Quentin Tarantino Thinks This 1971 Film Is The Best Ultra-Violent Martial Arts Movie

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Quentin Tarantino is a fan of a relatively obscure martial arts film from 1971 called Blood of the Dragon. The movie, starring Jimmy Wang Yu – a major star in the genre at the time – is a classic example of early 1970s martial arts cinema.

Blood of the Dragon is a martial arts film known for its excessive violence. While violence is common in this genre, this movie goes further, showing heroes who don’t just defeat their opponents—they often kill them, leading to some very brutal and graphic fight scenes.

Many martial arts films, like Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill movies, are known for their graphic violence. Other examples include the Ong Bak series, The Raid: Redemption, and Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky. However, Tarantino believes Blood of the Dragon best embodies that particularly violent style within the genre.

According To Quentin Tarantino, Blood Of The Dragon Is The Best Of The Ultra-Violent Martial Arts Movies

Set in historical China, Blood of the Dragon features Jimmy Wang Yu as White Dragon, a skilled and enigmatic swordsman. He comes to the aid of a woman and a boy who are carrying a crucial message, and vows to help them. This leads to a fierce confrontation with an invading Mongolian army.

In a 2020 interview on the Pure Cinema Podcast, Quentin Tarantino talked about his love for classic kung fu films and singled out Blood of the Dragon as exceptionally violent. He described it as either the most violent martial arts movie he’d seen, or very near the top of that list.

Quentin Tarantino praised director Kao Pao-shu, noting she was the first woman to direct a martial arts film. He enthusiastically described her work on Blood of the Dragon, saying it was “really amazing” that a female director had created such a famously action-packed kung fu movie.

Quentin Tarantino seems particularly impressed by the climactic battle in Blood of the Dragon, which makes up a significant part of the movie. He called the final hour “a blast,” and highlighted how Jimmy Wang Yu’s character single-handedly decimates his opponents with his spear in a large-scale fight, relentlessly stabbing and slicing through them.

White Dragon is responsible for a large number of deaths in the battle, and the way he fights is harsh and extremely violent. He even continues to attack an opponent after they’re already defeated, repeatedly stabbing and cutting them. These intense moments of violence are what really set the series, Blood of the Dragon, apart from other similar shows.

Blood Of The Dragon Didn’t Directly Impact Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill Movies, But Jimmy Wang Yu’s Work Definitely Did

Knowing Quentin Tarantino’s love for the film Blood of the Dragon and his tendency to include intense violence in his work, it’s natural to wonder if Blood of the Dragon influenced Kill Bill. While the two films share some similarities, Tarantino clarified in a podcast interview that Blood of the Dragon didn’t directly inspire his vision for Kill Bill.

Tarantino mentioned that Blood of the Dragon was among a group of films he considered while making Kill Bill. This isn’t surprising, as Tarantino is a well-known fan of classic kung fu movies, and Blood of the Dragon is simply one example of those that influenced him.

When planning both Kill Bill films, Quentin Tarantino relied heavily on his deep understanding of martial arts movies. He was particularly inspired by classics like The Chinese Boxer, considered one of the earliest kung fu films, and drew from a broad range of genre knowledge when developing the story for Kill Bill and Kill Bill Vol. 2.

Both Blood of the Dragon and The Chinese Boxer starred Jimmy Wang Yu. While Kao Pao-shu directed Blood of the Dragon, Wang Yu both directed and wrote The Chinese Boxer, giving him more creative control. This film went on to inspire one of the most memorable action scenes in Kill Bill.

I’m a huge fan of Wang Yu, and it’s amazing to me how much his work influenced Quentin Tarantino! Tarantino loves so many of his films – classics like Blood of the Dragon and The Chinese Boxer, but also some really cool ones like A Man Called Tiger, The One-Armed Swordsman, The One-Armed Boxer, Master of the Flying Guillotine, and Beach of the War Gods. Seriously, if you’re into kung fu, you have to check him out!

Jimmy Wang Yu became famous for action-packed martial arts films like Blood of the Dragon and The Chinese Boxer. Whether he directed or starred, he consistently delivered high-quality movies that people still enjoy today.

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2025-11-22 03:01