MovieChat Forums > Tian xia di yi quan (1973) Discussion > This film is not appreciated for its LEG...

This film is not appreciated for its LEGEND

posted 14 years ago by Tom_Cruises_Testicles
9 replies | jump to latest

This Film deserves more respect and acknowledgement for its role in cinema history.

Okay, so its not the greatest Martial Arts film Ever. But it IS the film that introduced American audiences to these types of films.

Modern Audiences think it was Enter the Dragon(the same way they think Pong was the first video game. Completely wrong). Enter the Dragon was the first American Produced one.

For those curious about the history, there was a successful TV show called Kung-Fu with David Carradine. Some claim Bruce Lee came up with the idea, but that's false. He did audition and was turned down because they felt he was too much into action and not the storytelling. Kung Fu (TV Series) was really a Western but fused with Kung Fu philosophy. In fact, the protagonist always avoided fighting which was part of the allure of the character.

To Capitalize on its success, distributors started exporting over Martial Arts movies. Five Fingers of Death was the first and very successful. Many more followed and also were successful in Grindhouse type theaters.

US studios wanted to capitalize on it and Bruce Lee with Enter the Dragon was chosen. Lee(who was in the middle of Writing Directing and starring in Game Of Death) jumped at the opportunity and as everyone knows died shortly after Enter The Dragon was Finished(and before he could finish Game of Death).

So Five Fingers of Death isn't the greatest Kung Fu movie but its the First to be brought to America.

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] Movie_Piranha_1979 14 years ago

Completelly agrred with you! I discover this film when i was a kid back in the 80s and became one of my favourites of the genre since then...

Prostitute: What the *beep* are you doing?
Johnny: I'm gonna kill a bunch of people.

[–] sd619rules 13 years ago

Five Fingers of Death WAS the first asian martial arts movie released in the states, and YES, it did indeed start the craze.

I still remember seeing the trailer on TV and going crazy to go see it as a little kid.

Raymond Chow and Bruce Lee CONTINUED the Kung Fu craze-and the fact is the Bruce Lee movies were far more popular because they were more relaistic, no guys jumping 35 feet in the air, taking 100 punches to the face yet kept on fighting. Bruce lee brought choregraphed and realistic fight scenes, which is what sent him to the top in the USA (and being Kato didn't hurt). Shaw Brother Kung Fu movies were too unrealistic to really gain a following int he USA.

[–] activista 10 years ago

@sd619rules

Shaw Brother Kung Fu movies were too unrealistic to really gain a following int he USA.

Not true---they're still popular, which is why most of them are on DVD, and why most peopel are still watching them---because they're good as hell,period.

[–] sd619rules 10 years ago

LOL, they SUCK!

I will say this, I just watched "Five Fingers of Death" about 3 hours ago, which was THE movie that set off the Kung Fu kraze in America back in 1973, and it is the best Shaw Brothers movie I have seen. By Far. But the rest suck eggs.

[–] kirbynintendo 8 years ago

The rest suck eggs, eh? Just how many have you watched? Because I can't see how you could have a valid opinion like that if you haven't seen the bulk of them. In fact, here's an incomplete list. Pick out the ones, specifically, that you have seen that "suck eggs" and explain why they do:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Shaw_Brothers_films

Because I don't believe you've seen very many at all, especially if you've only just now in 2014 seen Five Fingers of Death, and you can't have a valid opinion of a movie you haven't even seen.

[–] sd619rules 8 years ago

LOL..sorry "fan boy", they SUCK!

[–] mike-2620 8 years ago

I'm afraid your very wrong in your assumption that Bruce Lee didn't come up with the idea for the Television series 'Kung Fu'
Its historical fact that he came up with the concept as it was to originally be called ' The Warrior' set in the days of the wild west. See his interview with Pierre Burton in which he talks about it and why he didn't think Warner Brothers would go ahead with it.
It was claimed by Tom Kuhn, of Warners, that Bruce was an action guy and his English was bad and that made him unsuitable. the fact of the matter is Warners were not willing to give a Chinese actor star billing in an american television series. So they stuck non martial artist David Carradine in there instead under a ton of make-up and the rest as they say is history.

[–] 8 years ago

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