Enter the Dragon reinvented the western martial arts movie formula and brought a new awareness to Hong Kong action cinema in general. Bruce Lee had already made inroads into American television in the 1960s hit The Green Hornet, but his first big-screen Western debut would truly make him a mainstream commodity.
The movie is loaded with a cool factor beyond compare, plus amazing fights, a dynamite cast, and some of the best one-liners around. Here are 10 of the coolest quotes from Enter the Dragon, proving why it's still such a classic so many decades later.
10 "When The Opponent Expands, I Contract. When He Contracts, I Expand. And When There Is An Opportunity, I Do Not Hit. It Hits All By Itself."
The first act of the film is a dual setup for Bruce Lee's character with him in both student and teacher positions. The first is as a student as he discusses his ascendency into the higher ranks of martial arts mastery with his teacher. Here, Lee not only describes the character's fighting style but the actor's real-life philosophy on martial arts in general.
Having been trained by the legendary Ip Man in the highly effective and straightforward martial art of Wing Chun, Lee later absorbed and amalgamated it into an entirely new philosophy known as Jeet Kune Do. He considered it a natural evolution of the Wing Chun style designed less around rudiments, and more on free-flow, adaptable combat.
9 "Don't Think, Feel! It Is Like A Finger Pointing Away To The Moon. Don't Concentrate On The Finger Or You Will Miss All That Heavenly Glory."
Later in the act, Lee becomes a teacher to a fledgling student who still needs shaping and polish before he can rise to a higher rank. Lee instructs him to demonstrate his techniques while testing his emotional resolve, at one point chastising him for lashing out in anger, instead of focused passion.
Lee finishes the lesson with a philosophical quote about concentration and the need to focus on a goal without worrying as much about execution. In martial arts theory, this requires a degree of balance, making Lee's quote more suitable for life in general.
8 "My Style? You Can Call It 'The Art Of Fighting Without Fighting.'"
While on a boat to Han's ominous island to prepare for the martial arts tournament, Lee is goaded by a belligerent fighter known as Parsons who has been bullying the boat crew. His attempts to provoke Lee fail, forcing him to switch tactics and ask him about his martial arts style.
Lee responds with this quote before tricking Parsons into climbing into a lifeboat. Once there, he pushes the boat far out and keeps it connected with a rope, much to Parson's anger. Lee threatens him to behave before passing the rope to a group of children who take great delight in dishing out some of Parson's own punishment.
7 "We Are Unique, Gentlemen, In That We Create Ourselves Through Long Years Of Rigorous Training, Sacrifice, Denial, Pain. We Forge Our Bodies In The Fire Of Our Will."
After being invited to Han's island, the fighters are greeted with a lavish introductory ceremony hosted by Han and his organization. Han himself makes a speech honoring each fighter who arrived and wishing them well in the fights to come.
This quote is both poetic and powerful, summing up the lifestyle of the most dedicated martial artists on the planet. Only through sheer conviction and force of will could anyone hope to rise to the levels necessary to partake in a martial arts tournament of such magnitude.
6 "You Have Offended My Family, And You Have Offended The Shaolin Temple!"
The final act of Enter the Dragon takes place without any masks or subterfuge. Lee is fully focused on his main target, the criminal syndicate leader Han. After an enormous battle breaks out in Han's courtyard, he flees into his inner sanctum only to be followed by Lee for one final battle.
Lee confronts Han inside and utters this quote which sums up his entire reason for coming to the island in the first place. It's the match that lights one of the greatest martial arts battles in action movie history which makes its way into the dazzling and disorienting hall of mirrors.
5 "I Don't Waste My Time With It. When It Comes, I Won't Even Notice. I'll Be Too Busy Looking Good!"
Han and Williams have a heart to heart in one scene where the former talks to him about the dangers of defeat, and whether he'll be ready for such a possibility. In the fighting world, some of the cockiest fighters end up going down the hardest, and that would definitely prove true for Williams.
He shrugs the warning off with this quote, which is part of his character's machismo and ego. Unfortunately, Williams soon learns that he bit off more than he could chew when he engages Han in a one-on-one fight, only to lose his life.
4 "Very Few People Can Be Totally Ruthless. It Isn't Easy. It Takes More Strength Than You Might Believe!
This interesting quote comes from none other than the main antagonist himself, Han. Though he starts off as a classically cool villain, this is a rare window into the character which suggests that he may have a sense of honor left in the pit of his soul. After all, he had trained at the Shaolin Temple for years, learning their philosophy.
Nevertheless, Han was a thoroughly corrupt and evil man who pursued a life of organized crime involving human trafficking and drug production. Whatever glimmer of honor glimpsed in this quote would soon die as the movie progressed.
3 "Man, You Come Right Out Of A Comic Book!"
Williams got it right when he spoke this quote about the nature of Han. The villain was so over-the-top as to come straight out of the pages of a comic book. Not only was he ruthlessly Machiavellian in nature, but his sinister personality and lavish lifestyle only added to his larger-than-life mystique.
Plus, his missing hand allowed him to attach a series of weapons to the stub in order to gain an unfair advantage over his opponents. Not many action movie villains had such a trick up their sleeve. In every way, Han should have been penciled rather than born.
2 "Destroy The Image And You Will Break The Enemy!"
This iconic quote happens in the final act of Enter the Dragon when Lee is repeatedly attacked in Han's hall of mirrors. Unfamiliar with the layout, he is left at a huge disadvantage which allows Han to sneak in and deliver lacerating wounds to his body.
Realizing that further wounds will incur blood loss and defeat, Lee concentrates long enough to remember a teaching from his old master about the philosophy of one's opponent. Lee makes it literal by smashing every single window in the hall in order to narrow his target to the real deal.
1 "Boards Don't Hit Back!"
Lee has another reason for visiting Han's island that has nothing to do with satisfying the honor of the Shaolin Temple. He also has his eyes set on Han's right-hand man Oharra, a sadistic martial artist responsible for the death of his own sister. He maintains his patience until he's given a chance to face him in the courtyard for an official fight.
Oharra attempts to intimidate Lee by picking up a board and breaking it in mid-air. Unimpressed, Lee utters this massively iconic quote that is another testament to the actor's philosophy about martial arts.
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