MovieChat Forums > Enter the Dragon (1973) Discussion > death of Williams, why so gruesome?

death of Williams, why so gruesome?

posted 11 years ago by htyn-594-816687
25 replies | jump to latest

Why is the death of Williams played by the late Jim Kelly so grusome and brutal? He is battered and then stabbed and chopped by han, in front of women who are sitting there laughing at his demise. Then we later see his dead body strung up for roper to see before it is dropped in a pool of hot water or acid?

What was the point? none of the other characters suffered a demise like that. Did they wanted to make a point or example of the black guy? Some black viewers when they saw it, thought maybe Han or the chinese did not like black men learning martial arts, or it was a case of hollywood, 'putting the black guy in his place', payback for beating up white cops and stealing their squad car?

thoughts anyone?

[–] wears-alan 11 years ago

To show how brutal Han could be if needed.

Gentlemen, England will be playing 4-4-f---ing-2

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] FaithNoMore33 11 years ago

Williams death was to showcase the brutality of Han. Han mistakenly assumed it was Williams who broke curfew, when it was actually Lee who was outside. Williams knew this but refused to disclose who it really was and had to pay the price for not only that but his arrogance as well. The girls who were sitting around giggling were oblivious to the brutal beating as they were high as kites on opium, no doubt to further keep them under control for their inevitable future of forced prostitution.

Han had Williams body strung up and dropped in acid as a warning to Roper, demonstrating that turning down Han's "job offer" meant certain, humiliating death.

[–] spookyrat1 11 years ago

Williams knew this but refused to disclose who it really was and had to pay the price for not only that but his arrogance as well.

Yes that's the key point. Han felt that Williams had showed him no respect and needed to be put in his place...permanently.

[–] Easyrider1987 8 years ago

nope... not acid there's a you tube video on this

[–] OldeSkool 11 years ago

the black man always gets it.

[–] andy-flanagan 11 years ago

This scene is one of the most irritating in film history.

Check out Williams first kick when he is attacked by the 3 guards. Lightening quick and nearly takes the guys head off.

The moment he fights Han, you can clearly see Williams deliberately slowing down his kicks and punches, obviously to make it look a fair fight when in reality Williams would have tore Han a new one.

Robert Clouse got this scene wrong. I understand the scene was originally written for Roper, but due to conflicts Williams was drafted in to be killed off. It just didn't work. Class movie all the same.

Looks like it's you big boy!!.......Zed, Pulp Fiction

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] cyberdynesystems101 11 years ago

The moment he fights Han, you can clearly see Williams deliberately slowing down his kicks and punches, obviously to make it look a fair fight when in reality Williams would have tore Han a new one.

The actor who played Han was a skilled martial artist and was 60 already when he did the movie.

I an't afraid of no ghosts!

[–] PopperTheKungFu-Dragon 9 years ago

The actor who played Han was a skilled martial artist and was 60 already when he did the movie.

No doubt he was a skilled martial artist, but like you yourself say, he was 60 and no doubt past his prime.

On a side note, I couldn't believe it when I found out that Shih Kien was 60 when he filmed Enter the Dragon. The guy didn't older than 40-45 at the most. Great villain too.

R.I.P. Rick Ducommun and Tony Longo

[–] walshb 11 years ago

Although little brutality is seen, it is the noise and crunching of Han's metal fist on impact that is chilling. Disturbing scene, no doubt.

[–] Cognoscente (2648) 4 years ago

In that regard, it's like a horror movie. It's what you don't see that makes the death of Williams unsettling.

[–] cyguration (3951) 2 years ago

That's such a great point. That was always the most horrifying scene to me when I watched that growing up. The follow-up scene of Williams strung up, stripped down, and plummeted into that boiling vat was always sickening to me. It was like, "How could they do that to that character?!"

It certainly made you root even more for Bruce Lee to beat the ever-living crap out of Han at the end. And it was such an effective character-building and story-driving device that helped cement how villainous Han really was.

[–] jloper 10 years ago

Other posters have given some good answers, especially that the scene showed how brutal Han was. But something I haven't seen mentioned is, (IMO) Roper was actually considering accepting Han's offer (Roper desperately needed the money), but seeing Williams dead resulted in his (Roper's) refusal.

[–] beierfilms 9 years ago

While there's certainly a LONG history of racism in cinema, I think you're REALLY reaching if on this one.

What was the point? none of the other characters suffered a demise like that.

Plenty of other characters suffer painful deaths. What about all the guards who Bolo kills with his bear hands? Williams death is made a big deal because he's A GOOD GUY and his death gets us angry at the BAD GUY who killed him.

the chinese did not like black men learning martial arts, or it was a case of hollywood,

Sorry but that's just nuts. It's like you're trying your best to find the opposite intention of the character. The filmmakers didn't want discourage black people learning martial arts. If they had, Williams would have been one of the villians and not one of the heroes. Williams is portrayed as a great fighter and the other heroes (Bruce and Roper), both like and respect him.

'putting the black guy in his place', payback for beating up white cops and stealing their squad car?

Again, I just don't get why you're working so hard to mis-understand a film. The movie portrays those cops as corrupt, and shows Williams's defiance as a heroic act. EVERYONE cheers when he beats up the cops. Why would they create a scene in which we root for him to resist the cops only to punish him for it?

For that matter, one should remember early in the film where Williams gives a short (but heavy-handed) speech about ghettos being the same all over the world. It's pretty clear that the movie wants us to be on the wide of all dis-advantaged people be they poor, black, or Chinese. Lee's films were always about underdogs.

[–] stones78 (426) 3 years ago

I think it's because Williams said "you are what you is" to Han, and that got him killed.

[–] 9 years ago

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