Bruce Lee has joined the immortals. His career was short but in that brief time he was able to have an effect so large that his career is long remembered. Not only was he able to gain screen immortality, but he was able to change the culture and martial arts as well.
Bruce Lee was virtually unknown, but was on the verge of international stardom. Six days before the film, Enter the Dragon, that would catapult him to superstardom opened he was dead at the age of thirty two. Perhaps because of that too soon death the film went on to become an international hit and gave Bruce Lee’s image a dose of immortality.
However, Bruce Lee was not just a movie star. He was a philosopher, author, teacher, and we often wonder if he had not died so young that he would be even more legendary than he became in death. Concurrently the devil’s advocate in me makes me wonder if his death isn’t what promoted him to renown, but judging from the performance and skills he showed in Enter the Dragon I imagine that he would’ve still went on to superstardom.
What he also offered was the first time that people of Asian descent would have a hero to call their own. Up till that point most large Asian roles on the screen were played by Caucasians that used makeup. Who can forget Mickey Rooney’s politically incorrect bit in Breakfast at Tiffany’s? Lee embraced his heritage and so did those of the same or similar heritage take inspiration from the fact that this actor was one of them. That’s why it would be disingenuous to just say that Lee was an actor.
Not only that but his talk show and other appearances showed his philosophical side. Up to that point martial arts was steeped in form. Lee considered his technique like water, “flexible, fluid, and not sticking to one style.” He not only applied this philosophy to martial arts but to life in general.
He only had four films under his belt, The Big Boss (1971), Fists of Fury (1972), Way of the Dragon (1972), and Enter the Dragon (1973). The earlier ones would make their way to the cinemas with the success of Enter the Dragon and all would be successful. It’s not hard to see why as Lee kicks ass through them or uses techniques and styles that were groundbreaking for their time.
This documentary sets out to examine all aspects of how Bruce Lee changed the world. It features interviews with those that knew him (widow Linda Lee Cadwell, daughter Shannon Lee), his admirers (director Brett Ratner, rapper LL Cool J, Hong Kong film expert Bey Logan), those who took inspiration from him (freerunners, comedian Margaret Cho), and many more.
The problem might be that his admirers number many and they seem to be a bit on the superfluous side. Many of them just say how cool he is. True enough, but I’d rather hear more from those that actually were taught by him or actually knew him. Linda Lee Cadwell appears later in the documentary with more emphasis given to his famous admirers. The documentary is a bit light and stylized, but it does make you realize what an influence Lee was.
How Bruce Lee Changed the World is presented in fullscreen. Special features include a 4 minute “Need to Know” commercial, a text filmography, and the case contains a collectible poster of the box art.
A bit showy and fluffy, but you still get the sense of how great Bruce Lee was. It’s too bad that he had to die to gain immortality, but life if full of such ironies. We’ll still have his electric presence on screen and it will continue to inspire future generations.
How Bruce Lee Changed the World is now available at Amazon . As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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