled out in other reviews and eventually finds what he's looking for--only it's nothing that he ever imagined it would be. This is not a movie for those who are easily distracted or require an inundation of action and effects to keep them absorbed. But if one is patient, it gives the viewer a chance to identify with a part of themselves that perhaps started on such a journey at one time, before being sidetracked by daily routine and less intrinsic pursuits.

There is an arresting contrast between the brutality of the fight scenes and the sensitivity of the philosophical dialog. David Carradine plays multiple roles in the film, of which the primary one was to be played by Lee before he died--a blind man with a long wooden flute which serves doubly as a weapon of defense.

If you're feeling like you're lost in the desert of worldly things, it may be of benefit to track this one down..