The Big Boss
- -Chen is a city boy who moves with his cousins to work at an ice factory. He does this with a family promise never to get involved in any fight. However, when members of his family begin disappearing after meeting the management of the factory, the resulting mystery and pressures force him to break that vow and take on the villainy of the Big Boss.
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The Big Boss (Chinese: 唐山大兄) is a 1971 Hong Kong martial arts action film written and directed by Lo Wei, with assistance from Bruce Lee. It stars Lee, Maria Yi, James Tien and Tony Liu. Lee’s first major film, it was written for James Tien. However, when the film’s original director, Ng Kar-seung, was replaced by Lo, Lee was given the leading role instead. Lee’s strong performance overshadowed Tien, already a star in Hong Kong, and made Bruce Lee famous across Asia.
Cheng Chao-an (Bruce Lee) is a Chinese man from mainland China who moves to Thailand to live with his cousins and work in an ice factory. He meets his cousin Hsu Chien (James Tien) and Hsu’s younger brother by accident when Hsu Chien stands up to local street thugs – Cheng Chao-an had largely stayed out of the fracas as he swore to his mother he would resist participating in any fighting.
Cheng begins work at the ice factory. When a block of ice is accidentally broken, a bag of white powder falls out. Two of Cheng’s cousins pick up the bag, and are asked to see the manager. The factory is really a front for a drug smuggling ring led by Hsiao Mi, also known as the Big Boss. When Cheng’s cousins refuse to cooperate, they are killed and their bodies disposed of.
Hsu Chien and another cousin go to Hsiao’s compound to find out what happened to the two cousins. Hsu doubts Hsiao’s claims he does not know what happened to them and threatens to go to the police. Hsiao has the duo killed before they can leave. When the workers at the ice factory learn that Hsu is missing as well, they start to riot. To ease tensions, Hsiao makes Cheng a foreman, providing him with alcohol and prostitutes.
Cheng gets drunk at Hsiao’s dinner party and is seduced by Sun Wuman one of the prostitutes. She later warns Cheng that his life is in danger if he goes after Hsiao, and that Hsiao is running a drug trafficking operation. Immediately after Cheng leaves, Hsiao’s son, Hsiao Chiun, sneaks in and kills Sun by throwing a knife at her heart. Sun’s body is disposed of in the ice factory, just as Cheng’s cousins were. Cheng breaks into the factory and finds the bodies, and is discovered by the gangsters.
Cheng fights his way out, killing Hsiao Chiun and many gangsters in the process. He returns home to find that almost all of his family have been murdered, while Chiao Mei has gone missing. Cheng exacts revenge by killing Hsiao Mi in a final fight. Once he knows that Chiao Mei is safe, he surrenders to the Thai police when they arrive at Hsiao’s house.