Cheng Chao-an
| Cheng Chao-an | |
|---|---|
| File:The Big Bosslee.jpg Bruce Lee as Cheng Chao-an in The Big Boss. | |
| First appearance | The Big Boss |
| Last appearance | The Big Boss, Part II |
| Portrayed by | Bruce Lee (The Big Boss) Bruce Le (The Big Boss, Part II, as Huang Kin Lung) |
| In-universe information | |
| Nickname | Big Brother Cheng, Cousin Cheng |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Man Lee Ice Factory employee |
| Relatives | Cheng Chao-chun (brother) |
Cheng Chao-an is a fictional character from the film The Big Boss. He is a young man who travels from China (it is never mentioned if it is mainland China or Hong Kong, but the latter may be more likely) to the remote town of Pak Chong in Thailand to work at the Man Lee Ice Factory, run by manager Ching Hao, and owned by Hsiao Mi. He is an amazingly skilled martial artist, and some sources, such as a Hong Kong photobook, imply that he may have been taught by his father. This character has been played by Bruce Lee in The Big Boss and by Bruce Le (in a rare instance, under his real name of Huang Kin Lung) in the next-to-non-existent unofficial sequel, The Big Boss, Part II. Also, other actors, such as Jason Scott Lee and Bruce Li have played Bruce Lee acting as Cheng.
History
In The Big Boss, Cheng Chao-an is portrayed as someone quiet, yet strong. Kind and chivalrous, yet a bit naive. His character has been described as believing anything you tell him, but when he finds out he's been tricked, he sets things straight. He is shown as being a phenomenal martial artist, but it is evident that his skills effect his mental and emotional state, as he doesn't truly realize the ramifications of his actions until the damage has already been done. Because of this (and the implications in various sources that his unmentioned father was killed because of a bare handed duel), his mother forces him to swear on a round jade pendant to never fight again. The evidence of his skills effecting his mental state and delayed realization are evident in all of his fights. The first especially as his pendant is torn from his neck, and breaks on the ground, in which Cheng screams violently and attacks his foes, with the broken jade virtually signalling the broken promise. He defeats his enemies and basically "saves the day" for the ice factory, but he soon realizes what he has done, seeing the jade pendant on the ground in two pieces.
Aside from his bare handed combat, Cheng is shown as being an amazing exponent of knife fighting/throwing. So much so that he is capable of throwing three knives in one swipe, and hitting each of his targets. In one case, Cheng even throws a knife over his shoulder without looking, and hitting a henchman square in the chest.
Another physical attribute of Cheng's is an almost superhuman vertical leap, ranging anywhere from 10 to 20 feet. The only other character remotely close to achieving this height in The Big Boss is Hsiao Mi.
On a social scale, Cheng is shy, at an almost painful level, being very quiet and basically doesn't speak until being spoken to.
Cheng's age is unknown as well, but at the time of the events of The Big Boss (summer of 1971), he is estimated to be somewhere in his early 20s, despite being played by a then 30-year old Bruce Lee.
After the events of The Big Boss, Cheng resides in an unnamed Thai prison under a life sentence for manslaughter as a result of avenging his slain friends in 1971. Soon after the incident, Cheng's brother Chao-chun travels to Thailand to visit him in prison, and also work at the newly re-opened Man Lee Ice Factory.
Family
It is mentioned that Cheng has a mother, as she is the one who makes him take a vow of non-violence, however, she is never seen. We meet Cheng's "Third Uncle", as well as his various cousins. Aside from this, Cheng also has a brother, Cheng Chao-chun, who is first introduced in the unofficial sequel The Big Boss, Part II and played by Shaw Brothers veteran, Lo Lieh. However, due to the fact that it is an independent film and incredibly difficult to find (it is said that only one remaining print of the film exists under a private collector), this character is virtually non-canon.
Other Appearances of Chao-an
The character of Cheng Chao-an also appeared in a rare Japanese manga version of The Big Boss. However, according to the Katakana translation, his name is Chen rather than Cheng. He also seems to wear his pendant as regular jewelry rather than a promise, as he is shown fighting from the story's beginning, yet wearing the pendant throughout the story. His personality is also a bit more assertive in comparison to his film counterpart.
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.
Trivia
Cheng has a bandage on his right index finger throughout most of the film. This was not part of the character, but was from an actual injury Lee sustained while allegedly cleaning "weak drinking glasses" in a Thai hotel. However, some speculate that he actually was flexing his forearm muscles by clenching on one of said glasses. Either way, the injury was caused by a broken glass.