The Way of the Dragon
| Way of the Dragon | |
|---|---|
 Hong Kong film poster | |
| Directed by | Bruce Lee |
| Written by | Bruce Lee |
| Produced by | Raymond Chow Bruce Lee |
| Starring | Bruce Lee Nora Miao Chuck Norris Hwang In-Shik Robert Wall Paul Wei Wang Chung-hsin |
| Cinematography | Tadashi Nishimoto |
| Edited by | Peter Cheung |
| Music by | Joseph Koo |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Golden Harvest Bryanston Pictures Fortune Star Media (Worldwide) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 99 minutes |
| Country | Hong Kong |
| Languages | Cantonese English |
| Budget | HK$130,000 |
| Box office | US$85,000,000 |
Way of the Dragon (Chinese: 猛龍過江, released in the United States as Return of the Dragon) is a 1972 Hong Kong martial arts action comedy film written, produced and directed by Bruce Lee, who also starred in the lead role. This was Bruce Lee's only completed directorial effort. The film co-stars Nora Miao, Chuck Norris, Robert Wall and Hwang In-Shik. The film was released in Hong Kong on 30 December 1972.
Plot
Tang Lung (Bruce Lee) is sent from Hong Kong to Rome to help Uncle Wang, and niece Chen Ching-hua, whose restaurant is being targeted by the local mafia. Tang fends off the gangsters and wins Chen's admiration. Tang becomes friends with the other restaurant workers and teaches them "Chinese boxing".
The mafia boss sends a gunman to kill Tang, but Tang defeats him. The boss then goes to the restaurant with armed thugs but Tang defeats them. The boss warns Chen he will have Tang killed if he stays in Rome. Tang refuses to leave. The boss then sends a sniper to kill Tang but fails again. Chen is kidnapped by the boss and compelled to sign the contract at his headquarters, but Tang and his friends rescue her.
The mafia boss's consigliere hires three foreign martial artists, to challenge Tang. Tang defeats two of them with help from his friends near the Colosseum. After Tang leaves, Uncle Wang kills Tony and Jimmy, blaming Tang for getting in his way, as he would receive a large sum of money if he persuaded Chen to sell the restaurant to the mob. Tang then has a final showdown inside the Colosseum with the karate fighter Colt, the best of the hired fighters. Tang defeats Colt, Uncle Wang is killed, and police arrest the mafia boss. In the final scene, Tang bids farewell to Chen and leaves Rome alone.
Cast
- Bruce Lee as Tang Lung
- Nora Miao as Chen Ching-hua
- Chuck Norris as Colt[1]
- Robert Wall as Fred (Bob)
- Hwang In-Shik as Japanese martial artist
- Paul Wei as Ho
- Wang Chung-hsin as Uncle Wang
- Tony Liu as Tony
- Unicorn Chan as Jimmy
- Tommy Chen as Tommy
- Chin Ti as Quen
- Wu Ngan as Chuan
- Russell Cawthorne (uncredited) as Man at Airport
- Robert Chen as Robert
- John T. Benn (uncredited) as mafia boss
- Malisa Longo as Italian prostitute
- Yuen Biao as thug
- Rick Baker as Fat Italian thug
- John Derbyshire appears in the film briefly as one of the mafia thugs.[2]
Production
Bruce Lee formed his own production company Concord Productions with Golden Harvest founder, Raymond Chow.[3]
Reception
The film set a new box office record in Hong Kong.[3] It ranked #95 in Empire magazine's list "The 100 Best Films of World Cinema" in 2010.[4]
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, Enter the Dragon, Game of Death, Legacy of Rage
- 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: 18 October 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, Armour of God, Once Upon a Time in China, Police Story, Iron Monkey, production photo gallery, Way of the Dragon 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, Armour of God, Once Upon a Time in China, Police Story, Iron Monkey, production photo gallery, Way of the Dragon 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
In popular culture
- The movie experiences a spoof/homage in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mirage comic story "Shell of the Dragon", with Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris being represented by the characters Chang Lee and Buff Nordick, respectively.[5]
- The Street Fighter Alpha: Warrior's Dreams by Capcom character Rose fights in the Roman arena used by Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris. [6]
References
- ^ Berkow, Ira (12 May 1993). "AT DINNER WITH: Chuck Norris; When That 97-Pound Weakling Grows Up". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 August 2010.
- ^ Derbyshire, John (15 October 2003). "Thug (Uncredited)". National Review Online. Retrieved 13 October 2008.
- ^ a b Lee, Bruce; Little, John; Little, John R. (15 November 1997). Words of the dragon: interviews 1958–1973. Tuttle Publishing. p. 19. ISBN 978-0-8048-3133-8. Retrieved 15 January 2011.
- ^ "The 100 Best Films of World Cinema: 93. The Fourth Man". Empire.
- ^ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol.1 #18 (1988).
- ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068935/movieconnections
External links
- Official site at Miramax Films
- Complete filmography of Bruce Lee's career
- The Way of the Dragon at IMDb
- Way of the Dragon at the Hong Kong Movie DataBase
- Template:Amg movie
- The Way of the Dragon at Rotten Tomatoes
- Bruce Lee: Way of the Dragon – slideshow by Life magazine
- 1972 films
- 1970s action films
- 1970s comedy films
- 1970s martial arts films
- Bruce Lee
- Cantonese-language films
- Directorial debut films
- Films directed by Bruce Lee
- Films set in Italy
- Films set in Rome
- Golden Harvest films
- Hong Kong action comedy films
- Hong Kong films
- Hong Kong martial arts films
- Jeet Kune Do films
- Mandarin-language films
- Martial arts comedy films
- Media Asia films