The Big Boss

The Big Boss (Chinese: 唐山大兄; originally titled as Fists of Fury in the United States) is a 1971 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Lo Wei and written by Wu Chia-hsiang. Bruce Lee stars in his first major film in a lead role, marking his return to Hong Kong films since 1960. The film features Maria Yi, James Tien, Tony Liu, and Nora Miao alongside Lee. Originally intended for Tien, the leading role was given to Lee when the film's director changed from Wu Chia-hsiang to Lo Wei.

The film became a huge success, earning nearly US$50 million worldwide, which is about $400 million today, despite having a very small budget of $100,000. It was the highest-grossing Hong Kong film until Lee's next movie, Fist of Fury (1972), was released the following year. Lee's strong performance helped make him famous across Southeast Asia and later around the world.

Plot

Cheng Chao-an, a man without a job, moves from China to Pak Chong, Thailand, to live with his family and work at an ice factory. There, he meets his cousin Hsu Chien, who stands up for Cheng's younger brother when they are attacked by local thugs. Cheng wants to stay out of fights because he promised his mother he would not get involved, and he wears a special jade piece to remind him of this promise.

At the factory, Cheng discovers that the ice blocks hide illegal activities. When two of his cousins refuse to join the secret work, they are attacked and killed. Hsu Chien and another cousin go to find answers but are also attacked. Cheng's family and friends become upset when they learn what happened, and they stop working, causing trouble at the factory. During the chaos, Cheng loses his jade piece and decides to fight back. He becomes a leader at the factory but struggles with his new role because he forgot to help the police find the missing men.

Cheng learns that the factory's boss is involved in dangerous activities. After a dangerous night, Cheng returns home and faces anger from his family. Later, he finds out about the hidden dangers and discovers the terrible fate of his cousins. With great sadness, Cheng decides to fight back for revenge. In the end, Cheng faces the boss and saves his friend Chow Mei, who brings the police to help.

Cast

This film features many talented actors. Bruce Lee plays Cheng Chao-an, a young man who moves from Guangdong, China to Pak Chong, Thailand to stay with his cousins. Maria Yi plays Chow Mei, Cheng's cousin. James Tien acts as Hsu Chien, a martial artist who often fights with local gangs. Nora Miao appears as a local cold drinks vendor. The cast also includes Li Kun, Han Ying-chieh, Lau Wing, and many others who bring the story to life.

Background and conception

After the show The Green Hornet ended, Bruce Lee had a hard time finding new work. In 1970, he hurt his back while lifting weights and couldn’t act for several months. Money was tight, and his wife Linda had to take a job to help pay bills. Bruce tried writing and making movies, but didn’t have much luck.

In spring 1970, Bruce visited Hong Kong and was surprised to find he was already famous there from old TV shows. People loved him, and he did a fun show where he broke wooden boards with his hands. This gave him hope, and he sent his work details to a big movie company. They wanted him, but offered very little money, so he said no. Then a man named Raymond Chow invited him to make movies for his new company. After talking on the phone, Bruce agreed to make two movies, including The Big Boss, for better pay. This helped Bruce and his wife breathe easier financially.

Production

Writing

A famous writer named Ni Kuang created the story for the movie based on a real person from Thailand named Cheng Chi-Yong. He changed the character's name to Cheng Chao-an and added a story about Cheng being sent to live with people in Thailand after his father’s death. Cheng carried a special necklace for protection.

The director changed some parts of the story while making the movie. He didn’t tell Bruce Lee about these changes, and they worked together to finish the script each day.

Filming

Bruce Lee traveled to Bangkok and then to a small town in Thailand called Pak Chong to film the movie. The town was near a national park and had very simple living conditions. Bruce found it hard to eat and sleep there, but he kept working.

The filming had some problems at first. The original director was replaced, and Bruce hurt his hand early on. They filmed many scenes in different places around Pak Chong, including an old temple that still exists today.

Post-production

After filming ended, Bruce looked at the raw footage and liked what he saw. Editors worked hard to finish the movie on time. Bruce then returned to Hong Kong with his family.

Bruce Lee and JKD short film

Bruce wrote letters to his family during filming. There were plans for a short film to show Bruce’s martial arts skills, but it wasn’t made because there wasn’t enough time. Actress Nora Miao was supposed to help with it but only appeared briefly in the main movie.

Release

Box office

The Big Boss first showed on October 23, 1971, at the Queen's Theatre in Hong Kong's Central District. It quickly became very popular. By the end of its time in theaters, it made HK$3.2 million, breaking records.

The film also did well in other places like Singapore, Malaysia, and many parts of Southeast Asia. It even became successful in places like Beirut in Lebanon, France, Spain, and the United States. Overall, it made nearly US$50 million around the world.

Re-releases

When the film came out in the United States, some parts were changed to get a different rating. Later, it was shown again in different years and places, including on television and streaming services.

Critical reception

When it first came out, people had different opinions about the film. Some liked it for its exciting fights, while others thought the story was simple. Over time, it gained more fans and is now seen as an important movie.

Alternative versions

Censorship and missing scenes

The Big Boss went through many changes and cuts for different reasons and in different countries. Some scenes with intense action and a scene with adult content were removed by censors before the film was shown. Many more scenes were cut for films shown outside Hong Kong to make the story move faster.

Some of the cut scenes include a longer fight at a food stand, a game of chess played by characters, and several moments showing the main character, Cheng, and his friends. A few scenes showing violence, like a head being thrown into ice, were also removed. Some parts of Cheng’s emotional moments and his visit to a brothel were shortened or changed.

In 2023, a special collection of Bruce Lee films was announced, which includes an early version of The Big Boss with many of these scenes restored.

Alternative title confusion

When The Big Boss was prepared for release in the United States, its title was planned to be changed to The Chinese Connection. However, the titles of this film and Bruce Lee’s next film were mixed up. The Big Boss was released as Fists of Fury, and Fist of Fury was called The Chinese Connection. Later releases corrected these titles.

Alternative music scores

The Big Boss has three different music scores. The first was composed by Wang Fu-ling for the original version of the film. The second score was created by Peter Thomas for a new English version of the film. The third score was made for the 1982 Cantonese version by Joseph Koo and included music from other films and artists. Main article: Fist of Fury § Titles

Legacy

Kotaku found that the term "boss" in video games started being used because of The Big Boss.

Unofficial sequels

In 1976, a film called The Big Boss Part II was made. It starred Bruce Le as Cheng Chao-an and Lo Lieh as Cheng's brother, who wanted revenge for their father's death. The film was directed by Chan Chue, who helped direct the original movie. Some scenes were filmed in the same places as the original, like an ice factory and a Buddhist temple. The film was hard to find, but Severin Films released a new version in 2024.

Another sequel, Big Boss Untouchable, came out in 2002 with Dragon Sek as the main actor.

Loose sequel

In 1981, a film named Big Boss II was released. Directed by Lu-Po Tu, it starred Ryong Keo (Dragon Lee) and others. The story follows Lee Han-saeng, who is hurt by the Japanese military police but recovers with help. After facing betrayal and loss, he seeks revenge.

Other actors as Bruce Lee playing Cheng Chao-an

Many movies about Bruce Lee's life have been made. Two famous ones are Bruce Lee: The Man, The Myth and Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story. In these films, different actors play Bruce Lee on the set of The Big Boss. Both films tell a story about Lee meeting a Thai boxer on set, but these stories are exaggerated. A third movie, The Legend of Bruce Lee, shown in 2008, also includes this scene with actor Danny Chan Kwok-kwan as Lee and Mark Dacascos as the boxer.

Home media

VHS releases

The film was released on VHS in several countries. In the United Kingdom, it came out on March 17, 1997, and again on October 1, 2001, as part of a box set. In America, it was released on May 21, 2002, under the name Fists of Fury.

DVD releases

Many DVD versions of the film were made. In Hong Kong, Universe released a version with many languages and extra features like trailers and star files. Mega Star also released a Hong Kong DVD with different extra features. In 2004, Fortune Star released a special collection featuring many audio options and extra content. In America, Fox released DVDs in 2002 and 2005, and in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong Legends released special editions in 2000 and 2006 with lots of extra features.

Blu-ray Disc release

Blu-ray versions were also released. In Hong Kong, Kam & Ronson released a version in 2009. In 2020, the Criterion Collection released a special edition in America with many extra features and commentaries.