Enter the Dragon
Enter the Dragon is a 1973 martial arts film directed by Robert Clouse and written by Michael Allin. The film stars Bruce Lee, John Saxon, Ahna Capri, Bob Wall, Shih Kien, and Jim Kelly. Enter the Dragon was Bruce Lee's final completed film appearance before his death on 20 July 1973 at the age of 32. An American-Hong Kong co-production, the film was premiered in Hong Kong on 26 July 1973, six days after Lee’s death, and in Los Angeles on 19 August 1973.
Enter the Dragon was estimated to have grossed over worldwide against a budget of $850,000. It is the most successful martial arts film ever and is widely regarded as the greatest martial arts films of all time. In 2004, it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". Among the first films to combine martial arts action with spy film elements and the emerging blaxploitation genre, its success led to a series of similar productions combining the martial arts and blaxploitation genres. The film's themes have generated scholarly debate about the changes taking place within post-colonial Asian societies following the end of World War II.
Enter the Dragon is also considered one of the most influential action films of all time, with its success contributing to mainstream worldwide interest in the martial arts as well as inspiring numerous fictional works, including action films, television shows, action games, comic books, manga, and anime.
Plot
Lee, a martial artist and instructor from the Shaolin temple, is approached by British intelligence agent Braithwaite, who asks for his help in an undercover mission to investigate suspected crime lord Han, who was one of the students in Shaolin temple. Lee is persuaded to go to "Han's Island", and attend a high-profile martial arts tournament on Han's private island to gather evidence that will prove Han's involvement in drug trafficking and prostitution.Since Han's island is only partly in their jurisdiction, they are unable to conduct any formal investigations. Han does not allow firearms on the island to prevent assassination attempts and raids from international authorities. He runs a martial arts school as cover for his illegal operations and holds the tournament to recruit martial artists to expand his illegal business. Lee agrees to help Braithwaite, believing his efforts will redeem the honor of the Shaolin temple that was tarnished by Han. Shortly before his departure, Lee also learns that Han's bodyguard O'Hara is responsible for the death of his sister Su Lin, who is played by Angela Mao.
Lee arrives on Han's island and receives a warm reception. Joining him are other competitors, including Roper, an American playboy and gambler who is indebted and on the run from the mob, and Williams, an African-American activist who is on the run after defending himself against racist police officers in Los Angeles.
The rules of Han's tournament are simple: in one-on-one matches, the person who gets knocked to the ground loses. At the end of the first day, the competitors are offered girls of their choice by Han's assistant Tania. Williams chooses several women, while Roper chooses Tania as a mutual attraction grows between them. Lee chooses a girl he saw in Han's entourage, who is Mei Ling, a covert agent whom Braithwaite had placed on the island to gather intelligence. However, Mei Ling has been unable to escape Han's observation never to leave their rooms.
That night, Lee stealthily searches the island for evidence and finds a secret entrance to an underground compound base where drugs are being manufactured and tested on unwitting prisoners. He runs into Han's guards but takes them down and flees before they can identify him. Lee is seen by Williams, who is outside for fresh air and practice, despite rules against being outside after night. The next morning, Han warns the competitors about wandering out of their rooms at night. He punishes his guards for their inability to fulfill their duties by leaving them to be killed by Bolo, his musclebound enforcer and chief bodyguard. After the execution, the competition resumes as Lee is called to his first match, against O'Hara.
During the fight, Han warns O'Hara to step down as Lee keeps outclassing him. Lee kills O'Hara with a double stomp after he tries to attack him from behind with a pair of half-shattered glass bottles, thus avenging Su Lin's death. An embarrassed Han ends the day's competition after stating that O'Hara's treachery has disgraced them. Later, Han summons Williams into his office and accuses him of attacking the guards the previous night. Williams denies this and wants to leave the island, so Han beats him to death with his iron prosthetic left hand.
Han takes Roper on a tour of his underground base and invites him to be his representative for his illegal operations in the United States. Han also implicitly threatens to imprison Roper with other martial artists who joined his tournaments in the past. Roper reluctantly accepts after Han drops the brutalized corpse of Williams into a pit of acid, hinting that Roper will face the same fate if he refuses to cooperate. The same night, Lee infiltrates the underground base again to gather sufficient evidence to warrant Han's arrest and sends a message to Braithwaite. After a prolonged battle with Han's guards, Lee is lured into a door trap to get imprisoned.
The next morning, Han commands Roper to fight Lee, but Roper refuses and Han has him fight Bolo. Roper beats Bolo after a gruelling battle. Han orders all his men to kill Lee and Roper. The island's prisoners, released by Mei Ling, and the other invited martial artists aid Lee and Roper in defeating Han's guards. Amid the chaos, Han attempts to fight his way out to escape, only to have Lee corner him in his museum, where Han retrieves a bladed-talon replacement for his hand to prepare for a brutal fight. He retreats into a room full of mirrors, which proves disorientating for Lee until he remembers his lessons at the Shaolin Temple and smashes the mirrors to spoil Han's illusions. Lee kicks Han, who gets impaled on his own spear.
Lee returns to Roper and they exchange a thumbs-up as the military arrives to take control of the island.
Cast
Production
Development
Due to the success of his earlier films, Warner Bros. began helping Bruce Lee with the film in 1972. They brought in producers Fred Weintraub and Paul Heller. The film was produced on a tight production budget of $850,000. Fighting sequences were staged by Bruce Lee.The screenplay title was originally named Blood and Steel. Bruce Lee came up with the name Enter The Dragon and was intending to use it for The Way Of The Dragon but surrendered the title to Warner Brothers. Heller produced a treatment inspired by the comic strip Terry and the Pirates and hired screenwriter Michael Allin to develop it into a screenplay. Allin conceived of the film as an homage to James Bond. The story features heroic protagonists who are Asian, White, and Black, as the producers wanted a film that would appeal to the widest possible international audience.
Pre-production
Lee and Allin did not get along, and Weintraub told Lee that he would fire Allin but did not actually do so. Lee perceived the film as a cheap B-movie that would serve as a transitional film to introduce his talents and style to Hollywood. Lee's role was originally conceived as a straightforward Chinese version of James Bond. Lee rejected this because of Bond's status as a symbol of British imperialism and convinced the producers to re-conceive of his character as a Shaolin monk. Lee insisted on re-titling the film Enter the Dragon, to considerable resistance from the studio.The scene in which Lee states that his style is "Fighting Without Fighting" is based upon a famous anecdote involving the 16th century samurai Tsukahara Bokuden.
All of the actors were hired at low wages. Rod Taylor was first choice for playing the down-on-his-luck martial artist Roper. Director Robert Clouse had already worked with Taylor in the 1970 film Darker than Amber. However, Taylor was dropped after Bruce Lee deemed him to be too tall for the role. John Saxon, who was a black belt in Judo and Shotokan Karate, became the preferred choice. During contractual negotiations, Saxon's agent told the film's producers that if they wanted him they would have to change the plot so that the character of Williams is killed instead of Roper. They agreed and the script was changed. In a six decade career, the character would become one of Saxon's best known roles.
Rockne Tarkington was originally cast in the role of Williams. However, he unexpectedly dropped out days before the production was about to begin in Hong Kong. Producer Fred Weintraub knew that karate world champion Jim Kelly had a training dojo in Crenshaw, Los Angeles, so he hastily arranged a meeting. Weintraub was immediately impressed, and Kelly was cast in the film. The success of Kelly's appearance launched his career as a star: after Enter the Dragon, he signed a three-film deal with Warner Bros and went on to make several martial arts-themed blaxploitation films in the 1970s.
Filming
has uncredited roles as various guards during the fights with Lee. However, Yuen Wah was Lee's main stunt double for the film, responsible for the gymnastics stunts such as the cartwheels and jumping back flip in the opening fight.Sammo Hung also has an uncredited role in the opening fight scene against Lee at the start of the film.
Lee originally wanted to cast Chuck Norris as Han's bodyguard, Oharra; Bob Wall was the second choice. A rumour surrounding the making of Enter The Dragon claims that Wall did not like Bruce Lee and that their fight scenes were not choreographed. However, Wall has denied this, stating he and Lee were good friends. In one of their fight scenes, Lee injured his hand on a shattered bottle held by Wall, which angered Lee.
The production hired prostitutes to play Han's harem. The visibility of their roles led the actresses to demand higher wages, which then led the stuntmen to consider striking, because they were paid less.
The film was shot on location in Hong Kong. In keeping with local film-making practices, scenes were filmed without sound: dialogue and sound effects were added or dubbed in during post-production. Bruce Lee, after he had been goaded or challenged, fought several real fights with the film's extras and some set intruders during filming. The scenes on Han's Island were filmed at a residence known as Palm Villa near the coastal town of Stanley. The villa is now demolished and the area heavily redeveloped around Tai Tam Bay where the martial artists were filmed coming ashore.