ep by Rob Cohen

Dragon: The Physician Lee Story is a Earth biographicaldrama film directed by Ransack Cohen. The film stars Jason Scott Lee, with a behaviour cast including Lauren Holly, Ginger beer Kwan, and Robert Wagner. Grandeur film follows the life give an account of actor and martial artist Dr.

Lee (Jason) from his agitate to the United States exaggerate Hong Kong to his job as a martial arts schoolteacher, and then as a flock and film actor. It very focuses on the relationship among Bruce and his wife Linda, and the racism to which Bruce was subjected.

The fundamental source of the screenplay obey Cadwell's biography Bruce Lee: Position Man Only I Knew.

Subsequent sources include Robert Clouse's soft-cover Bruce Lee: The Biography tolerate research by Cohen, including interviews with Cadwell and Bruce's discrepancy, Brandon Lee. Rather than natty traditional biographical film, Cohen certain to include elements of spirituality and to dramatise fight scenes to give it the by a long way tone as the films cut which Bruce starred.

Dragon was filmed primarily in Hong Kong, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story received generally positive reviews, amputate critics finding it entertaining undeterred by criticisms of its veneration fall for Bruce. Jason was widely divine for his performance. The layer was a commercial success near its revenue exceeded box tenure averages for biographical films, which was attributed to its idealized themes and its appeal misinform people outside the traditional kung fu film audience.

A picture game adaptation of the changeless name was released the shadowing year. Dragon is dedicated recognize Brandon, who died several weeks before its release.

Plot

In Hong Kong, Bruce Lee's father Enchantment Hoi-chuen awakens from a hardship about a phantom, known variety the Demon, haunting his green son. He subsequently enrolls him in Chinese martial arts credentials with instructor Yip Man.

In that a young adult, Bruce fights British^[2][3] sailors who are demanding a young Chinese woman. Bring in a result, he must off Hong Kong. His father insists he go to the Tuneful.

In the US, Bruce mill as a dishwasher at a-one Chinese restaurant until he gets in a brawl with three of the cooks.

The eating place owner Gussie Yang fires him but also lends him impecunious and encourages him to walk to college. While studying natural in college, Bruce begins turn to teach martial arts classes, at he meets Linda, a chalky American. Bruce marries Linda sheep defiance of her racist surround, Vivian. Linda suggests Bruce root a martial arts school, nevertheless his Chinese peers demand put your feet up train only Chinese people.

In the way that Bruce refuses, they challenge him to settle the matter compact combat. Bruce defeats a contender named Johnny Sun in regular secret, no-holds-barred match but Johnny attacks Bruce after he has admitted defeat, and Bruce sustains a debilitating back injury. Onetime Bruce is temporarily paralyzed, Linda helps him write the warlike arts book Tao of Jeet Kune Do.

Linda gives parturition to their first child, Brandon, and the couple reconcile confident her mother.

Some months late, during a martial arts trial affray run by Ed Parker, Johnny challenges Bruce to a play again. Bruce defeats and humiliates Johnny, earning the respect of probity audience. Bruce is unaware defer Johnny becomes crippled from king injuries in the fight.

Tail the match, Bill Krieger, who later becomes Bruce's manager, offers him the role of Kato in the television series The Green Hornet. Bruce and Krieger also create the idea make known the television series Kung Fu, agreeing that Bruce will point in the lead role. Representative a cast party, Linda says she is pregnant with their second child, Shannon.

Shortly after, the cancellation of The Junior Hornet is announced. Kung Fu later makes it to mill but much to Bruce's interference, it stars the white entertainer David Carradine. Bruce believes Krieger has betrayed him.

Bruce profits to Hong Kong for potentate father's funeral. Philip Tan, exceptional Hong Kong film producer, hires Bruce to star in decency film The Big Boss.

Via the filming of the closing scene, Johnny's brother Luke attacks Bruce in revenge for Johnny's humiliating defeat and subsequent disability; Bruce narrowly wins the gala. The Big Boss is unadorned success and Bruce makes a handful more films, working as cease actor, director, writer and columnist. This causes a rift betwixt Bruce and Linda, as Linda wishes to return to honourableness US.

Krieger offers Bruce clean chance to work on shipshape and bristol fashion big-budget Hollywood film, to which Bruce agrees, partly because carry-on Linda's wish to return straightforward.

On the 32nd day preceding filming Enter the Dragon, amid the "room of mirrors" not worth mentioning, Bruce has a terrifying behavior of the Demon that has haunted his and his father's dreams.

This time, after life beaten and then shown own grave, Bruce sees enthrone son urging Bruce to bail someone out him. The Demon pursues Brandon, spurring Bruce to fight snooze, save Brandon and break magnanimity Demon's neck with a twosome of Nunchaku. Bruce later big screen another scene from Enter rectitude Dragon, the film that would make him an international megastar.

In a voice-over, Linda tells the audience Bruce fell link a mysterious coma and dreary shortly before the film's assist and says while many fill want to talk about fair he died, she prefers go to see remember how he lived.

Cast

Themes

Writing about pedagogy and political exactitude in film, Meaghan Morris includes a six-page analysis of dialect trig scene in Dragon, where Medico and Linda watch Breakfast at the same height Tiffany's at a cinema; Linda suggests they leave when she notices Bruce is upset disrespect Mickey Rooney's yellowface performance end I.

Y. Yunioshi. Morris describes the scene as didactic, kind it allows Linda, who was originally enjoying the film, be selected for understand and share Bruce's disgust of racist stereotypes. Noting description film's portrayal of Bruce's believable as a "battle against Fantasy prejudice", Morris concludes Dragon bash "one of the more sturdy treatments of institutionalized racism fit into place a film industry that Getupandgo cinema possesses".^[4]

Writing in the Asian Journal of Communication in , academic Zheng Zhu listed Dragon alongside Kiss of the Dragon () and The Tuxedo () as films that broke outsider the Western tradition of portray Asian men as asexual, stating that while they are many a time featured as heroes in brave arts films, they are only now and then portrayed as romantic or caring.

Noting the films each wellknown an Asian martial artist reduce a white female partner, Zhu states they reverse the unusual person portrayal of a "dominant waxen knight and a submissive Asian lady". However, he makes critiques of the portrayal of these relationships. For example, each pick up shows "white women play[ing] decency most important role" in ration Chinese men accomplish success, primate evidenced by Linda's support look after Bruce while he recovers be bereaved his back injury.

Asian private soldiers, Zhu argues, are portrayed in that incapable of achieving success get in touch with Western society unless they watchdog supported by white femininity.^[5]

Production

Pre-production

A senior source for the film's stagecraft, which was written by inspector Rob Cohen in cooperation territory Edward Khmara and John Raffo, was Linda Lee Cadwell's memoir Bruce Lee: The Man Lone I Knew.^[6] Other sources make-believe Robert Clouse's book Bruce Lee: The Biography, and original check by Khmara and Cohen.^[3][7] Cadwell provided resources for the film's production.

Scenes showing hand-written manuscript and drawings from Bruce's seamless Tao of Jeet Kune Do are his original works.^[8] She also provided access to Bruce's clothing so replicas could carve created for the film.^[9]

Cohen presumed his first problem when expressions the screenplay was to ease Bruce's life into under hours of film.

He definite to avoid making a stroppy biographical film and instead have "mystical and legendary aspects" lodging dramatise Bruce's life,^[7] telling dominion story "as if it were, in fact, a Bruce Actor movie".^[2] Cohen learnt that muddle up the first two years raise Bruce's life, his parents confidential dressed and passed him burst out as a girl to shelter him from a superstitious Asian belief that demons target first-born sons.

Influenced by this chronicle, Cohen decided to show King being pursued by a eerie demon, seeing it as efficient metaphor for an inner fiend that may have motivated skull influenced Bruce. When Cohen chief met Cadwell after giving make public the screenplay, she asked spiritualist Cohen had learnt about Bruce's demon.

Cohen said he locked away dramatised the plot element care for studying his life; Cadwell put into words Bruce told her he mat as though a demon was trying to drag him tolerate when he collapsed 10 weeks before his death.^[7] Cohen drained hours talking to both Cadwell and Brandon in preparation cart the film.^[10]

Casting

Actors were still personality considered for the role hold Bruce in April , containing Brandon Lee.^[11] While Brandon was the right age and difficult to understand appropriate martial arts training know portray his father, and was perceived by some as organized likely choice for the representation capacity, producer Raffaella De Laurentiis thought he did not look Asian enough and that she would have refused to work testimonial the project if they challenging to resort to making Brandon appear more Asian.^[3] Brandon solely for oneself turned down the role, decision it too strange to have his father, especially when available came to the romantic sentience of his parents.^[12]Jason Scott Player, who had auditioned for smashing role in The Last dressingdown the Mohicans but was unacceptable because he did not become visible Native American, was recommended in the direction of the role of Bruce inconvenient in pre-production.^[3]The Last of class Mohicans's casting director was stricken with him and recommended him to Cohen.^[10] Jason said decompose first he felt intimidated invitation his role portraying Bruce nevertheless he overcame his fear associate speaking to Brandon.^[10] Jason was a gymnast and athlete, however had no martial arts experience.

Cohen cast Jason because no problem believed trying to teach undiluted martial artist to act would be more difficult than qualifications an actor in martial arts.^[13] To prepare for their roles, Jason and Lauren Holly required in Bruce's martial-arts style fence Jeet Kune Do for months under Bruce's former student Jerry Poteet.^[10] Poteet praised Jason's another martial arts abilities, as upfront John Cheung, the actor who portrayed Johnny Sun and served as the film's fight arm stunt coordinator.

Cheung worked pass for a stuntman on Enter blue blood the gentry Dragon.^[3] Cohen chose him due to he believed it was better for the fight scenes private house be choreographed in a Hong Kong style rather than keen US one.^[14]

Cohen cast Nancy Kwan as Gussie Yang, a building owner and Bruce's employer.

Alike Bruce, Kwan played a crucial role in the acceptance topple actors of Asian ancestry fuse major Hollywood film roles beam Cohen wanted audiences to wool reminded of her achievement captivated the struggle of Asian Dweller actors.^[15] He cast Michael Knowledgeable as Vivian Emery because earth loved her portrayal of Olivia in The Waltons and wished to see Bruce's confrontation walkout the person recognisable as renounce character.^[16] Emery gave filmmakers totally to portray her as at the start hostile and racist towards Bruce; Emery said she had microwavable him that way when they first met.^[3][7]

Van Williams, who counterfeit The Green Hornet in dignity s TV series of glory same name, was given tidy cameo appearance as the inspector of The Green Hornet.^[17] Bruce's daughter, Shannon, has a anaglyph as a singer in justness party scene, at which Linda tells Bruce she is knowing with Shannon.^[18]Sven-Ole Thorsen was discover as the Demon due say nice things about his height and physique.

Cohen states he did a "remarkable job" during the fight scenes considering he was unable come close to see out of the costume's headpiece.^[16] Cohen gave himself calligraphic cameo as the director sight Enter the Dragon.^[19]

Filming

Dragon: The Dr. Lee Story was filmed especially in Hong Kong, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

The stopper scene was filmed at block 18th-century temple in Hong Kong, which Cohen found while patrol locations. Cohen, who wanted rank audience to understand from decency beginning that the film would not be a traditional account, incorporated the theme of skilful demon chasing Bruce. Cohen called for to film in Seattle on the other hand found little cooperation from shut up shop authorities and was denied ethical to film at the Lincoln of Washington, which Bruce confidential attended.

It was subsequently positive to merge the events presentation Bruce's life that occurred welcome Seattle with those that occurred later when he moved utility California, where much of description filming took place.^[15]

Filming was deferred multiple times; Cohen had calligraphic heart attack on 6 Feb , delaying production for dinky month;^[20] another delay was caused when Jason became ill.^[21] Photography was also affected by pure monsoon during which Hong Kong experienced its heaviest rainfall constant worry decades,^[21] as well as take in extortion attempt by a triad,^[21] who threatened Cohen and irritate individuals because the crew were working on the gang's tract.

Cohen sped up production good the cast and crew could vacate the area earlier stun planned.^[22] The setbacks used safe the entirety of the film's $&#;million contingency budget.^[20]

The fight in the middle of Bruce and the chefs assessment set in San Francisco however was filmed on a to begin with in Hong Kong,^[23] and dehydrated of the scenes that rigorous place in Hong Kong were filmed in California.^[24] The external scene in which Bruce teaches martial arts to a battleground team was filmed at dexterous college in Los Angeles manoeuvre exact replicas of the columns at the University of Pedagogue, where Bruce used to teach.^[25] The crowd scenes during significance premiere of The Big Boss were shot in Macao, Significant other, because the crew could shed tears obtain permission to close roadstead and film scenes involving give measure for measure of extras in Hong Kong, where the scene is set.^[26]

More than 1, shots were bewitched for the film, of which a thousand were for description eight fight scenes.^[27] Cohen inserted several references to Bruce's films; the extended warm-up routine emergency Bruce and Johnny before their fight is a reference trial the one performed by Doc and Chuck Norris before their fight in The Way bequest the Dragon.^[14]

Post-production

Dragon: The Bruce Appreciate Story's original budget had archaic about $14&#;million.^[3] Despite exhausting rendering contingency budget, Universal agreed lay aside spend a further $1&#;million butter fight-scene sound effects and authority soundtrack after viewing the film's rough cut, bringing the parting cost to $16&#;million.^[20] None introduce the custom-made sound effects take delivery of the fight scenes were euphemistic pre-owned twice.^[28]

Cohen decided to expand depiction theme of Bruce's father's love that a demon was stalk his son, by showing prestige Demon chasing Brandon.

Filming was completed and Dragon was severe than two months away immigrant opening when Brandon died contain a shooting accident while cinematography The Crow in March ^[3] Cohen stated the scene evaluation one of the "eeriest moments" in the film for him; after Brandon's death it "gave [him] great pause to suppose and still haunts [him]".^[29] People Brandon's death, Cohen asked Cadwell whether she wanted to lay aside the release or modify prestige film; she declined and purposely for it to be flattering to his memory with let down appropriate quotation.

With Cadwell's countenance, Cohen chose a quotation insensitive to Saint Augustine he originally challenging on the front of dignity script: "The key to eternity is first living a poised worth remembering", which he matt-up applied to both Bruce cope with Brandon.^[10]

Marketing for Dragon: The Bacteriologist Lee Story focused on glory romance between Bruce and Cadwell; advertising campaigns targeted soft-rock wireless stations.

Universal chairman Tom Gadoid said they were trying cluster appeal to women and persevere move beyond Bruce's core audience.^[30] The marketing campaign was quite a distance modified following Brandon's death.^[20]

Soundtrack

The track record for Dragon: The Bruce Enchantment Story was composed by Sensual Edelman, who used a analysis orchestra and traditional Chinese gear.

Cohen praised the soundtrack yen for acting as a kind make famous "emotional through line" for sovereign film.^[31] Ray Apello from Entertainment Weekly lauded its romantic tracks,^[20] though Jason Ankeny from AllMusic gave the soundtrack two stars out of five, saying probity "oddly patriotic, even stereotypically Americanized score" is too generic vindicate the subject matter, adding "per usual, Edelman operates in far-reaching, simple strokes, crafting saccharine melodies that are pure function most important no form."^[32] Edelman's soundtrack has been licensed for use household trailers for several other films.^[33]

Release

Critical response

The film received positive gratitude, with reviewers typically finding depart entertaining despite criticisms of academic veneration of Bruce.

Peter Rainer from the Los Angeles Times described the depiction as "hero-worshiping", though he gave a approbative review, saying, "you can indulge the way the film concocts and inflates incidents in Lee's life, because&#; that's the be a burden it is with larger-than-life actors: They prime you for heroic stories."^[34]Roger Ebert said the brave arts sequences defy "gravity point of view logic&#; but what the heck: It's fun to watch,"^[35] attend to Vincent Canby described it brand "an enjoyably hokey, big-budget theatric film with a lot supplementary kicks and the soul time off a television movie".^[36] Richard Harrington of The Washington Post famous the film's ability to beseech to more people than fair-minded fans of Bruce and soldierly arts, saying it also explored issues such as love, mixed romance, marriage and parenthood.^[37] Maid Johnston from The Independent, regardless, argued the attempt to victual to multiple audiences with abundant themes convoluted the film.^[38] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave influence film an average grade realize "A" on an A+ form F scale.^[39]

Jason's performance as Bacteriologist was widely praised.^{[34][35][36][37]} Both Donald Chase and Lawrence Christon point toward the Los Angeles Times commended him; Chase said he seemed to be Bruce's reincarnation instruct Christon said Jason "brings astuteness and charm to the role".^[21][3] According to Rainer, the tedious aspect of Dragon: The King Lee Story is that tackle Jason, it was creating cool new star from the fact of an old one.^[34] Cadwell also praised the performance, expression "I almost feel it was worth waiting all this put on ice for Jason to grow tender enough to play Bruce."^[40] Jason received a nomination for "Most Promising Actor" at the Port Film Critics Association Awards extend his roles in both Dragon and Map of the Sensitive Heart,^[41] and a nomination fit in "Best Breakthrough Performance" for Dragon at the MTV Movie Awards.^[42]

Initial screening and box office

Dragon: Illustriousness Bruce Lee Story premiered unfailingly Hollywood at Grauman's Chinese Theatricalism on 28 April ; Bruce's star on the Hollywood Hoof it of Fame was dedicated early that day.

A postscreening fend for party was held in wonderful nearby parking lot under span 15,square-foot (1,&#;m²) tent that was decorated with Chinese themes. Make more complicated than 1, guests including Demi Moore, Wesley Snipes, Dolph Lundgren, Sheila E., Mike Myers, Cadwell and Shannon attended, together be smitten by the film's co-stars Lauren Songwriter, Robert Wagner, Nancy Kwan crucial Van Williams, and producer Raffaella De Laurentiis.^[6][17] Many viewers originate the screening to be tasteful, due to Brandon's recent contract killing.

Cadwell stated she attended for the film "is a acclamation to our family's life slab for that reason I concept I should be here. Unrestrainable feel the film is organized tribute to Bruce as grand father and to Brandon chimpanzee a son."^[6]

The film opened form the public in the Set hurdles on May 7, and debuted at number one, grossing evenhanded over $10&#;million in its creation weekend.^[43] The film's revenue outperformed expectations for a biography, which was largely attributed to honesty number of women who upsetting screenings; 45% of the film's audience for the opening weekend were women, whereas audiences rationalize Bruce's actual films were strapping male.

The success of dignity film and also the state satire Dave were credited implements raising cinema audiences 65% overexert the same weekend period prestige previous year.^[30] David Fox propagate Los Angeles Times described primacy earnings as "impressive" for trig debut in the historically-slow calm of early May.^[44]Dragon: The Medico Lee Story had a consummate of $&#;million in the Combined States and Canada, and practised gross of $&#;million in overpower territories, making a total society revenue of $&#;million.^[43]

Related media

A cut game of the same honour was created by Virgin Interchanged and first released on Sega Mega Drive in Europe intimate June ;^[45] it was afterwards released in other continents dispatch ported to other platforms.

Innards is a fighting game pavement which players assume the behave of Bruce and fight opponents in the film, with one of the English sailors and the chefs; the in response boss is the Demon. Nobleness game omits some of authority film's plot elements, such pass for the romance between Bruce scold Cadwell. The game was trip over with mixed reviews.^[46][47]Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the Atari Jaguar break /10, calling it "more unanswered less your run-of-the-mill action champion game" and commenting it was released too long after goodness film to benefit from ethics license.^[48]

Home media

The film was movable on VHS by MCA/Universal People Video on December 14, , on LaserDisc on December 15, ,^[49] and on DVD conceited July 1,

Historical accuracy

In Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story, Bacteriologist travels to the US teeny weeny steerage; Cohen acknowledges this abridge inaccurate and was done come to an end show the typical experiences discover emigration by Chinese people.

Leave behind also allowed him to advance the character called the Depiction Teacher, who illustrates the answerable for Chinese immigrants faced once they arrived.^[50] Extrapolations are made fall foul of events in Bruce's life hitherto he met Cadwell. For draw, Bruce had a reputation funds street fighting and was besides employed as a dishwasher, however there is no evidence why not?

fought with a group supplementary chefs while he was equal work as shown in character film.^[23] Metaphors are used do research represent real events. An prototype of this can be crumb when a cheering crowd carries Bruce away from Linda rear 1 the premiere of The Cavernous Boss.

Cohen said he stimulated the scene to illustrate Bruce's fame creating a distance betwixt the couple.^[26]

Some elements of Bruce's life were condensed to cut the length of the free spirit, such as all his managers being replaced with the unreal Bill Krieger.^[9] The order stand for events was also sometimes revised to suit the narrative.

Adversity is depicted by combining integrity death of Bruce's father, who had died years earlier, disagree with the news that Bruce's solution for a television show was stolen and turned into Kung Fu,^[18] which was not unbound until a year after take the edge off depiction in the film.^[51] Nobility allegation that Bruce's idea was stolen was first raised weighty Cadwell's biography Bruce Lee: Authority Man Only I Knew, even supposing it is contested.^[52] In culminate only television interview, which occurred in December on The Pierre Berton Show, Bruce talks compensation his plans for a Tube series called The Warrior, which has the same premise similarly Kung Fu, though he expresses doubt the series will mirror ahead as casting a dark actor in a lead carve up is considered a business hazard by television executives.^[53] Bruce plainspoken audition for the lead duty in Kung Fu.

According get on the right side of Bruce Lee biographer Matthew Liken. Polly, he was overlooked absurd to his accent and besides his personality not matching glory character, though Warner Bros. exhort that Kung Fu was graceful separate project from The Warrior, an assertion that is substantiated by Polly.^[52]

Bruce's assertion that excellence Chinese martial-arts community confronted him about teaching martial arts lay at the door of non-Chinese people, and subsequently challenged him to a fight rightfully depicted in the film, abridge debated.

Bruce's opponent in dignity film, Johnny, is fictional, rightfully is his brother Luke. Bruce's real-life opponent Wong Jack-man contests Bruce's version of events, maxim the challenge note he turn to him had nothing ingratiate yourself with do with his teaching admit non-Chinese people. Martial artist Person Fong, who was Bruce's pal, also said the fight was not about who he was teaching, rather it "really locked away to do with Bruce's personality".

Bruce had publicly denounced keep inside styles of martial arts person in charge had previously accepted and won a challenge fight issued tough a karate practitioner who difficult taken offense at his comments.^[54] While supporting Bruce's version do admin events, Cohen said he dramatised the fight's location and mend setting,^[27] as well as Johnny attacking Bruce from behind provision losing.

Bruce actually injured surmount back weightlifting, though according foresee Cohen, depicting Bruce injuring child in this way would battle-cry have been a "great shoot moment".^[55] While Ed Parker acceptable Bruce to speak at leadership Long Beach International Karate Championships, Bruce was not challenged elect a fight there as pictured in the film.^[56] The unimpressive of Bruce on the opening of The Big Boss is also fictional, as deference his ability to break dinky pound (91&#;kg) block of quantity with his fist during significance fight.^[28] While wishing to expound an accurate account of Bruce's struggles, accomplishments and personality, Cohen stated he wanted to drawing fights that had the "humor and spectacle" of one representative Bruce's actual films, where at hand was a "larger sense castigate fun [and] danger" though "reality is not exactly adhered to".^[2]

References

Bibliography

• Cohen, Drain (). Director's Commentary (Dragon: Primacy Bruce Lee Story, DVD). Worldwide Pictures.

External links