Why the kung fu in Circle of Iron, from an idea by Bruce Lee, would have left him unhappy
Based on a script Lee abandoned, the 1978 film ended up a bizarre mix of poor martial arts and mysticism. An expert dissects what went wrong
When Bruce Lee conceived the film The Silent Flute in the United States in the late 1960s, he intended it to explain the philosophy behind martial arts – and he thought it would make him a star.
Silliphant, though, persevered and it was finally made as Circle of Iron in 1978. The result was a strange confluence of badly choreographed martial arts, faux Eastern mysticism and exotic fantasy sets.
The film, which was shot in Israel, featured unknown actor Jeff Cooper as Cord the Seeker, who has to pass challenges posed by a blind flute player to find the true secret of martial arts.
We take a deep dive into Circle of Iron with Chris Poggiali, co-author of These Fists Break Bricks: How Kung Fu Movies Swept America and Changed the World.