Jing wu men (Fist of Fury)

Before: Trailer for *The Real Bruce Lee*
Kim Shi-hyeon, Jim Markovic, HK 1973. 35mm, color, 3 min. English ☼

Upon returning to the martial arts school, Chen Zhen (Bruce Lee) learns that his master has passed away. During the funeral, troublemakers from the Judo dojo of the despised Japanese occupiers appear and provoke with words, actions, and an insulting sign. Chen Zhen sees red. The early death of the revered martial artist Huo Yuanjia in 1910 is surrounded by myths, and the fictionalized version of the background in *Fist of Fury* would become the keystone in the mysterious mosaic of a similarly young martial arts (cinema) legend who met an untimely death. Bruce Lee's narcissistic charisma and his innovative combat techniques helped the Kung-Fu film break through internationally. *Fist of Fury* remained Lee's finest contribution to the genre, pulsing with his rhythmic precision and the ferocity of his persona: an exercise in barely suppressed hysteria, solidifying his iconic martyrdom as a symbol for national honor. (Christoph Huber)

Introduction by Christoph Huber on March 9, 2025

Photo: Austrian Film Museum