FIST OF FURY
Director: Lo Wei Run Time: 108 min. Release Year: 1972 Language: Chinese
Starring: Bruce Lee, James Tien Chuen, Maria Yi, Nora Miao, Tien Feng
Bruce Lee is at his most awe-inspiringly ferocious in this blistering follow-up to his star-making turn in The Big Boss, which turned out to be an even greater success than its predecessor. Set in 1910s Shanghai, Fist of Fury casts Lee as a marital arts student who, after his revered master is murdered by a rival dojo of Japanese imperialists, sets out to defend the honor of both his school and of the Chinese people, with his fatal punch his preferred weapon of choice. Elevating Lee to a hero of near folkloric proportions, this historical revenge fantasy blends its stunning action set pieces with a strong anti-colonialist statement and a potent dose of the fierce cultural pride which the actor embodied.