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Bruce
Lee: The Legend |
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review
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Year: |
1984 |
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Producer: |
Raymond
Chow, Leonard Ho |
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Writer: |
Russell
Cawthorne |
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Interviews: |
Nora Miao, Raymond Chow, Betty Ting Pei, Chuck Norris, Hugh
O'Brien, Gig Young
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The
Skinny: |
The American version of the Golden Harvest-produced bio Bruce
Lee: The Legend is a decent, occasionally daring biography
of the man nicknamed "Little Dragon." |
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Review by
Calvin
McMillin: |
Since Bruce Lee: The Legend
is included as the bonus fifth disc in 20th Century Fox's
"Master Collection" boxset, the film must be worth
at least a look. Generally speaking, the movie does a good
job of tracing Bruce Lee's life, mainly in the form of career
highlights that showcase his early stints on American television
shows (in "The Green Hornet" and "Longstreet")
on up to his eventual ascension to cross-cultural superstardom
through his Hong Kong movies.
Though there are some references
to Jeet Kune Do and Bruce's personal philosophy and family
life, this documentary is a bit lacking in intimacy when compared
with the much more polished John Little bio, Bruce Lee:
A Warrior's Journey. However, there are several points
of interest within the film. For one, there is rare archival
footage of Lee back when he was a child actor in Hong Kong
movies. The sight of such a young boy already possessing some
of the trademark Bruce Lee mannerisms is quite a sight. There's
even some footage of Bruce Lee's that is both intriguing and
repellent: his funerals in Hong Kong and the United States.
Notable mourners include James Coburn, Steve McQueen, Nora
Miao, George Lazenby, Shieh Kien and Robert Clouse.
But perhaps the most intriguing
aspect of this by-the-numbers tribute is the inclusion of
Betty Ting Pei. For those who do not know, Betty Ting Pei
was the last person to see Bruce Lee alive. Strangely, the
film mentions the gossip that Lee may have died in the midst
of making love to the starlet, a rumor that Betty Ting Pei
vehemently denies. Though this "revelation" is not
particularly shocking, it is somewhat surprising considering
that the film was definitely not a warts-and-all examination
of Lee, and was, for the most part, a generic vanity piece
lauding Bruce Lee. In any case, the film is worth watching
at least once. Just be sure to have Bruce Lee: A Warrior's
Journey close at hand. (Calvin McMillin, 2002)
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Notes: |
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Includes footage from Warriors Two, Zu: Warriors
from Magic Mountain, Winners and Sinners, Zatoichi,
and Duel to the Death.
• Sammo Hung cameos when writer Russel Cawthorne and
Raymond Chow walk through an HK film set. |
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Availability: |
DVD (United States)
Region 1 NTSC
20th Century Fox Home Video
Full Frame
English Language Track
Removable English Subtitles
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image courtesy
of 20th Century Fox Home Video
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| LoveHKFilm.com
Copyright ©2002-2017 Ross Chen
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