Program Note
Lee, a martial arts master and instructor from Hong Kong, is requested by British intelligence agents to gather evidence against a crime boss named Han. In order to do so, he attends a martial arts tournament held on Han’s private island. During his investigation, Lee discovers that Ohara, the man responsible for his sister’s death, works as Han’s bodyguard on the island. Will Lee win the tournament, avenge his sister, and bring Han to justice?
Exactly 50 years ago, on July 20, 1973, Bruce Lee passed away. One month later, his final completed work, Enter the Dragon, produced in collaboration with a Hollywood production team as a joint venture between the United States and Hong Kong, was released and achieved global box office success. If Bruce Lee hadn’t died so prematurely, the history of Asian cinema in Hollywood would surely have been somewhat different. In 2004, this film was deemed culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant by the United States Library of Congress, and was selected for permanent preservation in the National Film Registry. It not only combined the martial arts and blaxploitation genres, but also had a significant influence on the action genre. (Ellen Y. D. KIM)