Introduction to Enter the Dragon
If you consider yourself a fan of martial arts movies and you haven’t seen Enter the Dragon, every time you say you are a fan, you insult yourself. It’s like dissing Dr. Dre. Bruce Lee’s Enter the Dragon may be the biggest title in the genre. So, fans that haven’t seen this one need to be beaten with many stripes with a ratan pole by a Sholin master. Lee is the martial artist of martial artist and is the reason that we have martial arts movies in the West that we do today – thank you Bruce! Bela Lugosi was a creepy guy so, Dracula came naturally. Red Foxx was a grumpy, funny old drunk so, Fred Sanford came naturally. Look at the life of Bruce Lee – he lived the life he portrayed. He showed up, that’s all he had to do to make his films cinematic greatness.
Bruce Lee’s Signature Style in Enter the Dragon
Bruce Lee is known for his speed, dedication, blah blah blah, but there are some other iconic things he brought to the martial arts cinema. What does Bruce Lee like to drink? Wa-taa, of course. The iconic “wa-taa” and cat like scream noises as his attack collided with an opponent are other Bruce Lee staples. Facial expressions he would make and the way he would positions his hands in the surfer “hanging loose” posture are also well-known moves. Perhaps the best most inclusive of all of these is Enter the Dragon. I assure you that they are all used. No better scene shows the face though than when we double stomps on Ohara’s chest killing him. Lee then ends with another signature grimace face. You can watch this scene, if you’d like, here to get an idea of what I’m talking about.
Bruce Lee’s Speed and Discipline in Enter the Dragon
As a young man I heard of Bruce Lee’s incredible speed. His dedication, discipline, and speed are the factors that gave him his edge in the martial arts world. There are many stories about him. For instance, he got angry because Robin was supposed to beat Kato in the 60s Batman television series. The fight ends in a stalemate at the insistence of Lee. You can read more here. Another was that he was so fast, cameras couldn’t capture him. Watch a video demonstrating this here. As kids, we would watch the fight with Ohara in Enter the Dragon on VHS in slow motion. You can see that Lee takes his rear hand, pulls Ohara’s front hand down, and strikes him in the face with his front hand. The thing is, in regular speed, you never see Lee’s rear hand move.
Why Bruce Lee Stands Alone in Martial Arts Cinema
Bruce Lee’s films are stand alone so, it’s hard to compare them to others. It’s like comparing Jimi Hendrix to other guitarists or Van Gogh to other artists. I think it’s always apples to oranges because Lee was so unique. His style was unique, his skill was unmatched, and his timing in history was perfect. There are many great guitarists, but none like Hendrix. Many artists are amazing, but there will never be another Van Gogh. In the world of Kung Fu movies, there are classics and many other great actors like Jet Li, Gordon Liu, and Jackie Chan to name a few. No matter how great these actors are or how skilled in real life, there will never be another Bruce Lee. So, when I talk about his films, I may compare them to others but, there really isn’t any comparison in my opinion.
The Climactic Fight Scene in Enter the Dragon
The final boss in Enter the Dragon is a former Shaolin kung fu practitioner who runs a drug operation. You don’t realize it until the final fight but, he has a fake hand. As Bruce goes to face him, he begins to change his hand out with others. The final hand, three blades, gives Lee the iconic cuts that you typically see on film art. The ending fight includes 2 things that stood out. One is the only thing that I don’t really like about Enter the Dragon. This climactic fight scene is in a room full of mirrors but, it seems more like a room with mirror walls. I’ve been in a mirror maze, and this wasn’t the feel I got. This could have been improved in my opinion. Secondly, it has one of my most favorite lines of any film that I’ve ever seen.
An “Oh Crap” Moment: Bruce Lee vs. Ohara
I heard a story once and I think it’s the best “oh crap” moment story I’ve ever heard. A story that really makes someone think, “my life is about to be over” or “this is it.” Say it however you’d like but, we all know the idea – something just happened, and you know that you know something bad is about to happen. The story goes like this. Brad Pitt, who pretends to be a fighter, is sleeping with Robin Givens. Robin is the wife of Mike Tyson, yes, “Iron” Mike Tyson. Iron Mike is a heavyweight world champion boxer who’s mentally unstable and has been to prison. He’s from the street and there’s no pretending. Well, Mike catches Brad with his wife. I imagine that Brad had to change his underwear. I would have. You can read the tale yourself here.
The Iconic Showdown in Enter the Dragon
Now, for the second thing that stood out in the final fight, wrap you dome around this. The only time I think I could imagine a worse “oh crap” moment, if movies were real, would be in Enter the Dragon. You’re waiting on Bruce Lee to walk in and he does. You can tell, even though he always has the same temperament, that he’s super pissed. You’ve done a lot of evil, and he knows about it all. He doesn’t slowly remove nunchakus from his pants, take a wide stance and do some surfer symbols, no. Instead, he stops, looks you in your eyes, and calmly says, “You have offended my family and you have offended the Shaolin Temple.” At this point, you know you are about to take one of the worst beating of the breaks in history…before you die.
Respect for Shaolin in Enter the Dragon
To my knowledge, Bruce Lee did not study at Shaolin but, anyone with his heritage and appreciation of the martial arts has a respect for the temple. I do and have never studied any Chinese arts in any official capacity. There have been a few backyard lessons with folks who knew a little but, nothing serious. Enter the Dragon has a scene that takes place at a temple where Bruce Lee’s character is recruited for the mission on which the story is based. We see Bruce instructing a young man about kicking in a temple courtyard. To a serious martial artist, respect is one of the biggest lessons you learn. One that is often more important than any kicking or punching. To disrespect the Shaolin temple would be to disrespect the mother of all fighting arts, all instructors, all knowledge, and thus a very big deal.
Bruce Lee’s Legacy in Martial Arts and MMA
Personally, I heil Bruce Lee as the greatest martial artists of recorded history. By recorded, I mean on film. Out of fairness, I must admit that MMA has diluted my opinion. Let me explain. The Gracie family showed the martial arts world a truth about fighting. It can be incredibly hard to stay on your feet in a fight. Most martial arts prior to the UFC, including Wing Chun and Jeet Keen Do, are stand up striking arts with very little ground fighting. Had Bruce Lee lived and gotten into the UFC, I’m not sure how well he would have done. If, and it’s a big if, someone with modern MMA training were to have taken him down, I think he would have been at a loss. I imagine, like most other martial artists, Bruce would have incorporated Brazilian Jiu Jitsu into his style early on.
Bruce Lee vs. Chuck Norris: A Legendary Match
There are two things to consider here. First, the infamous fight between Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris which takes place in Return of the Dragon is rumored to have been a real sparring match and not a choreographed fight scene. You can watch the scene for yourself here on YouTube. Now, there is footage of Chuck Norris, another martial arts legend, sparring with Rickson Gracie which you can see here. Rickson makes quick work of Chuck once the fight goes to the mat. In defense of Chuck Norris, I don’t know how seriously he was attacking Rickson in this sparring match but, it’s interesting to see regardless. These videos help to illustrate the point I’m making – Bruce Lee was amazing but martial arts have well advanced beyond only kicking and punching.
Philosophy and Wisdom in Enter the Dragon
Wisdom and Kung Fu seem to go hand-in-hand. Kwai Chang Kaine in Kung Fu: The Legend Continues is likely to blame for most of this but, Bruce Lee is another known for saying philosophical, wise, and almost cryptic things. His most famous line was “Be like water”, which you can watch here. Right behind this, would have to be, “The art of fighting without fighting” which is taken from Enter the Dragon. Very simply put, this just means to outsmart your opponent. In the movie, he convinces an aggressive fellow to meet him on an island to fight. The challenger gets in the small boat which Lee allows to drift behind the main boat leaving him at the mercy of the rope connecting the boat. This is a famous scene and a great demonstration of Lee’s philosophy.
Bruce Lee’s Perfectionism in Enter the Dragon
I compare late Bruce Lee to the late Prince. Allow me to elaborate on this point. Both men were great at what they did. In fact, I would put both as the best or in the top 3 best in their respective fields. With greatness comes a certain level of necessity for control over your craft, I think. Prince is well known for having been a control freak over his music. Watch a video of a young Prince talking about this here. He wanted his music to be as great on record as it was in his mind. He was a perfectionist. Bruce Lee’s guitar was the nunchuck and his pen was his fist. In this way, he was no different than Prince. Here’s my point with this, Bruce Lee choreographed his own fight sequences in his films and, to my knowledge, wrote them all too.
Supporting Cast in Enter the Dragon
Of course, there is kung fu and great action in Enter the Dragon but, there’s so much more. There are old helicopters, ancient ruins, Chinese mansions, and extravagant Asian parties too. Bruce Lee alone would have been fine in this movie but, having other good actors never hurts. Enter the Dragon features 3 other notable names. First, Jim Kelly, who in this film, is an afro sporting karate champion and all-around cool cat. The second is a fellow named John Saxon. John, in real life, is a black belt in karate and plays one in Enter the Dragon. The most notable supporting actor though is Bolo Yeung. We all know Bolo who has played the character Bolo in many martial arts films. Bloodsport would be his most popular film. You can read my blog on this Van Damme classic here.
Conclusion: The Enduring Legacy of Enter the Dragon
Nothing bad can be said for anything Bruce Lee did. Weighing everything is awesome against everything is awesome is tricky. Mathematically it’s easy but, it’s not. I don’t think that Enter the Dragon was Bruce Lee’s best movie but, many do. It was the centerpiece for him but, not his best work. I intend to watch all his movies again then make a comparison but, I like Game of Death best. Read a fan ranking here. Most, it seems, tend to disagree with me. Regardless, no one can argue that Enter the Dragon is not a classic martial arts movie and perhaps the greatest ever made. What do you think? Leave a comment with your favorite Bruce Lee movie below. While you’re on my page, read more blogs here, check out my art here, buy some and link up with me on social media here. Peace.