Way of the Dragon
Encyclopedia
The Way of the Dragon is a 1972
Hong Kong films of 1972
This article provides a list of films produced in Hong Kong in 1972:.-1972:-External links:* * Hong Kong films of 1972 at...

 Hong Kong
Cinema of Hong Kong
The cinema of Hong Kong is one of the three major threads in the history of Chinese language cinema, alongside the cinema of China, and the cinema of Taiwan...

 martial arts film
Martial arts film
Martial arts film is a film genre. A sub-genre of the action film, martial arts films contain numerous fights between characters, usually as the films' primary appeal and entertainment value, and often as a method of storytelling and character expression and development. Martial arts are frequently...

 written, produced, directed by and starring Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee was a Chinese American, Hong Kong actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do martial arts movement...

.

Plot

Tang Lung is sent from Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

 to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...

 to help his friend's niece Chen Ching Hua, and family friends, whose restaurant is being targeted by the local Mafia
Mafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...

, which has been trying to force them to sign a contract handing over ownership of the restaurant to the Mafia boss. After their offers to purchase the restaurant are repeatedly turned down, the gangsters resort to intimidation. Tang fends off the local gangsters and wins the admiration of Chen, who had initially looked down on him for his naïvety. Tang had earlier been reluctant to put all his savings into a bank and had even unknowingly gone home with a prostitute while touring Rome with Chen; he had further frustrated her by not being able to understand the Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...

 and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

 languages. After the thugs are defeated the first time, Tang becomes friends with the other workers and teaches them Chinese boxing; they, in turn, combine them with their skills in Karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...

 to help Tang fight off the gangsters.

The Mafia boss sends a gunman to kill Tang, but Tang defeats him by throwing wooden darts and breaking his neck. The angry boss then takes a personal trip to the restaurant with his thugs to force Chen to sign the contract. Although they are armed with guns, Tang manages to defeat them after the boss forbids them to use the guns. Tang uses a wooden pole and a pair of Nunchaku
Nunchaku
is a traditional Okinawan weapon consisting of two sticks connected at their ends with a short chain or rope.-Etymology:The Japanese word nunchaku is the Kun'yomi reading of the Kanji term for a traditional Chinese two section staff....

s during the fight. He warns the boss that he will take firm action against him if he continues to harass his friends. The boss later responds by warning Chen he will have Tang killed if he stays in Rome. However, Tang refuses to leave, even after being told of the mafia's intentions by Chen and Uncle Wang. The boss then sends a sniper (the gunman who now wears a neck brace
Cervical collar
A cervical collar is an orthopedic medical device used to support a patient's neck and head. It is also used by emergency personnel for victims of traumatic head or neck injuries, and can be used to treat chronic medical conditions....

) to kill Tang at Chen's apartment, but he fails again. Chen is kidnapped by the boss and compelled to sign the contract at his headquarters, but Tang and his friends appear and rescue her once more.

The Mafia boss' lieutenant Ho (Wei Ping Ao
Paul Wei Ping-Ao
Wei Ping-Ao was a Hong Kong actor who started his career in Shaw Brothers. He was also notable of playing cunning interpreters in Bruce Lee's film, Fist of Fury and Way of the Dragon, in which he dubbed his own voice. He suffered from jaundice in his later years. Wei died in 1989.-External links:*...

) hires foreign martial artists, two of whom have trouble communicating with each other, to challenge Tang Lung. Ho attempts to lure Tang into a trap where the fighters will ambush him, but Tang defeats them with help from his friends in the countryside near the Colosseum
Colosseum
The Colosseum, or the Coliseum, originally the Flavian Amphitheatre , is an elliptical amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire...

. However, when two of his friends (the only fighters on both sides still conscious) sit down for a rest, Uncle Wang kills them both, revealing that he would receive a large sum of money if he persuaded Miss Chen to sell the restaurant. Meanwhile, Tang has a final showdown inside the Colosseum with the Karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...

 fighter Colt (Chuck Norris
Chuck Norris
Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris is an American martial artist and actor. After serving in the United States Air Force, he began his rise to fame as a martial artist and has since founded his own school, Chun Kuk Do...

), the best of the hired fighters, and the only one fully able to communicate with him despite the language barrier. Colt is winning at first and is beating Tang up badly, but Tang eventually gets the upper hand since he is faster and more fluid and tires Colt out with his quick attacks. Tang wins the fight, but Colt, wounded as he may be, will not go down until he is dead, and, because it is a battle to the death (and after he's reminded of this), he reluctantly kills Colt by snapping his neck. He covers the body with Colt's white Gi
Keikogi
or dōgi is a uniform for training, used in martial arts derived from Japan, or budō. . The prototype for the modern keikogi emerged in the late 19th century. The keikogi was developed by judo founder Kano Jigoro...

to show his respect and admiration after the fight. As he is still overwhelmed with guilt, he hears Ho escaping. Tang angrily chases him down to the countryside only to find everyone there (other than himself, Wang, and Ho) has been killed (Wang stabbing the others as they lay unconscious). There, Ho tries to stall Tang while Wang is going to stab and kill him with a knife
Knife
A knife is a cutting tool with an exposed cutting edge or blade, hand-held or otherwise, with or without a handle. Knives were used at least two-and-a-half million years ago, as evidenced by the Oldowan tools...

 from behind. The mafia boss arrives and shoots Ho and Wang in the heart, but he fails to shoot Tang as he takes cover behind the tree. The police arrive just in time to arrest the mafia boss. The final scene takes place in the graveyard, where Tang and Chen pay respects to the fallen. Tang bids farewell to Chen and leaves Rome alone as the credits begin to roll.

Cast

  • Bruce Lee
    Bruce Lee
    Bruce Lee was a Chinese American, Hong Kong actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do martial arts movement...

     as Tang Long/Cantonese: Tong Lung (aka "China Dragon")
  • Nora Miao
    Nora Miao
    Nora Miao ); born February 8, 1952 ) is a Hong Kong actress who appeared in many kung-fu films in the 1970s. She was contracted to Golden Harvest, and spent her time making films in Hong Kong and in Taiwan, where she starred in several romance movies....

     as Chen Ching Hua
  • Chuck Norris
    Chuck Norris
    Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris is an American martial artist and actor. After serving in the United States Air Force, he began his rise to fame as a martial artist and has since founded his own school, Chun Kuk Do...

     as Colt
  • Robert Wall
    Robert Wall
    Robert Alan "Bob" Wall is an American actor and martial artist.- Biography :Wall is a former heavyweight world-champion kickboxer. He is featured in a number of films, most notably three appearances with martial arts master Bruce Lee. Bob Wall appeared in the film Way of the Dragon with Lee,...

     as Fred (aka "Bob")
  • Hwang In-Shik
    Hwang In-Shik
    Hwang In Shik is one of the foremost Korean hapkido teachers today. A great popularizer of the art in Asia through his work in the Hong Kong based films of Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Angela Mao, he is known nevertheless as one the top teachers of the art and was eventually awarded a 10th degree...

     as Japanese martial artist
  • Wei Ping Ao
    Paul Wei Ping-Ao
    Wei Ping-Ao was a Hong Kong actor who started his career in Shaw Brothers. He was also notable of playing cunning interpreters in Bruce Lee's film, Fist of Fury and Way of the Dragon, in which he dubbed his own voice. He suffered from jaundice in his later years. Wei died in 1989.-External links:*...

     as Ho
  • Wang Chung-hsin as Uncle Wang
  • Tony Liu
    Tony Liu
    Tony Liu Yung is a Hong Kong actor and martial artist. He often appeared in martial arts films. He debuted in Bruce Lee's The Big Boss and later appeared in Lee's next three films.-Early life:...

     as Tony
  • Unicorn Chan
    Unicorn Chan
    Unicorn Chan aka Little Unicorn was a Hong Kong actor and one of Bruce Lee's best friends since childhood. He acted in many films during childhood including The Birth of Mankind in which Bruce Lee starred....

     as Jimmy
  • Tommy Chen as Tommy
  • Chin Ti as Ah Quen
  • Wu Ngan as Ah Chuan
  • Robert Chen
    Robert Chen
    Robert Chen is a Taiwanese-born violinist who currently serves as the Concertmaster of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Professor of Violin at Roosevelt University...

     as Robert
  • John T. Benn
    John T. Benn
    Jon T. Benn is an actor, who most notably played the mob boss in Way of the Dragon.He wrote a book in reference to Bruce Lee, "Remembering Bruce Lee" and subsequently opened a restaurant in Hong Kong, called "the Bruce Lee Cafe"....

     as Mafia boss (uncredited)
  • Malisa Longo as Italian Beauty
  • Yuen Biao
    Yuen Biao
    Yuen Biao is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist. He specialises in acrobatics and Chinese martial arts and has worked on over 80 films as actor, stuntman and action choreographer...

     as thug
  • John Derbyshire
    John Derbyshire
    John Derbyshire is a British-American writer. His columns in National Review and cover a broad range of political-cultural topics, including immigration, China, history, mathematics, and race. Derbyshire's 1996 novel, Seeing Calvin Coolidge in a Dream, was a New York Times "Notable Book of the...

     appears in the film briefly as one of the Mafia thugs.

Production

Bruce Lee formed his own production company Concord Productions with Golden Harvest
Golden Harvest
Golden Harvest is a film production, distribution, and exhibition company based in Hong Kong. It played a major role in becoming the first Chinese film company to successfully enter the western market for an extended period of time, especially with the films of Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan...

 founder, Raymond Chow
Raymond Chow
Raymond Chow Man-Wai is a Hong Kong film producer, and presenter and was responsible for successfully launching martial arts and the Hong Kong cinema onto the international stage...

.

Reception

The film set a new box office record in Hong Kong. It ranked #95 in Empire
Empire (magazine)
Empire is a British film magazine published monthly by Bauer Consumer Media. From the first issue in July 1989, the magazine was edited by Barry McIlheney and published by Emap. Bauer purchased Emap Consumer Media in early 2008...

magazines "The 100 Best Films Of World Cinema" in 2010.

Remake

Stephen Chow
Stephen Chow
Stephen Chow Sing-Chi is a Hong Kong actor, comedian, screenwriter, film director and producer.- Professional career :Stephen Chow began as a temporary actor for TVB. He entered TVB in early 1980s, and was trained there, although he had few opportunities to appear in films. Chow graduated from...

 will direct and star in a remake version of the film entitled Tai Chi. The film is also rumored to star Jack Black
Jack Black
Jack Black , is an American actor and musician, notably of Tenacious D.Jack Black may also refer to:* Jack Black , late 19th - early 20th Century author and hobo* Jack Black , drummer for 1970s UK punk band The Boys...

 and Anne Hathaway
Anne Hathaway (actress)
Anne Jacqueline Hathaway is an American actress. After several stage roles, she appeared in the 1999 television series Get Real. She played Mia Thermopolis in The Princess Diaries...

, and began shooting in June 2010. It will be Chow's first American movie.

DVD releases

Universe (Hong Kong)
  • Aspect Ratio: Widescreen (2:35:1) letterboxed
  • Sound: Cantonese (Dolby Digital 5.1), Mandarin (Dolby Digital 5.1)
  • Subtitles: Traditional, Simplified Chinese, English, Japanese, Malaysian, Thai, Vietnamese, Korean
  • Supplements: Trailer, Trailers for The Big Boss
    The Big Boss
    The Big Boss, previously known by its U.S. title Fists Of Fury is a 1971 Hong Kong martial arts action crime thriller film. The Big Boss was Bruce Lee's first major film. It was written to star James Tien; however, Lee's strong performance relegated Tien, already a star in Hong Kong, to second...

    , Enter the Dragon
    Enter the Dragon
    Enter the Dragon is a 1973 Hong Kong martial arts co-production with Golden Harvest and Warner Bros. studios, directed by Robert Clouse; starring Bruce Lee, Jim Kelly and John Saxon. This is Bruce Lee's final film appearance before his death on July 20, 1973...

    , Game of Death
    Game of Death
    The Game of Death is a 1972 film starring Bruce Lee. It was almost the last film Bruce Lee had planned to be the demonstration piece of his martial art Jeet Kune Do. Over 100 minutes of footage was shot before his death, some of which was later misplaced in the Golden Harvest archives...

    , Legacy of Rage
    Legacy of Rage
    Legacy of Rage is a 1986 Hong Kong action film starring Brandon Lee in his film debut, Michael Wong, Regina Kent, Chung Lam and a cameo appearance by Bolo Yeung who had appeared in Lee's father Bruce Lee's last film Enter the Dragon. It was directed by Ronny Yu and made in Cantonese...

  • All regions, NTSC


Fortune Star - Bruce Lee Ultimate DVD Collection (Hong Kong)
  • Aspect Ratio: Widescreen (2:31:1) anamorphic
  • Sound: Cantonese (DTS 5.1), Cantonese (Dolby Digital 5.1), Cantonese (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono), Mandarin (DTS 5.1), Mandarin (Dolby Digital 5.1), Cantonese (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)
  • Subtitles: Traditional, Simplified Chinese, English
  • Supplements: Original trailer, New trailer, Still photos, Slideshow of photos, Celebrity Interviews, Unseen footage, Game of Death outtakes, Enter the Dragon alternate opening, 32-page booklet
  • Region 3, NTSC


Fox (America)
  • Aspect Ratio: Widescreen (2:35:1) letterboxed
  • Sound: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)
  • Subtitles: English
  • Supplements: None
  • Region 1, NTSC


Fox - Bruce Lee Ultimate Collection (America)
  • Released: October 18, 2005
  • Aspect Ratio: Widescreen (2:35:1) anamorphic
  • Sound: Cantonese (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono), Mandarin (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono), English (DTS 5.1), English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
  • Subtitles: English
  • Supplements: Original trailer, New trailer, Celebrity interviews, Still photos, Slideshow of photos, Bonus trailers
  • Region 1, NTSC


Hong Kong Legends - Special Collector's Edition (United Kingdom)
  • Aspect Ratio: Widescreen (2:35:1) anamorphic
  • Sound: Cantonese (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
  • Subtitles: English
  • Supplements: Commentary by Bey Logan and Jon Benn, Original trailer, UK Promotional trailer, Rare photo archive, Animated biography showcase, Interview with Andre Morgan, Interview with Russell Cawthrone, Interview with Jon Benn, Interview with Anders Nielson
  • Region 2, PAL


Hong Kong Legends - Platinum Edition (United Kingdom)
  • Aspect Ratio: Widescreen (2:35:1) anamorphic
  • Sound: Cantonese (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
  • Subtitles: English
  • Supplements: Disc 1: Commentary by Bey Logan and Jon Benn, Introduction to the film by Bruce Lee’s brother, Robert Lee Disc 2: Introduction to the extras by Hong Kong cinema expert Bey Logan, Double-Edged Sword: An Interview with Bob Wall, Memories of the Master: An interview with Pat Johnson, Warrior Immortal: An interview with Master Hwang In-Sik, A Dragon Remembered: An interview with Robert Lee, Original trailer, UK campaign trailer, Original UK theatrical trailer, Original UK teaser and TV spot, HKL TV spot, Trailers for Fist of Fury
    Fist of Fury
    Fist of Fury, formerly known as The Chinese Connection and The Iron Hand in the United States, is a 1972 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Lo Wei. It starred Bruce Lee in his second major film after The Big Boss...

    , Armour of God
    Armour of God
    Armour of God is a 1987 Hong Kong martial arts action film co-directed by, and starring Jackie Chan. The film features Chan's regular kung-fu, comedy and stunts, with an Indiana Jones-style theme...

    , Once Upon a Time in China
    Once Upon a Time in China
    Once Upon a Time in China is a Hong Kong martial arts action/adventure film franchise directed, written, and produced by Tsui Hark. The stories are based on the life of the legendary kung fu master, Traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, and Chinese folk hero, Wong Fei Hung...

    , Police Story
    Police Story
    Police Story is an anthology television crime drama that aired on NBC from 1973 through 1978. The show was the brainchild of author and former policeman Joseph Wambaugh and represented a major step forward in the realistic depiction of police work and violence on network TV...

    , Iron Monkey
    Iron Monkey
    Iron Monkey can refer to:*Iron Monkey *Iron Monkey *Iron Monkey...

    , Production photo gallery, Way of the Dragon-A retrospective film notes by Bruce Lee expert Will Johnston, Bruce Lee screen test, Biographies for Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, Bob Wall and Nora Miao, Inside Way of the Dragon: An interview with Chaplin Chang, Artist and Warrior: An interview with Lau Wing, Inside way of the Dragon: An interview with Louis Sit
  • Region 2, PAL


Hong Kong Legends - Platinum Edition (Australia)
  • Aspect Ratio: Widescreen (2:40:1) anamorphic
  • Sound: Cantonese (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
  • Subtitles: English
  • Supplements: Disc 1: Commentary by Bey Logan and Jon Benn, Introduction to the film by Bruce Lee’s brother, Robert Lee Disc 2: Introduction to the extras by Hong Kong cinema expert Bey Logan, Double-Edged Sword: An Interview with Bob Wall, Memories of the Master: An interview with Pat Johnson, Warrior Immortal: An interview with Master Hwang In-Sik, A Dragon Remembered: An interview with Robert Lee, Original trailer, UK campaign trailer, Original UK theatrical trailer, Original UK teaser and TV spot, HKL TV spot, Trailers for Fist of Fury
    Fist of Fury
    Fist of Fury, formerly known as The Chinese Connection and The Iron Hand in the United States, is a 1972 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Lo Wei. It starred Bruce Lee in his second major film after The Big Boss...

    , Armour of God
    Armour of God
    Armour of God is a 1987 Hong Kong martial arts action film co-directed by, and starring Jackie Chan. The film features Chan's regular kung-fu, comedy and stunts, with an Indiana Jones-style theme...

    , Once Upon a Time in China
    Once Upon a Time in China
    Once Upon a Time in China is a Hong Kong martial arts action/adventure film franchise directed, written, and produced by Tsui Hark. The stories are based on the life of the legendary kung fu master, Traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, and Chinese folk hero, Wong Fei Hung...

    , Police Story
    Police Story
    Police Story is an anthology television crime drama that aired on NBC from 1973 through 1978. The show was the brainchild of author and former policeman Joseph Wambaugh and represented a major step forward in the realistic depiction of police work and violence on network TV...

    , Iron Monkey
    Iron Monkey
    Iron Monkey can refer to:*Iron Monkey *Iron Monkey *Iron Monkey...

    , Production photo gallery, Way of the Dragon-A retrospective film notes by Bruce Lee expert Will Johnston, Bruce Lee screen test, Biographies for Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, Bob Wall and Nora Miao, Inside Way of the Dragon: An interview with Chaplin Chang, Artist and Warrior: An interview with Lau Wing, Inside way of the Dragon: An interview with Louis Sit
  • Region 4, PAL

Blu-ray Disc release

Kam & Ronson (Hong Kong)
  • Aspect Ratio: Widescreen (2:35:1)
  • Sound: Cantonese (DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1), Cantonese (Dolby True HD 7.1), Mandarin (Dolby Digital EX 6.1), Thai (Dolby Digital EX 6.1)
  • Subtitles: Traditional Chinese, English, Thai
  • Supplements: Celebrity interviews, trailer, photo gallery
  • Region A

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK