I would have enjoyed a deeper dive into the death of Bruce Lee. I felt as though they briefly touched on it and moved on. There really was nothing new learned about Bruce here which was a little disappointing. Here is my synopsis on the film:
Bruce Lee had come home from 12 years in America in hope to graduate school and become a success. He moved back to Hong Kong where he used to get in a lot of trouble to do Martial Arts or Gung Fu films. He struggled adapting to a very white and racist America.
He becomes adopted to the young American life when he begins teaching his Gung Fu class. His students tough him a lot about handling himself in America.
America brings in the Chinese to help build the West. They kick them out to restore America by passing laws against the Chinese. This became even worse when WW2 against the Japanese and the Vietnam War caused racial tension against Asian countries in America.
Bruce Lee is born in San Francisco, and his dad who is part of the Chinese Oprah introduces and raises Bruce into show business. Shortly after his birth, his family goes to Hong Kong. Grows up with a wealthy family.
In Hong Kong, Bruce Lee becomes very famous child actor. And his study's under Y-I-P Man where he becomes his very best student.
The world of acting and martial arts begins to get him in a lot of fights and trouble. Bruce Lee was very offended by how Chinese people were portrayed in American and Hollywood. A lot of white people would play them in a monstrous and racist ways,, and the popular roles were played by white people. He came up with the idea of your movements being soft like water but sharp at the same time like a harsh wave. During the time he is studying all the arts he marry's Linda, his white wife.
Bruce Lee opened the door for a lot of Asian American's in the country during a time of uprising in America. As everyone was going against the African American Community, the white society starting respecting the mostly silent Asian Community. During Green Hornet, Brandon is born. He did writing and reading while the Green Hornet got canceled he began side work as a stunt coordinator. During the family time while he was studying, he had his daughter Shannon who he absolutely loved and was crazy for. Although money was tight, they were happy. Bruce Lee begins to teach a lot of the famous celebrities and is known as a wise and cool friend to many.
Bruce Lee was influenced by the experiments of the 1960's and the challenging of the establishment and styles that make people different and not combining them together. The protest's and American sports was a huge inspiration, including boxing (more so Muhammad Ali).
Faced rejection again because Warner Bro's were afraid that the American Audience weren't going to accept his accent as a leading role. He took on Hong Kong as a minor league after constantly only being able to land minor roles. He was recognized by Hollywood for his teachings, but he was a huge star in Hong Kong so he threw all that away to pursue his dream of being a lead. He was viewed as the prodigal son that had returned.
Eventually partnered with Hollywood but was very strict and kind of an ass to his American partners to be given creative freedom. Anything spiritual and philosophical in his films was his writing.
In 1973 Bruce began collapsing and having severe migraines. He was a strong 32 year old man, they said the painkillers mixed with his heart condition caused him to pass away. It was extreme madness around his death as people mourned his death. Enter the dragon grosses 91 million, and it was saved as culturally significant and stored in the library of world history.
Review of Be Water
