Bruce Lee is known for crafting some of the best fights in cinema, but his greatest scene came in a film that he almost got fired from. Though Lee got his start onscreen when he was an infant, the legendary martial artist would break into Hollywood with the role of Kato in the Green Hornet TV series. Lee would return to Hong Kong in the early 1970s, where he earned the chance to lead films and show off his impressive martial arts acumen at the same time. His last few years before his tragic early death produced his best work.

Though martial arts films existed before Lee's heyday, it was his unique blend of styles that helped to popularize the genre around the globe. Bruce Lee's incredible talents were enough to make him a mega-star, but he also had the uncanny ability to translate his martial arts abilities into compelling cinema. Lee essentially re-wrote how action was portrayed onscreen, and his early '70s films are still some of the most beloved martial arts movies of all time. Lee created his best fight scene in his very first starring role, but he almost lost his job while making the movie.

The Big Boss' Factory Fight Is Bruce Lee's Best

The Quintessential Bruce Lee Fight Scene

1971's The Big Boss was Bruce Lee's first movie after moving back to Hong Kong, and it was also his first leading role. In the film, Lee plays a newcomer to a factory who is quickly made a foreman because of his impressive fighting skills. However, he soon learns that the factory is actually a front for criminal activity, and he is determined to bring down the titular man in charge. A fun and fast-paced martial arts epic, The Big Boss has plenty of fight scenes, but one is particularly memorable.

It rejects the traditional approaches of kung fu, and deftly blends realism with an over-the-top flair that would come to define a Bruce Lee fight scene.

The factory fight is the lead-up to the final confrontation between Lee's Cheng and the villainous Hsiao Mi (played by Han Ying-chieh), and though it isn't the climax, it's by far the best sequence in the film. What's more, the factory fight is also Lee's best because it illustrates all the greatest qualities of what he brought to the martial arts genre. It rejects the traditional approaches of kung fu, and deftly blends realism with an over-the-top flair that would come to define a Bruce Lee fight scene.

The Big Boss originally starred James Tien, but Lee was promoted to the lead role while Tien's part was reduced.

Staring down a gaggle of knife-wielding thugs, Cheng is able to fight his way through with a combination of cleverness and brute strength. Often, fight scenes in movies look inauthentic because the singular fighter could easily be overwhelmed by a host of enemies. The Big Boss' factory fight shows how crafty Cheng is with edged weapons, thus making his enemies more hesitant to just charge at him. Additionally, the fight utilizes three distinct locations so that it has a clear beginning, middle, and end, weaving the art of storytelling into the action itself.

The Big Boss' Director Wanted Bruce Lee Fired

Disagreements Over The Fight Scenes Almost Got Lee Fired

Despite its sainted reputation in his catalog, Bruce Lee was almost fired from The Big Boss. The film was initially directed by Wu Chia-Hsiang, and he clashed with Lee over his approach to the fighting sequences. Wu preferred the highly-choreographed approach of other martial arts films, while Lee's style was closer to actual kung fu fighting. Wu went as far as to say that Lee "can't fight," an assessment that hasn't withstood the test of time. Both took their concerns to Golden Harvest (the company producing the film), with Wu wanting Lee removed from the movie.

Fortunately, the company sided with Lee because they had already sunk too much money into his two-movie contract, and the director was replaced instead. Lo Wei would be brought in to replace the original director, but Lee also reportedly feuded with the newcomer as well. The replacement director was nevertheless able to complete the film, and Golden Harvest's decision to side with Lee was rewarded with a box office smash and a cultural touchstone that profoundly inspired the martial arts movies that followed.

Bruce Lee's starring roles include:

The reason the actor and director feuded was, ironically, why the movie succeeded in the end. It eschewed the stagey action sequences of its predecessors, and gave the action a more grounded feel. The Big Boss is a dramatic tale with plenty of emotional twists and turns, and Lee's fighting style was raw and realistic, which matched the tone perfectly. He would only make a handful of movies before his early death, but all of Lee's films owe a debt to his first leading role.