The Forgotten Bruce Lee Movie That Set the Stage for Enter the Dragon

Ben Morganti is a film and television critic at CBR, where he brings a filmmaker’s eye and a deep understanding of cinematic craft to his analysis. With experience producing independent features and short films, Ben combines practical industry knowledge with a passion for storytelling across genres—including crime, westerns, science fiction, horror, and the works of directors such as Quentin Tarantino and Martin Scorsese.

Image via Golden Harvest

Often described as the master of martial arts, Bruce Lee, at the very least, gave the art form an incredible representation on screen, and he did it in a very specific way that coincided with a brief life for the icon. Originally known for his roles on television and in early Hong Kong films like Thunderstorm, Lee would go on to redefine martial arts cinema forever in the '70s. Fans remember his presence and style, as well as a unique fighting talent that made him an iconic action movie archetype on screen. Fans also know how his life and career were abruptly cut short in 1973, making many wonder what could have been if he had lived a full life. Prior to Bruce Lee's films, the martial arts genre was not popular.

The early martial arts classics were made by the Shaw Brothers, but Golden Harvest was also always in the mix. When Golden Harvest decided to work with Bruce Lee on a series of films, they ended up being some of the most iconic in the genre. While fans always refer to Bruce Lee's one true masterpiece, Enter the Dragon, he actually did a lot more than that throughout the '70s. When deciding to make these Hong Kong fight films, there was a common trend between all of them that saw Lee having creative differences and feuds with a few of his directors. The only time it felt like this wasn't the case was with Enter the Dragon in 1973. However, it was also the case with the film that fans can thank for Enter the Dragon, and it came out just one year earlier.

The Way of the Dragon Was Bruce Lee's Most Personal Film

Image via Golden Harvest

Golden Harvest's team-up with Bruce Lee in the '70s was an important milestone for martial arts cinema. Lee's films redefined the genre, and most martial arts films today credit Lee with bringing a new style and popularity to fight films. Still, the genre wasn't truly popularized until Enter the Dragon came out in 1973 and teamed Bruce Lee with American filmmaker Robert Clouse. Putting the American market behind the film helped propel the genre forward even more and also resulted in the best Bruce Lee movie. Prior to this, Lee made three other films in Hong Kong that highlighted the fighting identity that had come to define him.

What some fans might not realize is the impact of these films and how they made Enter the Dragon possible. While making The Big Boss and Fist of Fury, there were a number of creative differences between Bruce Lee and director Wei Lo. This would lead to Lee wanting to change things going forward, and the result was his 1972 sleeper hit The Way of the Dragon. Using his pull in America, Lee started to experiment even more with bridging Hong Kong and American filmmaking.

In a lot of ways, aside from being one of the best kung fu movies ever, The Way of the Dragon is Lee's most personal film, even if it isn't the masterpiece he might have hoped for. What's most interesting about The Way of the Dragon is that it forced Bruce Lee to make the film himself after not wanting to work with Wei Lo again. This meant Bruce Lee had to write and direct The Way of the Dragon, which became a great learning experience for him. What Lee discovered is that he's not able to get the best film made when he's behind the camera and in front of it. What he also realized was that he could get more eyes on a project with the right names attached to it.

What The Way of the Dragon is most remembered for is that it pits Bruce Lee and American icon Chuck Norris against each other in a climactic final fight that still manages to be one of the best sequences in any Bruce Lee movie. This fight was well-choreographed and well-executed from a filmmaking standpoint. The best scene in the film was definitely the moment that the rest of the film hinged on. Learning his true craft, this 1972 experience managed to be the most personal for Bruce Lee.

The Way of the Dragon Is the Perfect Precursor to Enter the Dragon

Fans understand that without The Way of the Dragon, Enter the Dragon might not exist. There were a lot of growing pains for Bruce Lee to work out and even though all of his films from that era are highly regarded today, they had a different impact back then. Since Lee directed The Way of the Dragon himself, it's the closest thing to a personal masterpiece he has and is part of his unofficial kung fu saga. The only reason it's not talked about as much is because it's not exactly a great movie. Of all the films that Bruce Lee made, The Way of the Dragon might be the most flawed and yet might have the biggest impact.

Telling the story of a Hong Kong man who is sent to Italy to help a friend's niece with her new restaurant, The Way of the Dragon explores interesting themes and a familiar plot. With not much difference from The Big Boss in a lot of ways, The Way of the Dragon sees Tang Lung (Bruce Lee) act as protection for a restaurant that is being extorted by a local organized crime presence. The film's backdrop and concept would certainly suggest a great film, and at times, there is greatness in it.

Ultimately, The Way of the Dragon has a structural problem, tonal inconsistencies and a pacing problem. With that being said, it did foreshadow how fun it would be to see Bruce Lee face off against specific foes with iconic faces. The Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris fight is the best sequence in the movie and still one of the most memorable fights Bruce Lee ever had with another iconic martial artist. It almost doesn't matter that the rest of the movie is flawed because that fight scene was the greatest example of the kind of movie fans would want to see Bruce Lee star in. Lee leaned into this concept when crafting Enter the Dragon, and after teaming up with Robert Clouse, a perfect martial arts masterpiece came to life.

Aside from its title (which is a clear connection), The Way of the Dragon is the calm before the storm, bridging Lee's other films with his ultimate masterpiece. While it might not have the greatest story, the 1972 martial arts thriller is still a lot of fun and highlights the usual Bruce Lee action that fans expect from his movies. Fans will appreciate the film's interesting concept and epic final showdown, as well as how this film would ultimately lead to Enter the Dragon.

Bruce Lee Almost Made Another Martial Arts Masterpiece Following Enter the Dragon

While Lee's death still affects his loved ones and his biggest fans, there's another saddening element to his life and career being cut short, and that's the undeniable fact that he would have made a bunch of great films after 1973. In a lot of ways, Enter the Dragon was really just the start of Lee finding his groove and understanding the best way to make martial arts hits.

What's even sadder is he never even got to see the film released to the masses. In fact, he was in the process of making more films and even teamed up with Robert Clouse again to make Game of Death. While there were no guarantees that Game of Death would have been brilliant, there's really no way to know for sure.

While filming the 1978 film in 1973, Lee passed away before the movie could be finished. Golden Harvest pieced together a version of the movie and released it in 1978, but the film is far from Lee and Clouse's true vision. Fans still wonder what Game of Death might have been and if it might have even topped Enter the Dragon.

With that being said, the storyline in Enter the Dragon is perfect and helped make that film better. Game of Death might never have lived up to the 1973 film, but that doesn't mean that Bruce Lee would have stopped making movies altogether.

In the many decades following his death, the martial arts genre has evolved with many modern classics, and if Bruce Lee was a part of it, he likely would have made more masterpieces. Still, there isn't a single person who doesn't recognize Lee's impact on the genre, as he helped make it what it is today.

A large image of Tang Lung (Bruce Lee) holding nunchucks in one hand and holding up his other hand in a ready position is above a smaller image of Tang Lung and Colt (Chuck Norris) fighting on the poster for The Way of the Dragon.