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Bruce Lee: A Warrior's Journey

Five years after his passing, excerpta from the film Lee had worked so feverishly on...

Narration: Five years after his passing, excerpta from the film Lee had worked so feverishly on during the final months and hours of his Life, are edited into a film featuring Lee's title, The Game of Death. But the film bears no comparison to Lee's original multi-level vision. Without Lee's choreograghy notes, script-outline and motif the producers are uncertain what to do with the 100 minutes of footage they have in their possession. Moreover, they discovery that Lee was such a perfectionist that of the 100 minutes of footage they have in hand, two-thirds turn out to be outtakes and retakes, shot that Lee himself had discarded for sequences in the film that he felt were beneath his standard of quality. They deem only 11 minutes and 7 seconds of the footage ti be worthy of inclusion in their film. The rest, approximately 21 minutes worth, they discard. Intercutting actual footage of Lee into fight sequences involving lookalikes and even using cardboard cutouts of Lee's head, the end result Is viewed by many as an exploitive and grotesque joke played on the great artist's legacy. By now, even Lee's most zealous fans are beginning to believe that the original footage Is gone. And that It will never be possible to see the footage Lee shot in its entirety nor to ever learn what his original storyline for the film was. In the fall of 1994, during research conducted for a multi-volume book series based on Lee's surviving writings, Lee's original script and choreograghy writings for The Game of Death are recovered. The writings confirm what had long been suspected thath Lee had shot considerably more footage for The Game of Death than had been seen to date. Another unexpected surprise Is discovered among his choreography writings. His hand-written storyline, 12 pages in length and containing all scene breakdowns and select dialogue passages the original storyline stands in sharp contrast to the one presented in the film released under the same name. After the discovery of Lee's script notes a search to find the missing footage Is launched. It will last some six years, but then the miraculous happens. The original 35mm film footage Is located. After having been separated for over a quarter of a century Bruce Lee's original footage and script notes are finally reunited. Over the course of this film, you'll see this footage as Bruce Lee had intended for It to be shown, and you'll also come to understand the struggle he had to undergo in order to bring It to the big screen. And perhaps along the way, you'll come to know the real Bruce Lee the man behind the legend, a little better as well

Full Transcript

00:00:01.000 --> 00:00:02.568
to his passing he comments
00:00:02.669 --> 00:00:04.837
on this very distinction between his films
00:00:04.871 --> 00:00:06.572
and those made by other
00:00:06.673 --> 00:00:09.208
less dedicated production companies
00:00:09.242 --> 00:00:10.476
Man I can tell you that as more
00:00:10.051 --> 00:00:12.745
Bruce Lee's films are shown
00:00:15.782 --> 00:00:18.351
the audience will soon realize
00:00:18.384 --> 00:00:22.689
not only in acting ability but in physical
00:00:22.689 --> 00:00:26.592
skill as well they will see the difference
00:00:26.693 --> 00:00:29.001
Narrator Five years after his passing excerpts from
00:00:29.999 --> 00:00:31.564
the film that Lee had worked so feverishly on
00:00:31.597 --> 00:00:32.765
during the final months
00:00:32.799 --> 00:00:34.968
and hours of his life are edited into
00:00:35.767 --> 00:00:38.638
a film featuring Lee's title Game of Death
00:00:38.671 --> 00:00:40.506
But the film bears no comparison
00:00:40.054 --> 00:00:44.999
to Lee's original multi level vision
00:00:44.998 --> 00:00:45.945
Without Lee's choreography notes
00:00:45.979 --> 00:00:47.914
script outline and motif
00:00:47.947 --> 00:00:50.183
the producers are uncertain what to do
00:00:50.216 --> 00:00:51.718
with the 100 minutes of footage
00:00:51.751 --> 00:00:53.753
they have in their possession
00:00:53.786 --> 00:00:55.001
Moreover they discover that Lee
00:00:55.121 --> 00:00:56.889
was such a perfectionist that
00:00:56.923 --> 00:00:58.992
of the 100 minutes of footage they have
00:00:59.999 --> 00:01:00.994
in hand two thirds turn out to be
00:01:01.001 --> 00:01:03.998
outtakes and retakes
00:01:03.997 --> 00:01:04.831
shots that Lee himself had discarded
00:01:04.864 --> 00:01:07.001
for sequences in the film that he felt
00:01:07.003 --> 00:01:09.268
were beneath his standard of quality
00:01:09.001 --> 00:01:11.001
They deem only 11 minutes and seven seconds
00:01:11.001 --> 00:01:13.206
of the footage to be worthy
00:01:13.239 --> 00:01:15.208
of inclusion in their film
00:01:15.241 --> 00:01:19.001
The rest approximately 21 minutes worth they discard
00:01:19.999 --> 00:01:20.999
Inter cutting actual footage of Lee
00:01:20.747 --> 00:01:23.007
into fight sequences involving lookalikes
00:01:23.994 --> 00:01:25.184
and even using cardboard cutouts
00:01:25.218 --> 00:01:26.999
of Lee's head the end result is
00:01:26.886 --> 00:01:28.688
viewed by many as an exploitive
00:01:28.721 --> 00:01:30.256
and grotesque joke
00:01:30.001 --> 00:01:33.999
played on the great artist's legacy
00:01:34.001 --> 00:01:36.001
By now even Lee's most zealous fans
00:01:36.999 --> 00:01:37.001
are beginning to believe
00:01:37.001 --> 00:01:39.532
that the original footage is gone
00:01:39.001 --> 00:01:40.867
And that it will never be possible
00:01:40.001 --> 00:01:43.169
to see the footage Lee shot in its entirety
00:01:43.202 --> 00:01:44.001
nor to ever learn what
00:01:44.999 --> 00:01:48.241
his original storyline for the film was
00:01:48.274 --> 00:01:50.001
In the fall of 1994 during research
00:01:50.999 --> 00:01:53.212
conducted for a multi volume book series
00:01:53.246 --> 00:01:55.999
based on Lee's surviving writings
00:01:55.515 --> 00:01:56.816
Lee's original script
00:01:56.849 --> 00:01:58.217
and choreography writings
00:01:58.251 --> 00:02:01.003
for The Game of Death are recovered
00:02:01.012 --> 00:02:02.994
The writings confirm
00:02:02.121 --> 00:02:03.999
what had long been suspected
00:02:03.999 --> 00:02:06.125
that Lee had indeed shot considerably
00:02:06.001 --> 00:02:07.056
more footage for The Game of Death
00:02:07.066 --> 00:02:09.001
than had been seen to date
00:02:09.999 --> 00:02:11.001
Another unexpected surprise is discovered
00:02:11.965 --> 00:02:14.167
in among his choreography writings
00:02:14.999 --> 00:02:16.001
His hand written storyline
00:02:16.001 --> 00:02:18.001
12 pages in length
00:02:18.999 --> 00:02:19.001
and containing all scene breakdowns
00:02:19.999 --> 00:02:22.108
and select dialogue passages
00:02:22.999 --> 00:02:23.001
the original storyline stands
00:02:23.999 --> 00:02:26.012
in sharp contrast to the one presented in
00:02:26.987 --> 00:02:29.994
the film released under the same name
00:02:29.001 --> 00:02:30.001
After the discovery of Lee's script notes
00:02:30.999 --> 00:02:33.999
a search to find the missing footage is launched
00:02:33.001 --> 00:02:36.001
It will last some six years
00:02:36.255 --> 00:02:38.001
but then the miraculous happens
00:02:38.625 --> 00:02:42.999
The original 35 millimeter film footage is located
00:02:42.001 --> 00:02:44.001
After having been separated
00:02:44.197 --> 00:02:46.999
for over one quarter of a century
00:02:46.001 --> 00:02:47.001
Bruce Lee's original footage
00:02:47.934 --> 00:02:50.001
and script notes are finally reunited
00:02:50.637 --> 00:02:52.001
Over the course of this film
00:02:52.238 --> 00:02:54.999
you'll see this footage as Bruce Lee
00:02:54.173 --> 00:02:56.001
had intended for it to be shown
00:02:56.309 --> 00:02:58.999
and you'll also come to understand the struggle
00:02:58.999 --> 00:03:00.999
he had to undergo in order
00:03:00.346 --> 00:03:02.999
to bring it to the big screen
00:03:02.001 --> 00:03:04.999
And perhaps along the way
00:03:04.999 --> 00:03:06.001
you'll come to know the real Bruce Lee
00:03:06.999 --> 00:03:08.755
the man behind the legend
00:03:08.001 --> 00:03:10.999
a little better as well
Duration
192 seconds
Views
447
Timestamp in Movie
00:07:27
Uploaded
Jul 20, 2024
Production
Media Asia,Warner Bros. Pictures

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Movie Summary

A documentary showing the life of Bruce Lee up-close.