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IMDbPro

The Big Boss

Original title: Tang shan da xiong
  • 19711971
  • RR
  • 1h 39m
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
27K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
9,728
23
Bruce Lee in The Big Boss (1971)
Clip: Bruce Lee fights thugs
Play clip2:35
The Big Boss
1 Video
99+ Photos
ActionCrimeDrama
A young man sworn to an oath of non-violence works with his cousins in an ice factory where they mysteriously begin to disappear.A young man sworn to an oath of non-violence works with his cousins in an ice factory where they mysteriously begin to disappear.A young man sworn to an oath of non-violence works with his cousins in an ice factory where they mysteriously begin to disappear.
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
27K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
9,728
23
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Directors
      • Wei Lo
      • Chia-Hsiang Wu(uncredited)
    • Writer
      • Wei Lo(screenplay)
    • Stars
      • Bruce Lee
      • Maria Yi
      • James Tien
    Top credits
    • Directors
      • Wei Lo
      • Chia-Hsiang Wu(uncredited)
    • Writer
      • Wei Lo(screenplay)
    • Stars
      • Bruce Lee
      • Maria Yi
      • James Tien
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 105User reviews
    • 80Critic reviews

    Videos1

    The Big Boss
    Clip 2:35
    The Big Boss

    Photos129

    Bruce Lee in The Big Boss (1971)
    Bruce Lee in The Big Boss (1971)
    The Big Boss (1971)
    Bruce Lee, James Tien, and Maria Yi in The Big Boss (1971)
     20x28
    20 x 29
    Bruce Lee in The Big Boss (1971)
    Bruce Lee in The Big Boss (1971)
    Bruce Lee in The Big Boss (1971)
    Bruce Lee in The Big Boss (1971)
    Bruce Lee in The Big Boss (1971)
    Bruce Lee in The Big Boss (1971)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Bruce Lee
    Bruce Lee
    • Cheng Chao-an
    Maria Yi
    Maria Yi
    • Chow Mei
    James Tien
    James Tien
    • Hsiu Chien
    Marilyn Bautista
    Marilyn Bautista
    • Miss Wuman
    • (as Malalene)
    Ying-Chieh Han
    Ying-Chieh Han
    • Hsiao Mi (The Boss)
    Tony Liu
    Tony Liu
    • Hsiao Chiun (Mi's son)
    Kun Li
    Kun Li
    • Ah Kun
    • (as Quin Lee)
    Nora Miao
    Nora Miao
    • Drinkstand owner
    • (as Mao Ke-hsiu)
    Shan Chin
    Shan Chin
    • Hua Sze
    Chia-Chen Tu
    • Uncle
    • (as Chia-Cheng Tu)
    Chih Chen
    Chih Chen
    • Ice Factory Manager
    Billy Chan
    Billy Chan
    • Ah Pei
    • (as Hui-yi Chen)
    Lung Chan
    Lung Chan
    • Gatekeeper…
    Stephen Chang
    Stephen Chang
    • Disciple
    Ching-Ying Lam
    Ching-Ying Lam
    • Ah Yen (Cheng's cousin)
    Cheng Ying Tu
    • Directors
      • Wei Lo
      • Chia-Hsiang Wu(uncredited)
    • Writer
      • Wei Lo(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      If you pay attention through the movie, you can tell when or not Cheng will kill in a fight. When it's just a "fun" fight, he would wear either brown or blue pants with a t-shirt and a blue sash. But in a serious fight, he'd wear a long sleeve shirt with black pants and a white sash. This may be because in Chinese culture, white is a symbol of death.
    • Goofs
      After the prostitute tells Cheng about the drug smuggling, he leaves. She is sitting with her back to the door when Mi's son sneaks in. You hear the knife flying through the air and see her face as it hits her in the chest. If she had her back to the door, how did the knife embed in her her chest?
    • Quotes

      Cheng Chao-an: Just keep away. Go on. It's not your fight.

    • Alternate versions
      When the film was released in the United States, the death of Hsiao Mi, "The Boss", was cut down to him simply being stabbed in the chest with a knife in order to receive an "R" rating. The original version of his death, which not only shows an explicit close-up of the knife in his chest but Cheng Chao-an's fingers piercing his rib cage and blood flowing from under his shirt, would have given the film an "X" rating. This scene has since been restored for the Bruce Lee Ultimate Collection DVD released by Fox, and the Shout Factory DVD/Bluray releases.
    • Connections
      Edited into Game of Death (1978)
    • Soundtracks
      To Be a Man
      Lyrics by James Wong

      Performed by Mike Remedios

      [English Dubbed Japan Version]

    User reviews105

    Review
    Review
    Top review
    Deserves Respect ... But Not a Rating
    Saw this in a theatre in 1971 and just revisited it 45 years later.

    Conclusion:

    As a film, it suffers badly from the massive improvements in choreography, skill, and staging that MA films have enjoyed in the interim. What seemed sort of "OK" in a dark theatre in 1971 becomes, after several decades, almost a slow dance of awkward fighting moves, with off-sync sound effects and blows that never seem to connect with anything.

    In this instance it is not fair to judge the old by the new ... so, no rating.

    And then there is the topic of Mr. Lee.

    History tells us that Bruce Lee exploded into Asian cinema on this film and anyone can see why. IT IS AS IF HE IS OPERATING AT A FAST CAMERA SPEED AND THE REST OF THE CAST AT A SLOW CAMERA FEED. Of course, the speed of the camera is the same throughout, it is the speed of the actors that differed.

    The cast were the usual bunch that made many dozens of these films in a year. They looked slow and awkward because they actually were slow and awkward.

    Mr. Lee on the other hand lived (and ultimately died) for his craft. His whole life was MA and even today the debate continues as where he would have ranked against the best fighters of all time. At the top is my guess.

    In essence, this is almost an audition tape for Mr. Lee and not much else. But it is a piece of history and deserves great respect.
    helpful•10
    3
    • A_Different_Drummer
    • Nov 30, 2016

    FAQ1

    • How many different versions do exist of this movie?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 1981 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • Hong Kong
    • Languages
      • Mandarin
      • Cantonese
    • Also known as
      • Fists of Fury
    • Filming locations
      • Pak Chong, Thailand
    • Production company
      • Golden Harvest Company
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $100,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 39 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

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