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40 2 “You Can Stay at My Crib, I Will Show You My ’Hood” Interethnic Male Friendship Bruce Lee’s 1973 film Enter the Dragon reflects a cross-cultural dynamic against the backdrop of the transnational, even in its conception and production . Michael Allin, the film’s screenwriter, remembers that he was conscious of “creating an international movie that would present Bruce properly,” especially after the lack of enthusiasm in the United States over his potential role as leading man in the television series Kung Fu.1 Having secured a degree of stardom in Asia with cinematic successes such as The Big Boss and Fist of Fury, Lee agreed to star in Enter the Dragon to cement his success on a global stage. The film represents a co-production between American producers Paul Heller and Fred Weintraub of Warner Brothers and Raymond Chow of Hong Kong–based studio Golden Harvest. American filmmaker Robert Clouse directed the movie, which was shot primarily in Hong Kong. David Desser reminds us that this collaboration also inaugurated links between Hong Kong martial arts films and blaxploitation movies during the mid-1970s. Seeking to cash in on the popularity of both, Warner Brothers double-billed martial arts films with blaxploitation films in locations frequented by urban black youth. After Enter the Dragon, Clouse went on to direct Black Belt Jones (1974). Martial arts themes begin to emerge in other blaxploitation films like Cleopatra Jones (1973). The sequel, Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold (1975), sees Cleopatra to go to Hong Kong. The plot of Enter the Dragon also reflects cross-cultural interaction positioned within the global. Williams, portrayed by African American actor Jim Kelly, Lee (Lee’s character is also named Lee), and Roper, a white American martial artist portrayed by John Saxon, all attend an underground martial arts tournament held by Han, a rogue Shaolin temple “You Can Stay at My Crib, I Will Show You My ’Hood”: Interethnic Male Friendship 41 monk. Prior to the tournament, Braithwaite, a British agent, recruits Lee to infiltrate the tournament to gather evidence for the prosecution of Han for his illegal opium trade and traffic in women. The Shaolin monks also want Lee to confront Han in order to restore Shaolin’s honor. However, Lee ultimately accepts the assignment in order to avenge the death of his sister caused by one of Han’s henchmen. While bouts take place during the day at the tournament, Lee snoops around at night to learn more about Han’s operation. One of his late-night reconnaissance missions results in Lee’s discovery as a spy among the martial artists. Williams’s refusal to expose Lee leads to his death, while Roper becomes the target of recruitment for Han’s illegal operations. Han’s exposure of Lee as the spy sparks a free-for-all fight. Lee and Han clash in the spectacular climax of the film, a fight in a mirrored room, where Lee defeats Han. The transnational setting of Han’s island functions as a transnational backdrop for the Afro-Chinese dynamics of the film. Before beginning his mission, Braithwaite shows Lee a map featuring Hong Kong, clearly under the administration of Great Britain, as well as other unidentified islands. Han’s island lacks a national designation as a result of a dispute over ownership between the British and Chinese governments. Neither of the countries owns the island, which places it in national limbo. It represents a space where only Han’s individual will holds sway. It is this reality that prompts Braithwaite to send Lee in as an undercover agent, for neither the British nor the Chinese seem to have jurisdiction. Han’s island also brings together an international array of participants, underscoring it as a transnational space. Participants hail from the United States, China, and Australia. More than merely the site of a kung fu tournament, Han’s island functions as a hub in the global economy. His organization represents an illegal profit-making venture with international connections. Braithwaite explains that Han attracts girls from all over the world, hooks them on drugs, and sells them on an international black market. Han tells Roper, “We are investing in corruption. . . . The business of corruption is like any other.”2 Han also seeks to expand his enterprise, inviting Roper to represent his organization in the United States. This transnational enterprise brings the Afro-Chinese male friendship in sharp relief. Enter the Dragon...

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