Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story

Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Rob Cohen
Produced by	Raffaella De Laurentiis Rick Nathanson John Badham
Screenplay by	Rob Cohen John Raffo Edward Khmara
Based on	Bruce Lee: The Beginning by Robert Clouse Bruce Lee: The Man Only I Knew by Linda Lee Cadwell
Starring	Jason Scott Lee Lauren Holly Robert Wagner
Music by	Randy Edelman
Cinematography	David Eggby
Editing by	Peter Amundson
Distributed by	Universal Studios
Release date(s)	May 7, 1993 (1993-05-07)
Running time	120 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$14 million[1]
Box office	$63,513,713[2]

Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story is a 1993 American semi fictionalized biographical martial arts action film telling the story of actor and martial arts expert Bruce Lee, starring Jason Scott Lee (no relation) as Bruce Lee, Lauren Holly (as Linda Emery) and Robert Wagner.^[3][4] The film was directed by Rob Cohen and written by Cohen, Edward Khmara, and John Raffo.^[1]

Plot

The film begins with a nightmare of Bruce Lee's father (Ric Young), who sees a demon (Sven-Ole Thorsen) in medieval armor that hunts the young Bruce Lee (Duncan Chow). Bruce is shown as a child receiving instruction in traditional Chinese martial arts in a montage that passes quickly through his teenage years in Hong Kong. As a young adult, Bruce (Jason Scott Lee) becomes involved in a fight with British sailors (who are harassing a young Chinese woman) and this results in him having to leave Hong Kong because of the incident. His father suggests that Bruce go to the US, since he was actually born in San Francisco when his father was on a tour there and has a US birth certificate. His father asks Bruce to become a success, so big a success that his name will be famous even back in Hong Kong.

In the US, Bruce starts off working as a dishwasher at a Chinese restaurant, where he becomes involved in a fight with some of the staff, and he fends them off until the restaurant owner (Nancy Kwan) arrives and fires Bruce. As well as severance she gives him an all-purpose loan and convinces him to use the money to invest in a future with education. At a university, he begins to teach martial arts classes, and during these classes he meets Linda Emery (Lauren Holly), and the two begin dating. They eventually marry in defiance of Linda's racist mother. Linda suggests that Bruce open up a martial arts training school, which he does, but some other Chinese martial arts schools feel that he should not train non-Chinese, and they challenge him to fight Johnny Sun (John Cheung) to resolve the issue. Bruce wins the fight but Sun attacks Bruce from behind after the fight is over, resulting in a serious back injury.

While immobilized and recovering Bruce and Linda quarrel of why he did not tell her about this duel, but she furiously rejects his despairing assumption that she will abandon him because of this injury. To give his recovery time purpose, Linda coaxes him to examine the weaknesses of his combat technique, which leads to him developing the fight philosophy of Jeet Kune Do while she helps him write "The Tao of Jeet Kune Do." During this period Linda gives birth to their first child, Brandon, and he is the key for the couple to reconcile with Linda's mother (Michael Learned). Later at Ed Parker's martial arts tournament, Bruce has a new face-off with Johnny Sun, this time in a 60-second demonstration of his new fighting style. Johnny Sun appears to have the upper hand in the first half of the match but then Bruce recovers and ends up kicking Sun over the top rope.

After the match, Bruce meets Bill Krieger (Robert Wagner) and is hired for The Green Hornet TV show. Bruce and Bill work together and create the idea for Kung Fu. At a cast party, Linda says she is now pregnant with their second child, Shannon. Shortly afterwards, there is an announcement for the cancellation of The Green Hornet. The show Kung Fu makes it onto television, but starring David Carradine and not Bruce.

Bruce travels back home for his father's funeral and whilst in the country is soon approached by Philip Tan (Kay Tong Lim), a Hong Kong film producer. He says that Bruce is well-known in Hong Kong and that The Green Hornet show is called The Kato Show there. Bruce begins work on The Big Boss. In the filming of the final scene, set in an ice factory, the brother of Johnny Sun attacks Bruce, wanting revenge. Bruce successfully defends himself against the attack. The Big Boss is a success and Bruce makes several more films – working as actor, director and editor. This causes a rift between Bruce and Linda, as the latter wishes to return to the States. Bill Krieger shows up, and although he knows that Bruce is still angry with him, he offers him a chance to work on a big-budget Hollywood movie, which Bruce decides to do, particularly as Linda feels she must return. On the 32nd day of shooting Enter the Dragon, Bruce is embroiled in a final battle with his childhood demon. At the end, he decides to walk off of the set and go home to see his family. The film ends during a shot of the final scene of Enter the Dragon, with a voice-over by Linda informing the audience of his death before the movie's release, and her preferred choice to discuss his life, not his death.

Cast

• Jason Scott Lee (Duncan Chow, young) as Bruce Lee^[5]
• Lauren Holly as Linda Lee^[6]
• Robert Wagner as Bill Krieger
• Michael Learned as Vivian Emery
• Nancy Kwan as Gussie Yang
• Ed Parker, Jr. as Ed Parker
• Kay Tong Lim as Philip Tan
• Ric Young as Bruce's Father
• Wang Luoyong as Yip Man
• Sterling Macer as Jerome Sprout
• John Cheung as Johnny Sun
• Sven-Ole Thorsen as The Demon
• Eric Bruskotter as Joe Henderson
• Aki Aleong as Principal Elder
• Clyde Kusatsu as History teacher
• Michael Cudlitz as Tad Overton
• Van Williams as TV director of The Green Hornet^[7]
• Lala Sloatman as Sherry Schnell
• Rob Cohen as Enter the Dragon director

Production

The film is based upon the novel Bruce Lee: The Man Only I Knew, written by Linda Lee Cadwell, the late Bruce Lee's wife and widow.^[4]

The role for Bruce Lee was first offered to his real-life son Brandon Lee, who declined. Brandon Lee died in a fatal shooting accident while filming for the film The Crow in March 1993, less than two months before this film's release.^[8] The film is dedicated to his memory at the end credits. In the film Brandon was portrayed as a child by Iain M. Parker.

To prepare for their roles both lead actors Jason Scott Lee and Lauren Holly trained in Bruce Lee's Martial Art Jeet Kune Do for months under former Lee student-turned-instructor Jerry Poteet.^[9][10] Jason Scott Lee has continued to train in Jeet Kune Do under Poteet since 1993.

Jerry Poteet also portrays himself in the film, he can be seen in the background of many scenes. Van Williams, who played The Green Hornet in the 1960s TV series of the same name appears as the director of The Green Hornet in this film. Bruce Lee's daughter, Shannon Lee, has a cameo appearance as a singer in the party scene (singing "California Dreamin'"), at which Linda tells Bruce she is pregnant for the second time – carrying Shannon.

The tombstone that Bruce is forced to see when confronting his demon towards the end of film is the actual tombstone of Bruce Lee. The picture on it is different from the one that is actually on the real one but the date of birth, date of death and the epitaph are the same.

Music

Randy Edelman's soundtrack is best known for its use in film trailers, particularly the love theme Bruce and Linda.^[11] There is an uncredited song named Green Onions in the restaurant fight scene.^[12]

Divergences from real life

Lee started training in Wing Chun at the age of 13 after losing a fight with bullies, not because of inner demons.

While making The Green Hornet, Van Williams actively petitioned the studio in support of equal screentime for his non-white co-star. Williams' pleas to the studio fell on deaf ears.^[7]

Wong Jack Man did not kick Bruce Lee in the back while Lee was walking away from the fight. The fight did in fact take place, but it was at Lee's own school, not at the strange temple seen in the film. Bruce won successfully, but his fighting style was very limited at the time. This fight was the reason that Lee would develop his own style, Jeet Kune do. Lee later injured his back during exercises.

There was no rematch between Lee and Wong Jack Man or a fight against Wong Jack Man's brother while making The Big Boss. However, a challenge match did take place between the real Bruce Lee and a local Thai boxer while filming The Big Boss.

The book Tao of Jeet Kune Do was published after Lee's death.

Linda in the closing narration states that Lee died three weeks before the release of Enter the Dragon. Lee passed away six days before the films release.

The ending of Dragon only says that Lee died from a mysterious coma of unknown cause. In reality, there was more information about the cause of death.

Reception

The film received generally positive reviews,^[13][14][15] with a rating of 81% on RottenTomatoes, based on 16 reviews counted.^[16]

Box office

The film debuted at #1 at the box office.^[17][18] The film had a domestic gross of $35,113,743, with an additional $28,400,000 earned in foreign territories. The film grossed $63,513,743 worldwide.^[2]

Censorship

Scenes from Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story were deleted by British authorities prior to its release in the United Kingdom, in particular the Lantern Festival dance scene in Hong Kong where a foreign sailor who abuses a woman, is confronted by Bruce Lee.^[19][20]

Legacy

In the film The Fast and the Furious, this film was on Dominic Toretto's television during a scene in his house. Both films are directed by Rob Cohen.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Chase, Donald (October 25, 1992). "Re-Enter the Dragon". The Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/1992-10-25/entertainment/ca-1095_1_bruce-lee. Retrieved September 21, 2010. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story at Box Office Mojo
3. ^ Weinraub, Bernard (April 15, 1993). "Bruce Lee's Brief Life Being Brought to Screen". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1993/04/15/movies/bruce-lee-s-brief-life-being-brought-to-screen.html. Retrieved December 14, 2010. 
4. ^ ^{a b} Higgins, Bill (April 30, 1993). "A Film Premiere Tempered by Loss : Memories: Brandon Lee's death made the opening of Bruce Lee's bio a poignant event. But the elder Lee's widow said it was a tribute to both.". The Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/1993-04-30/news/vw-29353_1_bruce-lee-s-bio. Retrieved December 3, 2010. 
5. ^ Rainer, Peter (May 7, 1993). "'Dragon,' Jason Scott Lee: They Have the Chops : The biopic depicts a larger-than-life Bruce Lee. The actor playing him meets the challenge and proves himself a star in the making.". The Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/1993-05-07/entertainment/ca-32436_1_bruce-lee. Retrieved December 3, 2010. 
6. ^ Christon, Lawrence (May 2, 1993). "Shadow of the Dragon : It wasn't easy finding an actor to play martial arts god Bruce Lee, but Jason Scott Lee found the key to the man behind the flying fists". The Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/1993-05-02/entertainment/ca-29917_1_bruce-lee. Retrieved December 3, 2010. 
7. ^ ^{a b} Galbraith, Jane (May 16, 1993). "A Look inside Hollywood and the movies : CAMEO CORNER : Green Hornet Pays Homage to His Kato". The Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/1993-05-16/entertainment/ca-35788_1_green-hornet. Retrieved December 7, 2010. 
8. ^ Chase, Donald (October 25, 1992). "Re-Enter the Dragon". The Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/1992-10-25/entertainment/ca-1095_1_bruce-lee/4. Retrieved September 21, 2010. 
9. ^ "Bruce Lee's Brief Life Being Brought to Screen". The New York Times. April 15, 1993. http://www.nytimes.com/1993/04/15/movies/bruce-lee-s-brief-life-being-brought-to-screen.html?pagewanted=2. Retrieved December 14, 2010. 
10. ^ "Timecop 2: The Berlin Decision". Cinefantastique. http://cinefantastiqueonline.com/2010/07/timecop-2-the-berlin-decision/. Retrieved December 7, 2010. 
11. ^ "Tears of the Dragon". Entertainment Weekly. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,306525,00.html. Retrieved December 7, 2010. 
12. ^ Sella, Marshall (July 28, 2002). "The 150-Second Sell, Take 34". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/28/magazine/28TRAILERS.html?pagewanted=6. Retrieved March 18, 2010. 
13. ^ Canby, Vincent (May 7, 1993). "Review/Film; Recalling The King Of Kung Fu". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1993/05/07/movies/review-film-recalling-the-king-of-kung-fu.html. Retrieved December 14, 2010. 
14. ^ "Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story". Washington Post. May 7, 1993. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/dragonthebruceleestorypg13harrington_a0ab6c.htm. Retrieved September 21, 2010. 
15. ^ "Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story". Chicago Sun Times. http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19930507/REVIEWS/305070302. Retrieved September 21, 2010. 
16. ^ http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dragon_the_bruce_lee_story/
17. ^ Citron, Alan (May 11, 1993). "Bruce' and 'Dave's' Excellent Box Office". The Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/1993-05-11/business/fi-33955_1_bruce-lee. Retrieved October 26, 2010. 
18. ^ Fox, David J. (May 11, 1993). "Weekend Box Office : 'Dragon' Makes 'Dave' Vice President". The Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/1993-05-11/entertainment/ca-34129_1_weekend-gross. Retrieved January 6, 2011. 
19. ^ http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/polanski/628/pages2/dvd_dragon.html
20. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fLmdqBDQBk

External links

• Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story at the Internet Movie Database
• Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story at AllRovi
• Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story at Box Office Mojo
• Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story at Rotten Tomatoes