This is definitely one of those films that really sticks with you. The Way of the Dragon my first introduction to Bruce Lee and it was an amazing first experience. The film is written, directed and starred by Bruce Lee himself which gives it a brilliant mix of martial arts, comedy and story. It even features one of the best fight scenes ever put on film. Even now I can watch this film again and enjoy it.
Bruce Lee plays Tang Lung, a young martial artist who goes to Rome from Hong Kong to help a family friend defend her restaurant from a local crime syndicate. However, when he first arrives he looks like he would struggle to fight off a whole gang. He is very clumsy and unsure of himself. He appears to be an innocent tourist who does not seem to know what they are doing. This is a brilliant start to the character as we quickly learn there is more to him.
The perfect balance between comedy and action in this film. Bruce Lee has some brilliant comedic moments but when it comes to the serious stuff he really takes control of the screen. It is so fun watching this average looking tourist become an unstoppable martial artist. The contrast is brilliant and Bruce Lee directs it so there is no issues with the comedy and action.
The fight scenes are amazing. Bruce Lee shows off his incredible speed, accuracy and physical abilities. There is one scene in particular where he knocks his opponent off their feet and into a pile of boxes. The restaurant scenes also give him lots of chances to fight off multiple people. This is such a fun scene to watch as he moves from person to person with ease. He has some amazing kicks, fast punches and some really creative fight choreography. Bruce Lee really knows how to set up and film martial arts as we can see how skilled he is.
I also found it interesting how little we actually learn about Tang Lung. Although he seems like a very naive person he is an incredibly skilled fighter. He can fight his way out of almost any situation. There is even a scene towards the end where he fights off a sniper using handmade wooden darts. I wonder how he got so skilled and what his past must have been like. I think Tang Lung could have been an amazing character to have a follow up film about. His innocent nature gets him into some very dangerous situations. Unfortunately we will never know if Bruce Lee would have done this.
Of course, no review would be complete without mentioning the legendary fight scene with Chuck Norris in the Colosseum. This is easily one of the best martial art fights ever put on film. Chuck Norris plays Colt who is a quiet and intimidating fighter. He doesn’t need a long speech or introduction. His physical presence and calm determination makes him look like a real threat.
This fight scene is absolutely amazing. There is a great amount of strategy used. Tang Lung struggles at first against Colt but soon learns to adapt his fighting style. The cat that is watching the fight also adds something special. It almost feels like it is watching a deadly game of cat and mouse. Bruce Lee directs this beautifully as we can see every movement.
What makes this scene stand out is how it ends. Tang Lung does not want to kill Colt but he will not give up. Tang Lung then respectfully covers his body as he knows he is a fellow martial artist.
Overall I often wonder what would have happened to Tang Lung if Bruce Lee had lived longer. I love how he is this seemingly naive tourist who can walk into almost any dangerous situation and win. We do not get to see much about him but I really think there was enough personality and mystery to him to have explored more.
This is always going to be a special film for me as it was my first introduction to Bruce Lee. Fist of Fury is probably my favourite of his films but Enter the Dragon is also one of my favourites. This film has some great comedy, amazing martial arts, Bruce Lee directing and an unforgettable fight with Chuck Norris. It is an absolute classic.
Over 50 years later this is still an amazing film showing off Bruce Lee’s talent. It is an entertaining film with amazing fight choreography and one of the most iconic fight scenes in cinema history. It really does not get any better than this.
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