Way of the Dragon

Bruce Lee, 1972

I chose this instead of "Enter the Dragon" for my one Bruce Lee entry, although that one is quite equally good. These films are not really in the plot elite: someone bad does something bad to a relative of Bruce Lee's character, then he is summoned to take care of the bad guys (or swears revenge or something similar). And this he does in his own particular idiom; always a totally humble, nice and rather reserved character socially, yet when the situation calls, turns into an otherworldly cat-like screaming killing machine that delivers even his final killing blows with an expression on his face as if he was something like eating the soul of his victim. In the end there's a final showdown with the boss meanie.

Jackie Chan films can be flashy but any greatness is lost under the continuous experience that one is watching cleverly directed martial arts choreography. Not with Bruce Lee; his films, despite displaying amazing martial arts stunts, aim for realism. Let it be known for people unfamiliar with him particularly that Bruce Lee was a martial arts super-legend for real; challenged by numerous people throughout his famed career and always totally sovereign and unbeatable. He just so happened to be welcomed into Hong Kong martial arts film industry due to his legendary skills. He developed and taught his own martial arts technique and the related philosophy.

This film, like Bruce Lee films in general, are great just for seeing the physical extreme a human can be capable of (a couple of spoilers here won't matter since the plot in the film plays no role). Once his friends want him to show how hard he can kick, and when the kick lands on the training mattress held by a friend (obviously in a proper manner supporting it with all his weight), the man along with the mattress are projectiled several meters backwards, landing on pile of cardboard; quite similarly as if he had been hit by a car. Once he jump-kicks a lamp in the ceiling just to scare off his readily scared opponent without having to crush him. This film contains a wonderful final scene with Lee fighting Chuck Norris in the Colosseum in Rome, picturing the fight and a small kitten going about his business side by side. Lee's physical fitness, as seen in this film, is generally considered historical and has reportedly been a major inspiration for bodybuilders.