THE BIG BRAWL

US, 1980, 95 minutes, Colour.
Jackie Chan, Jose Ferrer, Kristine De Bell, Mako.
Directed by Robert Clouse.

The Big Brawl is a highly entertaining martial arts drama-comedy. The story and direction is by Robert Clouse, a director of thrillers like Darker Than Amber and The Amsterdam Kill as well as many martial arts films. His most significant was the Bruce Lee thriller Enter The Dragon. Clouse seems to be able to combine the tradition of the martial arts and the atmosphere of Asia with the American scene. This film is imaginatively set in the '30s, Chicago and the Mafia, the big brawl and wrestling in Battle Creek, Texas (for which, it seems, so many of the wrestlers of the United States were hired).

The film has a lot of conventional material, interestingly choreographed martial arts fights as well as a race on roller skates. The big brawl itself is an appropriate climax. However, the film is enhanced for a wide audience by a very tongue-in-cheek approach which makes a lot of the film hilarious. Jose Ferrer presides over a Mafia family. The outstanding member of the family is a rather crude-mouthed grandmother who has many excellent one-liners. The humorous tone and the audience response to the American setting in the '30s helps situate the martial arts fights and make quite enjoyable entertainment.

1. An entertaining film? The appeal of martial arts film? The eastern background, Chinese, Hong Kong? Martial arts staging, choreography, style? The American locations, setting, history? An enjoyable blend of east and west?

2. The adaptation of martial arts material to the 30s? The insertion into Chicago and its gangster background, the fights of the 30s? The build-up to the big brawl? San Francisco elements, the Texas elements? The flavour of American history of the 30s?

3. Colour photography, editing? Choreography, the quality of the martial arts material and audiences enjoying this? The roller skates competition? Jerry's training sequences? The big brawl itself? The violence, energy, competitiveness? The visual communication of the martial arts?

4. The title, its reference to the American historic event? The focus of the big brawl as competitive, dangerous for Jerry, important for the kidnapping, for the money-making of the gangsters, the climax of the film? Preparation, humour? The parody within the big brawl - of so many action film? The jokiness about the big brawl?

5. The American settings and audience presuppositions? Chicago and the slums, Chinese restaurants, Chinese families? The Chinese traditions and their being lived out in America? Marriage, business? The particular characters and their styles - father, uncle? The women? Loyalties? The conventional characters and their immediate impact? the use of cardboard characters for quick communication, for humour?

6. How engaging a hero was Jerry? His relationship with his father, his devotion to his uncle and being trained by him? Love for Nancy? Relationship with his brother? The fights - e.g. in the alleyway and the demolishing of the henchmen? The training sequences? Races? The attacks? The importance of the demonstration for Domenici? The elaborate training? The San Francisco sequences, the kidnap and the siege? The attack on Dominici's hone? The elaborate involvement in the big brawl? Jerry as hero?

7. The portrait of the family: father and his worries, the uncle and his training, the fat women? The brother, the girl from China and her being kidnapped, the substitute glamorous Chinese?

8. The portrait of the Mafia - Jose Ferrer as Dominici? The hoods, the incompetent nephew, the elaborate mansion? The grandmother and her violence, language, humorous attitudes? The demonstration for Dominici in the open air theatre, the plan for winning the big brawl, the rivals? The siege of the house, the kidnapping of the girl?

9. The incidental characters and their contribution - the young people at the roller skating competition, the San Francisco girl, the Battle Creek types?

10. The competitors in the big brawl - apparently the highlighting of American wrestlers? Their styles, theatricality? The Texas announcer?

11. The choreography of the brawl itself? The bell, the climax?

12. How enjoyable the blend of American story with Asian style? The self defensive win? A 'nice' martial arts comedy drama?