Han runs a martial arts school to protect his drug operations, as well as holding his tournament every three years to recruit international talent to expand his criminal business. However, since Han's island is only partly in their jurisdiction, they are unable to conduct any formal investigations - Han will not allow firearms on the island, both to impede assassination attempts and to prevent the international authorities from gaining a justification to launch a raid. Han is suspected to be involved in drug trafficking and prostitution. Lee learns from his Sifu (teacher) that Han was also once a Shaolin student, but had been expelled from their order for abusing their code of conduct.Ī British Intelligence agent named Braithwaite approaches Lee and asks for his help in an undercover mission. He receives an invitation to a martial arts competition on an island organised by the mysterious Mr. Lee is a Shaolin martial artist from Hong Kong who possesses great philosophical insight into martial arts as well as physical prowess. The original script contained most of the dialogue in the movie. Lee wanted to use the film as a vehicle for expressing what he saw as the beauty of his Chinese culture, rather than it being just another action film. Bruce Lee directed the film's opening Shaolin Monastery fight sequence.

The finished version of the film was not significantly different from the original screenplay. The portly Hung is shown fighting Lee in the opening sequence of the movie and Chan shows up as a henchman when Lee is discovered inside Han's underground lair. This was arguably instrumental in Chan and Hung's further association with Golden Harvest studios, which later launched their careers.

The film is largely set in Hong Kong.Īmong the stuntmen for the film were members of the Seven Little Fortunes, including Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung and Bolo Yeung. and was produced in association with Golden Harvest and Lee's Concord Production Company. Įnter the Dragon was the first Chinese martial arts film to have been produced by a major Hollywood studio – Warner Bros. In 2004, Enter the Dragon was deemed 'culturally significant' in the United States and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry. The film was released on July 26, 1973, six days after Lee's death, in Hong Kong. This was Bruce Lee's final film appearance before his death on July 20, 1973. Enter the Dragon is a 1973 Hong Kong martial arts action film directed by Robert Clouse starring Bruce Lee, John Saxon and Jim Kelly.

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