The Big Boss
| The Big Boss | |
|---|---|
Hong Kong film poster | |
| Traditional Chinese | 唐山大兄 |
| Simplified Chinese | 唐山大兄 |
| Literal meaning | Chinese Elder Brother |
| Hanyu Pinyin | Tángshān dàxiōng |
| Jyutping | Tong4 Saan1 Daai6 Hing1 |
| Directed by | Lo Wei Wu Chia-hsiang |
| Written by | Lo Wei |
| Produced by | Raymond Chow |
| Starring | Bruce Lee Maria Yi James Tien Han Ying-chieh |
| Cinematography | Chen Ching-chu |
| Edited by | Sung Ming |
| Music by | Wang Fu-ling Peter Thomas (alternative score) |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Golden Harvest |
Release date |
|
Running time | 100 minutes |
| Country | Hong Kong |
| Languages | Cantonese Mandarin Thai |
| Budget | US$100,000 |
| Box office | US$50 million |
The Big Boss (Chinese: 唐山大兄; originally titled as Fists of Fury in the United States) is a 1971 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Lo Wei (who also wrote the film) and Wu Chi-hsiang. Bruce Lee stars in his first major film in a lead role, and his first Hong Kong film since 1960. The film co-stars Maria Yi, James Tien, Tony Liu, and Nora Miao. Originally written for Tien, the leading role was given to Lee instead when the film's original director, Ng Kar-seung, was replaced by Lo Wei. The film was a critical success and excelled at the box office. Lee's strong performance overshadowed Tien, already a star in Hong Kong, and made Bruce Lee famous in Asia and eventually the world.
The film went on to gross nearly US$50 million worldwide (equivalent to approximately $400 million adjusted for inflation), against a tight budget of $100,000, approximately 500 times its original investment. It was the highest-grossing Hong Kong film up until Lee's next film, Fist of Fury (1972).