Bruce Lee was an enigma in Hollywood action movies, kicking and punching through the box office with some of the most popular blockbusters. The legend rose to stardom due to his charm, his skills, and his smooth and swift moves. It is even safe to say that Lee was responsible for the craze surrounding martial arts back in the 70s and 80s.

Across all his hits in Hollywood, some of the movies managed to modify the culture of a typical Hollywood flick. Fist of Fury was one of them. In his memoir, Bruce Lee – a Life by Matthew Polly, the author mentioned how the blockbuster hit changed the way movies would typically end, and the protagonist’s fate. How? Let’s dive into it.

Bruce Lee and his new wave of Chinese fatalism

Fist of Fury talked about the violence and aggression against a rival martial arts academy, and how Lee’s fate transformed towards the end. As the hero of the movie, the star most definitely stole the show and captured the hearts of his fans. However, the movie did not end like any other Hollywood flick. Surrounded by guns and Japanese officials, what was the hero to do but either abandon ship or fight back?

Lee chose to fight back. The movie ends with a flying kick from the hero while officials fired back at him, signaling the protagonist’s demise and sacrifice. This was a new concept in movies since Hollywood would always portray a triumphant hero toward the end. The sentiment here, however, was that of sacrifice – a quality that makes a hero significant.

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When asked about the unique ending, Lee stated in his memoirs, “At the end, I died under the gunfire. But it’s a very worthwhile death.” The star was evidently proud of how his character progressed and stuck to his ideals, even if it cost him his life. This, unfortunately came full circle in this case.

Lee’s death made an impact on Kung Fu films

When it comes to martial arts films in Hollywood, both Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan mesmerized the audience and created a separate fanbase. Chan was also a huge fan of his senior, Lee, and considered him a mentor-figure almost. So, when he passed, leaving behind a legacy of kung fu films in Hollywood, Chan observed something.

In his book, Never Grow Up, Jackie Chan noticed how Kung Fu films lost their popularity after Bruce Lee passed away. “It was as if audiences were grieving for Lee, and refused to watch action films without him in them,” he wrote. This goes to show the impact Lee had not just in the film industry but also on his audience.

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