Anatomy of a Movie #9: Bruce Lee and Appreciative Inquiry

I was never a fan, but isn’t life supposed to be about curiosity, learning, and giving people and concepts a second chance? At least some people, anyway. 

One reason I didn’t appreciate Bruce Lee and his cinematic, martial-arts exploits was because I’d never actually seen one of his movies. Well, “Enter the Dragon.”

"Enter the Dragon" (1973) was Lee’s last movie before his death at age 32. Produced for $850,000, Dragon grossed $90 million worldwide, a staggering sum in 1970s' terms and testament to the fervent popularity of Lee and martial arts movies. It was selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry by the Library of Congress, having officially been deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” And why not? It was as popular a movie as it was a cultural icon.

Truth is, it didn’t do much for me. Sure, I liked the Lalo Schifrin score, which is emblematic of its time. And yes, the stunning martial-arts choreography evokes the power and intensity of Martha Graham or Paul Taylor dancers and their use of the Graham Technique. Its raw athleticism is quite something to behold.

Nonetheless, “Enter the Dragon” is vapid. It rips off James Bond - complete with a Sean Connery wannabe actor by the name of John Saxon - as it does Blaxploitation movies of the era. Still, it delivers enjoyable, escapist entertainment and, ultimately, what’s wrong with that?

Recent generations learned of Bruce Lee for the first time with Quentin Tarantino’s release last year of “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.” That’s too bad because Mike Moh’s portrayal of Lee in a fight scene with Brad Pitt’s character on the set of the 1960s’ “ Green Hornet” television show was not an accurate depiction of Lee, according to those who knew him well. It played too far toward stereotype.

Here’s a better way to learn about Lee, the man and his important legacy. ESPN’s “30 for 30” documentary “Be Water” (2020) is an excellent resource for understanding Lee’s struggles against suffocating racism and ridicule, life philosophy, style sense, elevation of Asians in cinema, and massive influence in the popularization of martial arts and the eventual development of MMA.

Take matters a step further, however, with Chef David Chang’s excellent July 23rd podcast featuring “Be Water” director Bao Nguyen. Here, two guys of Korean and Vietnamese descent respectively underscore just how much the Hong Kong-born Lee meant to them. He was among the very few Asian role models in the U.S. with whom they could identify, at least as young boys and men. It's arguably true that Lee was a much bigger and more interesting man than any of his movies.

Image courtesy of Stream on Demand.