The Big Boss (film)

The Big Boss

The Big Boss (1971, ????, Pinyin: Táng Shan Dà Xiong is a 1971 Hong Kong martial arts film. Formerly known as Fists of Fury in the US and not to be confused with Fist of Fury, The Big Boss was Bruce Lee's first major film. Initially, the star of the film was intended to be James Tien, but Lee's strong performance relegated Tien, then a major star in Hong Kong, to second billing. His success in this film made Bruce Lee a star across Asia.

Cast
Bruce Lee - Cheng Chao-an (sometimes Chen)
Maria Yi- Chiao Mei
James Tien - Cousin "Hsu Chien"
Yin-Chieh Han - Hsiao Mi ("The Big Boss")
Tony Liu - "Hsiao Chiun" (Hsiao Mi's son)
Chao Chen -"Foreman" (of the ice factory)
Chia Ching Tu -"Uncle"
Nora Miao - the drinkstand owner
Lam Ching Ying (also Assistant Action Director of the film)

Plot

Cheng is a Chinese man from Guangdong who moves to Thailand along with his cousins. They get jobs at an ice factory. However, the factory is secretly a cover for a drug smuggling gang led by the Big Boss, Hsiao Mi. Some of Cheng's cousins are offered roles in the drug smuggling operation. When they decline, they are murdered.

Hsiao Mi attempts to cover up the murders, but Cheng and his surviving cousins become suspicious. Hsiao Mi distracts Cheng by promoting him to foreman and providing him with alcohol and prostitutes, but one of the prostitutes reveals the truth to Cheng. He breaks into the factory after hours and discovers his cousins' corpses. He is in turn discovered by a gang led by Hsiao Mi's son, Hsiao Chiun.

Cheng defeats the gang and kills many of his opponents, including Hsiao Chiun. However, he returns home to find that his entire family has been murdered. Cheng gets his revenge by fighting and killing Hsiao Mi. He then surrenders himself to the police.

Other actors as Bruce Lee playing Cheng Chao-an
Various Bruce Lee biopics have been filmed over the years, with the two most (in)famous being Bruce Lee: The Man, The Myth and Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story. Both of these films feature their respective actors, Bruce Li and Jason Scott Lee, at one point acting as Lee on the set of The Big Boss. Both films feature a variation of the rumor that Lee was challenged on the set by a Thai boxer. In Myth, Lee was challenged on set and was caught in the middle of an ambush later on off the set. In Dragon, Lee is challenged during an actual take during filming of The Big Boss, wearing the trademark rolled up long sleeve white t-shirt, white sash, and black pants. Both of these are highly exaggerated accounts (not to mention that Dragon makes the mistake of saying that filming for The Big Boss began in July 1970 rather than in July 1971), as the story told is that Lee merely discusses martial arts with a Thai fighter on the set. Besides these two examples, a third Bruce Lee bio-pic, this time with Chan Kwok-kwan as Lee and filmed in mini-series form, will be shown in Hong Kong in 2008 as part of China's hosting of the summer Olympics. Once again, this bio-pic will have Lee encountering a Thai boxer on the set of The Big Boss, this time with the challenger being played by martial arts film veteran Mark Dacascos. Photos and behind-the-scenes video of this scene have appeared on various websites, including Dacascos's official site.