It is the film which made Bruce Lee a star in Asian cinema. The Big Boss is also one of his goriest films, leading to it being censored and retitled (Fists of Fury) in America. In fact, due to late edits and censorship, there are a number of versions of The Big Boss, but - no matter the version or the cut - there’s one thing for certain about Golden Harvest’s film: The Big Boss is one hell of an angry, angry film.
This film kicks all sorts of ass. Yeah, Lee punches people right through walls and everything, but the message here is clear. The Big Boss isn’t messing around with the genre. It is not to be regarded as Lee’s “other” film. Of the four completed films, I grow weary of people dismissing The Big Boss. It’s as if the film is somehow inferior to the rest of Lee’s output. It’s not.
Ultimately, this is about a polite young man, Lee playing Cheng Chao-an who has sworn to his mother to abandon his thug mentality, who - due to the head-cutting and backstabbing violent events in the film - grows angrier and angrier alongside his family of ex-patriots, until he finally breaks free from his learned behavior and gives in to those primal urges that are within all of us and fights until the bitter end.
The film, which would challenge and change Hong Kong cinema for good, raises the middle finger at America, who had sidelined Lee for a number of years with racist attitudes toward Asian actors and, as employees in the ice house start to disappear and turn up dead, encourages workers to unionize . . . with their fists.
This is the raw and bloody territory of The Big Boss, a film whose production blossomed under Raymond Chow’s oversight. Chow had grown a bit disillusioned with the Shaw Brothers and their in-house production techniques. In his view, they had grown repetitive and stale. Something new was needed and it arrived when Chow convinced Lee to give up Hollywood. The Big Boss, under the Golden Harvest banner, would be free from studios and, thanks to cinematographer Chen Ching-chu’s raw techniques, something new for fans of the martial arts scene.
The Big Boss, now on blu-ray thanks to the efforts of Arrow Video with a brand-new 4K (2160p) Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) of the 99-minute 1983 version of The Big Boss, restored from the original negative, remains exactly that: something different. Sure, it’s got the usual trampoline-assisted jumps and kicks, but the location-based shoot and the natural lighting throughout - including a real house of prostitution and a wide open courtyard finale - brings forth an element of realism that only gets grittier when it is revealed that the ice factory is really a front for drug smuggling. And that final scene? Heartbreaking. Suddenly, Cheng Chao-an finds himself utterly alone in the world.
Directed by Lo Wei, who would later launch Jackie Chan’s career, and originally written by veteran Chinese novelist and screenwriter Ni Kuang (before Lo Wei tossed it aside and did his own rewrites!!), The Big Boss is, in fact, a coming of age story in reverse as Chao-an (Lee), who has come to Thailand to work alongside his Uncle, cousins, and friends in an ice factory finds out the hard way about Hsiao Mi (Han Ying-chieh), otherwise known as “the big boss” and the illegal drug trafficking he’s doing.
The violence is ugly. It is shocking at times, and the revenge - especially in Lee’s capable hands - is full of consequences. The Big Boss is not soon forgotten. For fans of Lee, this is the film which launched him into the stratosphere of cinema. And now, thanks to the restored 110 Mandarin Cut of the movie, it can be appreciated for what it did to Lee’s career.
Limited Edition 4K UHD
Home Video Distributor: Arrow Films
Available on 4K UHD -
Screen Formats: 2.35:1
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Video: 4K (2160p) Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
Audio: Original restored Mandarin, English and Cantonese mono audio
Discs: Two disc set
Region Encoding: Region-free playback
Cheng Chao-on (Lee) moves to Thailand to work at a factory alongside his uncle and cousins. However, a ruthless crime boss (Han Ying-chieh, Come Drink with Me) and his gang are using the factory to smuggle dope, and whoever stumbles upon this unfortunate secret promptly meets a grisly end. When some of Cheng's friends and cousins disappear, he is forced to set aside the vow of pacifism he made to his mother and unleash his fists of fury in order to bring those responsible to bloody justice.
Video
The Big Boss is beautifully presented from Arrow Video. Their 4K restoration is bright and full of life. In fact, the film looks more glorious than ever and includes the restored 110 Mandarin Cut of the film that first stunned audiences in Hong Kong back in 1971. Interiors are strong. Colors pop throughout, but it is the blood effects - burning bright in the transfer - which seal the deal on this one. It has a solid atmosphere thanks to the quick-footed script and looks visually eye-popping due to the handling of the digital camera. Black levels are strong throughout, bringing out nice details in both the loud and quiet moments of this epic adventure. The tracking shots are glorious to behold in 4K. Blacks are solid and shadows maintain their lines. Even the costumes are noted stitch by stitch.
Audio
The original restored Mandarin, English and Cantonese mono audio works as the soundtrack “borrows” from Pink Floyd for some of its cues. It’s bizarre, but there’s no mistaking those sampled songs.
Supplements:
Along with a fantastic selection of commentaries, versions, deleted scenes, and supplemental material, buyers of this release also get an Illustrated collector's booklet featuring writing on the film by Walter Chaw and a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Tony Stella.
Commentary:
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See Special Features for the complete breakdown. There are two discs included in the release.
Special Features:
DISC 1: THE BIG BOSS
- 4K (2160p) Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) of the 99-minute 1983 version of The Big Boss, restored by Arrow Films from the original negative
- Original restored Mandarin, English and Cantonese mono audio
- Two English mono options, the standard mix and a Japanese mix with alternate score
- English subtitles, plus optional subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing for the English dubs
- Two feature commentaries, one by David Desser and one by Brandon Bentley
- Two alternate versions with lossless mono audio: the English Export Cut, featuring a rare alternate English dub track (some scenes in Mandarin); and the 100-min US Theatrical Cut
- Return to Thailand, a documentary produced and presented by Matt Routledge exploring the original filming locations
- Recently uncovered deleted and extended scenes, with optional commentary by Bentley
- The Not-Quite-Biggest Boss, a video essay by Bentley investigating the scenes still lost, such as the 'saw-in-the-head' scene
- Archive interviews with co-star Lau Wing and stuntman Tung Wai
- Bruce Lee Vs. Peter Thomas, a short video essay about the music for the English version
- Alternate credits sequences
- Trailer gallery, including a 'Before The Big Boss' reel and the trailer for lost sequel The Big Boss Part II
- Image gallery
DISC 2: THE BIG BOSS - THE MANDARIN CUT
- 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) of the 110-min Mandarin Cut of The Big Boss, restored by Arrow Films
- Original lossless mono audio
- English subtitles for the Mandarin Cut
- Axis of English, a video essay by Will Offutt profiling the English dubbing actors for The Big Boss, Fist of Fury and The Way of the Dragon
- Unrestored raw scan of the Mandarin Cut (1080p only)
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MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime: 99 mins
Director: Wei Lo; Chia-Hsiang Wu
Writer: Wei Lo
Cast: Bruce Lee; Maria Yi; James Tien
Genre: Action | Drama
Tagline:
Memorable Movie Quote: "Listen buddy you're not going anywhere. So you know. So what? You're heading for the freezer."
Distributor: Golden Harvest
Official Site: https://www.arrowfilms.com/the-big-boss-limited-edition-4k-uhd/14930333.html
Release Date: October 5, 1972
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: February 19, 2019
Synopsis: A Chinese immigrant working at a Thai ice factory has sworn to an oath of nonviolence. When he discovers that the factory's ruthless higher-ups are running a secret heroin ring and offing their own workers, his commitment to pacifism is put to the test.
