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(Narrator) 'On July 20th, 1973,
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00:00:55,851 --> 00:00:57,853
'in the middle of a hot
Hong Kong summer,
5
00:00:58,688 --> 00:01:03,317
'the actor, writer, martial artist
and filmmaker, Bruce Lee,
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00:01:03,859 --> 00:01:06,988
'died unexpectedly at the age of only 32.
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00:01:08,573 --> 00:01:12,201
'On the cusp of a global stardom
he had spent years striving towards,
8
00:01:12,910 --> 00:01:15,246
'his death sent shockwaves
around the world.
9
00:01:16,414 --> 00:01:19,584
'The legacy he left behind
in his short but eventful life
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00:01:19,709 --> 00:01:24,130
'included a young family,
legions of dedicated fans and students,
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00:01:24,255 --> 00:01:26,841
'and a revolutionary approach
to martial arts
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00:01:26,966 --> 00:01:30,219
'that transformed the world's relationship
with Chinese culture.
13
00:01:32,221 --> 00:01:33,806
'Half a century after his death,
14
00:01:34,348 --> 00:01:38,102
'he remains as much an inspiration
to millions as ever before.
15
00:01:40,354 --> 00:01:44,483
'His status largely rests on the success
of just four feature films
16
00:01:44,609 --> 00:01:47,278
'he completed in the two years
leading up to his death:
17
00:01:47,862 --> 00:01:50,531
"'The Big Boss", "Fist of Fury",
18
00:01:51,115 --> 00:01:54,452
"'The Way of the Dragon",
which he also wrote and directed,
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00:01:54,910 --> 00:01:56,245
'and "Enter the Dragon".
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00:01:56,954 --> 00:02:01,709
'Only four films,
and yet there was nearly a fifth.
21
00:02:03,336 --> 00:02:05,296
'Less than a year before he died,
22
00:02:05,421 --> 00:02:09,175
'Lee started work on his second film
as writer and director,
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00:02:09,300 --> 00:02:11,385
'one that would deliver
on the filmmaking promise
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00:02:11,510 --> 00:02:13,512
'he had shown with
"The Way of the Dragon",
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00:02:13,638 --> 00:02:17,600
'and be the ultimate expression
of his unique martial arts philosophy.
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00:02:18,934 --> 00:02:21,812
'Two hours of raw, unedited footage
was filmed
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00:02:21,937 --> 00:02:24,523
'before the project
was temporarily shelved,
28
00:02:24,649 --> 00:02:26,776
'only to be left in permanent limbo
29
00:02:26,901 --> 00:02:29,570
'once its creator was no longer alive
to finish it.
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00:02:30,363 --> 00:02:34,116
'Its working title,
ominous and fateful in hindsight,
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00:02:34,241 --> 00:02:36,369
'was "The Game of Death".
32
00:02:37,536 --> 00:02:39,330
'Though Lee never lived to complete
33
00:02:39,455 --> 00:02:42,667
'or even refine his own vision
for the project,
34
00:02:42,792 --> 00:02:46,962
'his plans for "The Game of Death"
are as scrutinised and interrogated today
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00:02:47,088 --> 00:02:50,883
'as the circumstances surrounding
his untimely death.
36
00:02:51,008 --> 00:02:52,927
'The mysteries around its creation
37
00:02:53,052 --> 00:02:55,513
'have become a vessel
for endless heated debate,
38
00:02:55,638 --> 00:03:00,142
'a space in which truth and legend
have become practically indistinguishable.
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00:03:00,726 --> 00:03:03,187
'Was it a lost masterpiece
by a young artist
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00:03:03,312 --> 00:03:05,189
'working at the height of his talents?
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00:03:05,314 --> 00:03:06,941
'Or was it a cursed film,
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00:03:07,066 --> 00:03:11,362
'inextricably bound
to its creator's own doomed fate?
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00:03:11,487 --> 00:03:17,034
'Now, with access to all 11 reels
of footage shot for the film in 1972,
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00:03:17,159 --> 00:03:20,287
'we can finally search for answers
to the many mysteries
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00:03:20,413 --> 00:03:23,791
'contained within "The Game of Death".'
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00:03:48,274 --> 00:03:50,818
(Narrator) 'It is July of 1972,
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00:03:50,943 --> 00:03:53,654
'only one year before Bruce Lee's death.
48
00:03:54,280 --> 00:03:56,198
'He is the biggest star in Hong Kong,
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00:03:56,323 --> 00:03:59,785
'now unable to walk around in public
without being mobbed.
50
00:04:00,327 --> 00:04:04,165
'It was only a year prior,
in the summer of 1971,
51
00:04:04,290 --> 00:04:07,460
'that after years of hitting
a racial glass ceiling in Hollywood,
52
00:04:07,585 --> 00:04:09,962
'he tired of American executives'
nervousness
53
00:04:10,087 --> 00:04:12,506
'over casting a Chinese star
in a lead role,
54
00:04:12,631 --> 00:04:14,216
'and looked homeward to Hong Kong,
55
00:04:14,341 --> 00:04:16,385
'where domestically produced
martial arts films
56
00:04:16,510 --> 00:04:18,888
'are starting to rule the local box office.
57
00:04:19,472 --> 00:04:23,017
'Signing a two-picture deal
with upstart company Golden Harvest,
58
00:04:23,142 --> 00:04:26,937
'Bruce agreed to star in two films,
both directed by Lo Wei:
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00:04:27,438 --> 00:04:30,524
"'The Big Boss" and "Fist of Fury".
60
00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:35,154
'By the end of the year, he is
the most famous face on the continent.
61
00:04:36,071 --> 00:04:39,784
'Audiences are instantly captivated
by his charismatic energy
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00:04:39,909 --> 00:04:41,327
'and high-kicking dynamism,
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00:04:41,452 --> 00:04:44,330
'deliberately captured
in long, unbroken takes,
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00:04:44,455 --> 00:04:47,291
'unlike the choppy editing
seen in most films.
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00:04:47,416 --> 00:04:52,171
'His own customised style of kung fu,
which he has dubbed Jeet Kune Do,
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00:04:52,296 --> 00:04:54,340
'or the Way of the Intercepting Fist,
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00:04:54,465 --> 00:04:57,134
'is unlike anything
audiences have seen before.
68
00:04:57,968 --> 00:05:00,805
'Both films shatter
local box office records,
69
00:05:00,930 --> 00:05:03,557
'each taking well over
three million dollars.
70
00:05:03,682 --> 00:05:06,060
'Overnight, Bruce is a superstar.
71
00:05:06,560 --> 00:05:08,020
'A big fish in a small pond
72
00:05:08,145 --> 00:05:10,940
'compared to his earlier
Hollywood ambitions perhaps,
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00:05:11,065 --> 00:05:12,441
'but with just two films,
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00:05:12,566 --> 00:05:16,737
'he has the respect,
clout and financial security
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00:05:16,862 --> 00:05:19,156
'to continue the next phase of his career.
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00:05:19,865 --> 00:05:22,284
'Keen to retain
their box office superstar,
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00:05:22,409 --> 00:05:24,370
'Golden Harvest executive
Raymond Chow
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00:05:24,495 --> 00:05:28,958
'offers Bruce the opportunity to write,
direct and star in his next film,
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00:05:29,083 --> 00:05:33,212
'as well as coproducing under his own
newly formed production company,
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00:05:33,337 --> 00:05:34,964
'Concord Productions.
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00:05:35,756 --> 00:05:37,508
'Given complete creative freedom,
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00:05:38,133 --> 00:05:41,846
'Bruce makes a film much more personal
and aligned with his own ethos.
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00:05:42,638 --> 00:05:45,391
'Its name: "The Way of the Dragon".
84
00:05:46,767 --> 00:05:50,104
'Whereas the previous two films
were formulaic revenge sagas
85
00:05:50,229 --> 00:05:53,023
'primarily designed
to appeal to local audiences,
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00:05:53,774 --> 00:05:57,236
'Bruce looks outward
for his first time behind the camera.
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00:05:58,279 --> 00:06:03,033
'He sets the film in Rome, and even films
on location there for three weeks.
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00:06:05,494 --> 00:06:07,413
'Unhappy with Lo Wei's insistence
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00:06:07,538 --> 00:06:10,958
'on cartoonish Japanese
and Russian villains in "Fist of Fury",
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00:06:11,083 --> 00:06:14,962
'the final confrontation in Bruce's
screenplay for "The Way of the Dragon"
91
00:06:15,087 --> 00:06:16,839
'is a more ambivalent one.
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00:06:16,964 --> 00:06:19,717
'Bruce choreographs
a climactic ten-minute fight
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00:06:19,842 --> 00:06:23,470
'between him and American
karate champion, Chuck Norris.
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00:06:23,596 --> 00:06:26,056
'Set amongst the ruins
of the Roman Colosseum
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00:06:26,181 --> 00:06:30,853
'and filmed in wide shots that
accentuate both men's athletic prowess,
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00:06:30,978 --> 00:06:33,355
'when his character
ultimately defeats Norris,
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00:06:33,480 --> 00:06:37,693
'he does so reluctantly, and covers
his body as a gesture of respect.
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00:06:37,818 --> 00:06:42,156
'The gladiators here are not avatars
for nationalistic or racial pride,
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00:06:42,281 --> 00:06:45,326
'but global representatives
of martial arts excellence,
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00:06:45,451 --> 00:06:47,870
'forced against one another
by circumstance,
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'and no less honourable for it.
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00:06:50,414 --> 00:06:54,460
"'The Way of the Dragon" is
a crudely made film in many aspects,
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00:06:54,585 --> 00:06:58,255
'both technically and
in the freewheeling nature of its creation.
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00:06:58,380 --> 00:07:02,051
'But Bruce's sheer ambition and energy
burst off the screen,
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00:07:02,176 --> 00:07:05,596
'showing a determination
to try as many ideas as he can,
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00:07:05,721 --> 00:07:09,850
'and a burning promise to be harnessed
and refined in future work.
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00:07:11,018 --> 00:07:14,730
'It will be the only film
he ever completes as a director.
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00:07:17,232 --> 00:07:19,401
'It is the summer of 1972.
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00:07:20,194 --> 00:07:22,863
"'The Way of the Dragon"
has only just finished filming,
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00:07:22,988 --> 00:07:27,159
'but ever restless and ambitious,
Bruce is keen to seize the momentum
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00:07:27,284 --> 00:07:30,037
'and channel it
into a second film as director.
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00:07:30,162 --> 00:07:31,830
'He doesn't have much yet.
113
00:07:31,956 --> 00:07:34,416
'A rough sketch of an idea, if that.
114
00:07:34,917 --> 00:07:37,962
'Emboldened by his experience
filming "The Way of the Dragon",
115
00:07:38,087 --> 00:07:41,423
'Bruce's ambitions for his next film
increase further.
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00:07:41,548 --> 00:07:44,802
'A film that would use symbolism
to add a philosophical dimension
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00:07:44,927 --> 00:07:46,428
'to the action genre.
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00:07:46,553 --> 00:07:49,890
"'The film to end all films,"
he says at one point.
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00:07:50,474 --> 00:07:53,852
'For nearly a decade, he has spoken
about making what he calls
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00:07:53,978 --> 00:07:55,521
'a multi-level film.
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00:07:55,646 --> 00:07:56,730
As he puts it,
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"'The kind of movies where you can
just watch the surface story if you like,
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00:08:00,609 --> 00:08:02,736
"'or you can look deeper into it."
124
00:08:02,861 --> 00:08:06,198
'The next coproduction
between Concord and Golden Harvest
125
00:08:06,323 --> 00:08:09,201
'will be Bruce's purest
cinematic expression yet
126
00:08:09,326 --> 00:08:10,869
'of Jeet Kune Do in action,
127
00:08:10,995 --> 00:08:14,623
'demonstrating the necessity
of adapting to one's circumstances.
128
00:08:15,416 --> 00:08:17,543
'In a 1972 interview,
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00:08:17,668 --> 00:08:21,296
'he describes an idea for a prologue,
ultimately never filmed.
130
00:09:06,759 --> 00:09:11,722
'A key inspiration for this new idea
happened during a trip to India in 1970,
131
00:09:11,847 --> 00:09:15,934
'scouting locations for an abandoned
project called "The Silent Flute".
132
00:09:16,060 --> 00:09:18,937
'Bruce was struck
by the ancient pagodas he saw there,
133
00:09:19,063 --> 00:09:20,689
'and began to devise a scenario
134
00:09:20,814 --> 00:09:24,359
'where his vision of a multi-level film
became literal:
135
00:09:24,485 --> 00:09:27,613
'one fighter ascending the temple,
higher and higher,
136
00:09:27,738 --> 00:09:30,699
'taking on ever greater challenges
on his way to the top.
137
00:09:32,576 --> 00:09:36,413
'What little is known about Bruce's plans
for the story of "The Game of Death"
138
00:09:36,538 --> 00:09:39,166
'largely stems from a collection
of handwritten notes
139
00:09:39,291 --> 00:09:42,336
'uncovered in a Seattle warehouse
belonging to the Lee estate
140
00:09:42,461 --> 00:09:44,296
'in the mid-1990s.
141
00:09:45,297 --> 00:09:47,341
'As with "The Way of the Dragon"
before it,
142
00:09:47,466 --> 00:09:49,885
'a full script is never written
for "The Game of Death",
143
00:09:50,344 --> 00:09:54,223
'and indeed, Bruce continues
to change his mind about the plot
144
00:09:54,348 --> 00:09:57,267
'devising new characters
and whole subplots
145
00:09:57,392 --> 00:09:59,561
'right up to the day he dies.
146
00:10:00,604 --> 00:10:04,066
'Though this stands in stark contrast
to western film production
147
00:10:04,191 --> 00:10:07,736
'where everything is usually written
and planned well in advance,
148
00:10:07,861 --> 00:10:10,197
'it is the norm in Hong Kong filmmaking
149
00:10:10,322 --> 00:10:12,241
'where cast and crew members
might come and go
150
00:10:12,366 --> 00:10:14,284
'depending on the vagaries of scheduling
151
00:10:14,409 --> 00:10:16,120
'and dialogue is sometimes agreed upon
152
00:10:16,245 --> 00:10:18,789
'only minutes before cameras
begin rolling.
153
00:10:19,873 --> 00:10:22,501
'What these semi-improvised,
low-budget films
154
00:10:22,626 --> 00:10:24,837
'lack in polish and narrative finesse,
155
00:10:24,962 --> 00:10:29,091
'they often compensated for
in spontaneous energy and invention.
156
00:10:30,467 --> 00:10:35,013
'Over the coming months, Bruce slowly
fleshes out the story for his next film.
157
00:10:35,139 --> 00:10:37,141
'On one level, it is an action film
158
00:10:37,266 --> 00:10:39,643
'showcasing an array
of fighting techniques.
159
00:10:39,768 --> 00:10:43,021
'On the other, it is Bruce's philosophy
for Jeet Kune Do
160
00:10:43,147 --> 00:10:45,399
'literalised in cinematic form.
161
00:10:45,524 --> 00:10:49,903
'No way as way.
No limitation as limitation.
162
00:10:51,321 --> 00:10:53,782
'Whereas "The Way of the Dragon"
and Lee's prior films
163
00:10:53,907 --> 00:10:55,701
'were rooted in the real world
164
00:10:55,826 --> 00:10:59,079
'and even inspired in some cases
by real-life figures,
165
00:10:59,204 --> 00:11:02,332
'his aim for "The Game of Death"
was something altogether different,
166
00:11:02,457 --> 00:11:05,669
'something stranger,
perhaps even metaphysical.
167
00:11:06,879 --> 00:11:09,715
'Bruce will play the central character
of Hai Tien,
168
00:11:09,840 --> 00:11:13,302
'a retired champion fighter who,
as the film begins,
169
00:11:13,427 --> 00:11:16,847
'is on a flight to Korea
with his sister and younger brother.
170
00:11:16,972 --> 00:11:18,515
'When they land at the airport,
171
00:11:18,640 --> 00:11:22,019
'the trio are kidnapped by the henchmen
of a local crime boss.
172
00:11:22,144 --> 00:11:24,646
'The gangster holds
Hai Tien's family hostage,
173
00:11:24,771 --> 00:11:27,691
'unless he volunteers to fly out
to a secluded compound
174
00:11:27,816 --> 00:11:29,193
'in the Korean wilderness,
175
00:11:29,318 --> 00:11:33,238
'in the middle of which
is an ancient pagoda, five floors high.
176
00:11:33,363 --> 00:11:35,449
'The boss wants something
from the top of the pagoda,
177
00:11:35,574 --> 00:11:38,994
'and Hai Tien will have to battle his way
through various opponents to get it,
178
00:11:39,119 --> 00:11:40,537
'one level at a time.
179
00:11:41,413 --> 00:11:44,499
'Each opponent is a representative
of a different fighting style,
180
00:11:44,625 --> 00:11:47,419
'with Hai Tien having to assess
each fighter's abilities
181
00:11:47,544 --> 00:11:49,129
'and adapt his own techniques
182
00:11:49,254 --> 00:11:52,382
'in order to climb the tower
and win his siblings' freedom.
183
00:11:53,091 --> 00:11:57,346
'Hai Tien is joined on his mission
by a handful of the crime boss' underlings,
184
00:11:57,471 --> 00:12:01,725
'each motivated by greed and ambition
in their quest to make it to the top.
185
00:12:02,226 --> 00:12:04,770
'When they reach the compound,
Hai Tien and the others
186
00:12:04,895 --> 00:12:07,981
'are confronted by dozens
of nameless karate fighters
187
00:12:08,106 --> 00:12:10,108
'guarding the outside of the pagoda.
188
00:12:10,234 --> 00:12:11,735
'Upon dispatching the fighters,
189
00:12:11,860 --> 00:12:14,404
'a locksmith breaks them
inside the temple.
190
00:12:14,529 --> 00:12:17,741
'The opponent they face on the ground floor
is a master of hapkido
191
00:12:17,866 --> 00:12:20,369
'especially skilled at kicking.
192
00:12:20,494 --> 00:12:23,664
'After defeating him,
they ascend to the second level,
193
00:12:23,789 --> 00:12:26,583
'guarded by an expert
in Praying Mantis kung fu.
194
00:12:27,876 --> 00:12:29,962
'Sadly, though Bruce wrote dialogue
195
00:12:30,087 --> 00:12:32,089
'for many of the aforementioned
sequences,
196
00:12:32,214 --> 00:12:34,758
'he would not live long enough
to actually film them,
197
00:12:34,883 --> 00:12:37,719
'nor would he ever write
the story's grand conclusion.
198
00:12:37,844 --> 00:12:41,223
'Instead, the only scenes
that saw the light of a camera,
199
00:12:41,348 --> 00:12:43,517
'barely coherent out of context,
200
00:12:43,642 --> 00:12:47,312
'show Hai Tien's ascent up
the remaining three floors of the pagoda.
201
00:12:47,437 --> 00:12:50,649
'The Hall of the Tiger,
'in which he and two other fighters
202
00:12:50,774 --> 00:12:53,819
'battle an expert
in Filipino eskrima techniques,
203
00:12:53,944 --> 00:12:56,363
'not least mastery
of the deadly nunchaku.
204
00:12:57,072 --> 00:13:01,118
'The Hall of the Dragon, where Hai Tien
fights another hapkido grandmaster,
205
00:13:01,243 --> 00:13:04,746
'this time one adept at grappling
and hand-to-hand combat.
206
00:13:04,871 --> 00:13:07,332
'And finally, the Hall of the Unknown,
207
00:13:07,457 --> 00:13:10,502
'where Hai Tien,
now the last survivor of the mission,
208
00:13:10,627 --> 00:13:14,172
'finds his adaptability tested
against a mysterious foe
209
00:13:14,298 --> 00:13:18,552
'whose fighting style is as formless
and unpredictable as his own.
210
00:13:19,177 --> 00:13:22,264
'As postproduction on "The Way
of the Dragon" approaches its end
211
00:13:22,389 --> 00:13:24,141
'in August of 1972,
212
00:13:24,266 --> 00:13:27,436
'Bruce begins to assemble his co-stars
for "The Game of Death".
213
00:13:27,561 --> 00:13:29,521
'For the henchmen
accompanying Hai Tien,
214
00:13:29,646 --> 00:13:32,107
'Lee jots down the names of four actors:
215
00:13:32,649 --> 00:13:36,611
'James Tien, his co-star
in "The Big Boss" and "Fist of Fury",
216
00:13:36,737 --> 00:13:40,657
'Chieh Yuan, a former stuntman
for Shaw Brothers,
217
00:13:40,782 --> 00:13:42,409
'Carter Wong, whom Bruce has met
218
00:13:42,534 --> 00:13:45,078
'on the set
of the Golden Harvest film "Hapkido",
219
00:13:45,203 --> 00:13:49,583
'and Tony Liu, who also co-starred
in Lee's three previous films.
220
00:13:49,708 --> 00:13:52,461
'As the latter two characters
were slated to be killed off
221
00:13:52,586 --> 00:13:54,504
'before reaching the Hall of the Tiger,
222
00:13:54,629 --> 00:13:57,674
'Wong and Liu never film any scenes
for "The Game of Death",
223
00:13:57,799 --> 00:14:01,178
'and in Liu's case, his name is
ultimately crossed out altogether,
224
00:14:01,303 --> 00:14:04,139
'rumoured to be replaced
with a white American fighter.
225
00:14:04,264 --> 00:14:05,432
'As with his previous film,
226
00:14:05,557 --> 00:14:08,310
'Bruce shows a preference
to cast not trained actors
227
00:14:08,435 --> 00:14:11,730
'with some martial arts skills,
but rather expert martial artists
228
00:14:11,855 --> 00:14:14,816
'with little to no previous experience
on camera.
229
00:14:14,941 --> 00:14:17,527
'Among them are two
of his favourite former students
230
00:14:17,652 --> 00:14:19,404
'and closest friends from America:
231
00:14:20,197 --> 00:14:24,785
'Dan Inosanto, with whom he founded
his Jeet Kune Do school in Los Angeles,
232
00:14:24,910 --> 00:14:28,455
'and rising NBA basketball star,
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
233
00:14:28,997 --> 00:14:32,167
'Neither of them has ever appeared
in a motion picture before.
234
00:14:33,960 --> 00:14:36,463
'As Bruce continues
to flesh out the story
235
00:14:36,588 --> 00:14:39,216
'and a single set is built
at Golden Harvest Studios
236
00:14:39,341 --> 00:14:41,718
'that will stand for each floor
of the pagoda,
237
00:14:41,843 --> 00:14:44,679
'he plans to start filming
at the end of September.
238
00:14:45,180 --> 00:14:48,308
'But fate threatens to intervene
when he calls Abdul-Jabbar
239
00:14:48,433 --> 00:14:50,727
'and offers him the role
of the final guardian.
240
00:14:50,852 --> 00:14:53,855
'Though the basketball star
is currently on three weeks' leave,
241
00:14:53,980 --> 00:14:57,317
'he is due to start at NBA training camp
in the middle of the month,
242
00:14:57,442 --> 00:15:00,112
'making his participation
in the film impossible.
243
00:15:00,904 --> 00:15:02,948
'Determined to get his vision onscreen,
244
00:15:03,073 --> 00:15:06,159
'Bruce tells him to board a plane
to Hong Kong as soon as he can.
245
00:15:06,284 --> 00:15:08,787
'They will simply film all of his scenes
ahead of schedule
246
00:15:08,912 --> 00:15:12,290
'in plenty of time for him
to return to the USA for training.
247
00:15:12,416 --> 00:15:15,210
'Thankfully, Abdul-Jabbar agrees,
248
00:15:15,335 --> 00:15:17,879
'and so filming
of "The Game of Death" begins,
249
00:15:18,004 --> 00:15:20,882
'perhaps fittingly, at the story's end.'
250
00:15:38,692 --> 00:15:42,863
(Narrator) 'With a handwritten shot list
and choreography notes in place,
251
00:15:42,988 --> 00:15:45,657
'Lee assembles much of the crew
from "The Way of the Dragon"
252
00:15:45,782 --> 00:15:48,618
'to join him for filming his battle
against Abdul-Jabbar.
253
00:15:49,453 --> 00:15:51,872
'Among them are assistant director
Ricky Chik,
254
00:15:52,789 --> 00:15:56,585
'and 50-year-old Japanese
cinematographer Tadashi Nishimoto.
255
00:15:58,670 --> 00:16:00,422
'In addition to Abdul-Jabbar,
256
00:16:00,547 --> 00:16:04,593
'James Tien, Bruce's co-star
from "The Big Boss" and "Fist of Fury",
257
00:16:04,718 --> 00:16:06,887
'joins the first round of filming.
258
00:16:07,012 --> 00:16:11,558
'Bruce, Tien and Abdul-Jabbar
participate in a promotional photo shoot
259
00:16:11,683 --> 00:16:13,518
'as filming commences.
260
00:16:13,643 --> 00:16:16,229
'In the years that follow,
it is these images,
261
00:16:16,354 --> 00:16:18,899
'taken by freelance photographer
Chang Yuk,
262
00:16:19,024 --> 00:16:22,277
'published far and wide by the media
in the wake of Lee's death,
263
00:16:22,819 --> 00:16:25,572
'that propel the incomplete
"Game of Death" project
264
00:16:25,697 --> 00:16:27,532
'to almost a mythic status.
265
00:16:30,702 --> 00:16:34,539
'Filming begins on September 7th
on the top-secret project
266
00:16:34,664 --> 00:16:36,791
'with Bruce remaining
behind the camera,
267
00:16:36,917 --> 00:16:39,586
'directing the fight
between James and Kareem.
268
00:16:39,711 --> 00:16:43,798
'The title written on the slate seen
between setups is simply "audition".
269
00:16:44,508 --> 00:16:48,220
'The title "The Game of Death"
will not be confirmed for some weeks,
270
00:16:48,345 --> 00:16:51,806
'with the project referred to in a trade
announcement under the working title
271
00:16:51,932 --> 00:16:53,600
"'Yellow-Faced Tiger".
272
00:16:55,268 --> 00:16:58,438
'Born in Guangdong, China in 1942,
273
00:16:58,563 --> 00:17:02,234
'James Tien moved with his family
to Hong Kong in 1958,
274
00:17:02,359 --> 00:17:05,529
'and after a stint at the Fu Sheng
Drama School in Taiwan
275
00:17:05,654 --> 00:17:09,491
'began acting as a contract player
for Shaw Brothers in 1969.
276
00:17:10,075 --> 00:17:12,869
'He decamped to Golden Harvest
along with director Lo Wei
277
00:17:12,994 --> 00:17:14,287
'in the following the year,
278
00:17:14,412 --> 00:17:16,581
'and climbed the ladder
to leading-man status
279
00:17:16,706 --> 00:17:18,917
'in films such as "The Invincible Eight",
280
00:17:19,042 --> 00:17:21,920
"'The Blade Spares None"
and "The Chase".
281
00:17:22,671 --> 00:17:27,259
'James Tien's character,
referred to in Lee's notes as Tien Da,
282
00:17:27,384 --> 00:17:30,053
'is one of the other fighters
sent by the crime boss.
283
00:17:30,595 --> 00:17:34,140
'Primarily cast as noble heroes
at this stage in his career,
284
00:17:34,266 --> 00:17:37,727
'Bruce cast Tien against type
as a duplicitous schemer
285
00:17:37,852 --> 00:17:40,772
'who tricks his way up
to the final floor of the pagoda,
286
00:17:40,897 --> 00:17:44,484
'only to get his just deserts
as he is hopelessly outmatched
287
00:17:44,609 --> 00:17:46,444
'by the foe awaiting him at the top.
288
00:17:47,612 --> 00:17:49,948
'Though this is the third time
James Tien and Bruce Lee
289
00:17:50,073 --> 00:17:51,324
'have worked with one another,
290
00:17:51,449 --> 00:17:54,160
'their collaboration got off
to a shaky start.
291
00:17:54,286 --> 00:17:56,329
'In the first half of "The Big Boss",
292
00:17:56,454 --> 00:18:00,458
'the apparent star of the film is
arguably not Bruce, but James Tien,
293
00:18:00,584 --> 00:18:03,670
'who confidently leads
the film's early fight scenes.
294
00:18:03,795 --> 00:18:05,422
'Even when filming started,
295
00:18:05,547 --> 00:18:08,925
'it wasn't clear whether Lee or Tien's
character would lead the film,
296
00:18:09,050 --> 00:18:13,096
'as Raymond Chow seemed to hedge
his bets against his latest signing.
297
00:18:13,221 --> 00:18:16,474
'But as Lee continued to impress
on location in Thailand,
298
00:18:16,600 --> 00:18:18,018
'the die was cast.
299
00:18:18,143 --> 00:18:21,021
'Tien's character would suddenly
be killed off halfway through,
300
00:18:21,146 --> 00:18:23,481
'with Bruce's character
avenging his death,
301
00:18:23,607 --> 00:18:27,110
'as well as that of his other friends
and family in the second half.
302
00:18:27,777 --> 00:18:31,239
'But following his alleged displacement
from the lead role in "The Big Boss",
303
00:18:31,364 --> 00:18:33,992
'Tien's stint as a headline name
was short-lived,
304
00:18:34,576 --> 00:18:36,953
'and "The Game of Death"
was the first of several roles
305
00:18:37,078 --> 00:18:38,663
'playing heels and villains,
306
00:18:38,788 --> 00:18:43,043
'as Tien gradually settled into life
as a busy, dependable character actor.
307
00:18:58,892 --> 00:19:04,564
'Born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr
in 1947, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,
308
00:19:04,689 --> 00:19:08,652
'his Muslim name,
meaning "noble one, servant of Allah",
309
00:19:09,194 --> 00:19:11,237
'met Bruce Lee in 1968
310
00:19:11,363 --> 00:19:15,825
'when he was looking for a martial arts
tutor after graduating from UCLA.
311
00:19:15,950 --> 00:19:19,913
'Lee and the well-read,
intellectually curious Abdul-Jabbar,
312
00:19:20,038 --> 00:19:23,124
'who had just converted to Islam,
became fast friends.
313
00:19:23,792 --> 00:19:27,170
'While tutoring the future NBA star
in Jeet Kune Do
314
00:19:27,295 --> 00:19:30,715
'and still dreaming of the prosperous
filmmaking career yet to come,
315
00:19:30,840 --> 00:19:33,134
'Lee often considered
the cinematic possibilities
316
00:19:33,259 --> 00:19:35,303
'of an onscreen duel between the two,
317
00:19:35,428 --> 00:19:40,100
'with Lee standing at 5'7",
and Abdul-Jabbar at 7'2".
318
00:19:41,101 --> 00:19:43,019
'The introduction
of Abdul-Jabbar's character
319
00:19:43,144 --> 00:19:46,731
'remains one of "The Game of Death" 's
most enduring images.
320
00:19:46,856 --> 00:19:49,651
'One could argue that the design
of the Guardian of the Unknown
321
00:19:49,776 --> 00:19:51,653
'was an influence
on Arnold Schwarzenegger's
322
00:19:51,778 --> 00:19:54,739
'portrayal of the Terminator
over a decade later:
323
00:19:54,864 --> 00:19:59,536
'a tall, mute, seemingly inhuman foe
with superhuman strength,
324
00:20:00,078 --> 00:20:02,330
'his impassive features largely hidden
325
00:20:02,455 --> 00:20:05,208
'behind a pair of impenetrable
black sunglasses.
326
00:20:28,148 --> 00:20:30,650
'In a moment,
there is a break in the action
327
00:20:30,775 --> 00:20:33,027
'to be filled with shots
of Bruce's character
328
00:20:33,153 --> 00:20:35,905
'still fighting another opponent
on the floor below
329
00:20:36,030 --> 00:20:38,491
'that won't be filmed
for another six weeks.
330
00:20:41,161 --> 00:20:42,537
'When the scene resumes,
331
00:20:42,662 --> 00:20:45,498
'Tien's character is
already fighting for his life.
332
00:21:16,362 --> 00:21:20,116
'He makes one futile, final dash
for the top of the pagoda,
333
00:21:20,241 --> 00:21:23,244
'but the Guardian of the Unknown
effortless plucks him down
334
00:21:23,369 --> 00:21:26,748
'in a move that will doubtless
look familiar to basketball fans.
335
00:21:26,873 --> 00:21:30,293
'It is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's
trademark skyhook,
336
00:21:30,418 --> 00:21:34,255
'where he leaps in the air while holding
the ball as high as he can in one hand,
337
00:21:34,380 --> 00:21:36,299
'well out of the reach of the other team.
338
00:21:37,383 --> 00:21:40,804
'His triumphant trademark
is creatively repurposed by Bruce
339
00:21:40,929 --> 00:21:42,514
'into something otherworldly,
340
00:21:42,639 --> 00:21:45,767
'unlike anything seen
on Hong Kong cinema screens before.
341
00:21:47,644 --> 00:21:51,064
'Not long after James Tien
subtly sticks his neck out enough
342
00:21:51,189 --> 00:21:53,399
'for Abdul-Jabbar to reach
and pull him down,
343
00:21:54,859 --> 00:21:57,445
'the Guardian's superhuman strength
is further demonstrated
344
00:21:57,570 --> 00:21:59,405
'in the next few shots,
345
00:22:00,281 --> 00:22:02,534
'as he begins to choke
and squeeze Tien's throat
346
00:22:02,659 --> 00:22:04,285
'while suspending him in mid-air,
347
00:22:04,410 --> 00:22:06,913
'before flinging him across the room
like a ragdoll.
348
00:22:16,214 --> 00:22:18,800
'As filming continues, on September 8th,
349
00:22:18,925 --> 00:22:21,886
'Tien stands on a box
during the over-the-shoulder shots,
350
00:22:22,011 --> 00:22:24,722
'while the wide shots are accomplished
using a wire harness
351
00:22:24,848 --> 00:22:26,683
'attached to his back.
352
00:22:51,374 --> 00:22:54,878
'Though wirework became ubiquitous
in later Hong Kong action films,
353
00:22:55,003 --> 00:22:58,006
'in particular those choreographed
by Yuen Woo-ping,
354
00:22:58,131 --> 00:23:00,133
'it was still in its infancy here,
355
00:23:00,258 --> 00:23:03,469
'and had only made one prior
appearance in a Bruce Lee film,
356
00:23:03,595 --> 00:23:07,849
'in a stunt performed by a young
Jackie Chan at the end of "Fist of Fury".
357
00:23:08,850 --> 00:23:10,685
'For the second half of the stunt,
358
00:23:10,810 --> 00:23:14,063
'in which his character is flung across
to the other side of the room,
359
00:23:14,731 --> 00:23:16,566
'Tien achieves the desired height
360
00:23:16,691 --> 00:23:19,402
'by jumping off a strategically
placed mattress,
361
00:23:19,527 --> 00:23:22,572
'similar to the trampolining effect
already well established
362
00:23:22,697 --> 00:23:26,367
'in the wuxia pian swordplay films
still popular in Hong Kong,
363
00:23:26,492 --> 00:23:30,038
'whose characters frequently clashed
in gravity-detying duels.
364
00:23:32,165 --> 00:23:35,668
'The beginning of the jump isn't intended
to be included in the final film,
365
00:23:35,793 --> 00:23:39,797
'but winds up featuring in some later
assemblies of the footage nonetheless.
366
00:23:57,982 --> 00:24:00,818
'Ironically filming his character's
final scenes in the film
367
00:24:00,944 --> 00:24:02,946
'on only the second day of filming,
368
00:24:03,071 --> 00:24:04,697
'the defeated and terrified Tien
369
00:24:04,822 --> 00:24:07,951
'attempts to scream for help
from Bruce's character, Hai Tien,
370
00:24:08,076 --> 00:24:10,578
'still fighting another foe
on the floor below.
371
00:24:11,537 --> 00:24:14,958
'As he reaches for his throat,
Tien can hardly make a sound,
372
00:24:15,083 --> 00:24:18,461
'his vocal chords crushed
by the Guardian of the Unknown.
373
00:24:36,562 --> 00:24:39,190
'In Bruce Lee's first scene
of the film to be shot,
374
00:24:39,315 --> 00:24:41,818
'Hai Tien ascends
to the Hall of the Unknown,
375
00:24:41,943 --> 00:24:45,238
'narrowly avoiding a collision
with Tien Da's lifeless body.
376
00:24:46,072 --> 00:24:47,949
'Though it is the start of shooting,
377
00:24:48,074 --> 00:24:51,661
'Bruce's face is already bruised
from the battles fought thus far,
378
00:24:51,786 --> 00:24:55,456
'some yet to be filmed,
others never to be filmed at all.
379
00:25:07,760 --> 00:25:11,431
'It is Bruce's first day in front
of the camera on "The Game of Death"
380
00:25:11,556 --> 00:25:13,558
'and his first in costume.
381
00:25:14,100 --> 00:25:16,561
'If the introduction
of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's character
382
00:25:16,686 --> 00:25:19,188
'is one of "The Game of Death" 's
most enduring images,
383
00:25:19,313 --> 00:25:22,400
'not least the subtle moment
when he mimics the slack-jawed wonder
384
00:25:22,525 --> 00:25:24,610
'with which Lee first looks upon him,
385
00:25:24,736 --> 00:25:29,449
'then undoubtedly the top spot on the list
must be reserved for Hai Tien's outfit,
386
00:25:29,574 --> 00:25:31,492
'a full-length yellow jumpsuit
387
00:25:31,617 --> 00:25:34,912
'with black stripes running down
its left- and right-hand side.
388
00:25:35,788 --> 00:25:38,082
'Designed and commissioned
by Lee himself,
389
00:25:38,207 --> 00:25:41,127
'the motivation behind
the jumpsuit's design is simple.
390
00:25:41,252 --> 00:25:44,839
'While other characters in the film
select a stark, traditional wardrobe
391
00:25:44,964 --> 00:25:47,508
'in keeping with their particular
fighting disciplines,
392
00:25:47,633 --> 00:25:52,096
'Hai Tien, who in Lee's script notes
was nicknamed "the Yellow-Faced Tiger"
393
00:25:52,221 --> 00:25:54,098
'in his professional fighting days,
394
00:25:54,223 --> 00:25:58,436
'embraces a style both colourful
and emphatically non-traditional,
395
00:25:58,561 --> 00:26:01,064
'comfortable, bold and fluid,
396
00:26:01,189 --> 00:26:04,859
'an embodiment of the pragmatism
and freeform iconoclasm
397
00:26:04,984 --> 00:26:06,903
'of the Jeet Kune Do approach.
398
00:26:07,028 --> 00:26:09,363
'The jumpsuit's bold colours
are complemented
399
00:26:09,489 --> 00:26:11,657
'with a matching set of sneakers
on his feet,
400
00:26:11,783 --> 00:26:15,411
'one of three different sets Bruce
will wear during the course of filming,
401
00:26:15,536 --> 00:26:18,831
'including the Onitsuka Tiger
Mexico 66 shoes
402
00:26:18,956 --> 00:26:23,377
'in the Tai-Chi yellow and black range
originally launched in Japan.
403
00:26:24,253 --> 00:26:26,464
'As for where Lee got the idea
for the suit,
404
00:26:26,589 --> 00:26:30,301
'several origin stories have been offered,
none of them verified.
405
00:26:30,426 --> 00:26:34,889
'One story says he got the idea from
an outfit lent to him by Roman Polanski
406
00:26:35,014 --> 00:26:37,934
'during a skiing trip
in Gstaad, Switzerland.
407
00:26:38,059 --> 00:26:40,228
'Another says that the suit
was originally designed
408
00:26:40,353 --> 00:26:42,522
'to be black with yellow stripes,
409
00:26:42,647 --> 00:26:46,776
'only to be inverted when it became clear
that yellow would read better on camera
410
00:26:46,901 --> 00:26:49,237
'during the dimly lit fight
with Abdul-Jabbar.
411
00:26:49,821 --> 00:26:52,323
'Regardless, the yellow and black
jumpsuit remains
412
00:26:52,448 --> 00:26:54,784
'arguably the piece of visual iconography
413
00:26:54,909 --> 00:26:57,453
'most associated
with Bruce Lee to this day.
414
00:26:59,539 --> 00:27:01,999
'Director of photography
Tadashi Nishimoto,
415
00:27:02,125 --> 00:27:06,879
'often credited under the Chinese alias
Ho Lan-shan, had previously shot films
416
00:27:07,004 --> 00:27:10,049
'such as King Hu's wuxia landmark
"Come Drink with Me"
417
00:27:10,174 --> 00:27:11,342
'for Shaw Brothers,
418
00:27:11,467 --> 00:27:14,929
'and was responsible for bringing over
the TohoScope widescreen lenses
419
00:27:15,054 --> 00:27:18,724
'that would form the basis of the studio's
iconic Shawscope system.
420
00:27:18,850 --> 00:27:22,854
'His skill at capturing action
in striking, moody compositions,
421
00:27:22,979 --> 00:27:25,690
'often shot at low angles
with very wide lenses,
422
00:27:25,815 --> 00:27:29,902
'was honed in his native Japan when
filming the chanbara swordplay films
423
00:27:30,027 --> 00:27:34,198
'that influenced numerous Hong Kong
filmmakers, not least Bruce Lee.
424
00:27:34,323 --> 00:27:36,909
'As if freed from the shackles
of formal convention
425
00:27:37,034 --> 00:27:39,829
'by the more heightened,
fantastical elements of the story,
426
00:27:39,954 --> 00:27:43,749
'Lee and Nishimoto's camerawork
becomes more playtul and expressive,
427
00:27:43,875 --> 00:27:47,295
'such as this angle shot from the point
of view of Abdul-Jabbar's character
428
00:27:47,420 --> 00:27:50,047
'while sitting in a rocking chair.
429
00:27:51,132 --> 00:27:53,634
'While invention was being
encouraged behind the camera,
430
00:27:53,759 --> 00:27:55,261
'in many other respects
431
00:27:55,386 --> 00:27:59,056
'filming on "The Game of Death"
adheres to standard operating practices
432
00:27:59,182 --> 00:28:00,766
'for Hong Kong filmmaking.
433
00:28:00,892 --> 00:28:04,353
'Most infamously,
no sound is recorded on set.
434
00:28:05,354 --> 00:28:07,648
'Among other things,
the lack of hindrance
435
00:28:07,773 --> 00:28:11,194
'caused by having to accommodate
live sync-sound recording
436
00:28:11,319 --> 00:28:14,197
'allows film crews to shoot
up to twice as much material
437
00:28:14,322 --> 00:28:16,032
'as they would do otherwise,
438
00:28:16,157 --> 00:28:19,368
'a blessing for anyone working
on a densely choreographed fight scene
439
00:28:19,493 --> 00:28:23,080
'on a low budget,
often with a multilingual cast and crew.
440
00:28:36,135 --> 00:28:39,722
'At a time when filmmakers in the West
were still typically breaking scenes
441
00:28:39,847 --> 00:28:43,517
'into a conventional list
of camera angles or setups,
442
00:28:44,060 --> 00:28:46,062
'a master, or a wide shot,
443
00:28:46,187 --> 00:28:49,774
'that captures most or all
of the action in a single take,
444
00:28:49,899 --> 00:28:52,485
'complemented by close-ups
and insert shots
445
00:28:52,610 --> 00:28:55,529
'to accentuate certain elements
within a scene,
446
00:28:55,655 --> 00:28:59,283
'Hong Kong filmmakers, working
at the height of the kung fu boom,
447
00:28:59,408 --> 00:29:02,662
'favoured a style that academic
David Bordwell has referred to
448
00:29:02,787 --> 00:29:04,330
'as "segment shooting",
449
00:29:04,455 --> 00:29:07,959
'wherein the scene is broken up
into several short pieces
450
00:29:08,084 --> 00:29:10,586
'which are dually filmed one at a time,
451
00:29:10,711 --> 00:29:14,465
'even if it involves moving the camera
back and forth multiple times.
452
00:29:15,466 --> 00:29:20,096
'While a Western crew might accuse its
Hong Kong counterparts of inefficiency,
453
00:29:20,221 --> 00:29:23,099
'in fact, the result was
just the opposite,
454
00:29:23,224 --> 00:29:25,977
'with directors choosing
to edit in-camera,
455
00:29:26,102 --> 00:29:28,271
'often resulting in a shooting ratio,
456
00:29:28,396 --> 00:29:30,564
'meaning the amount of raw film shot
457
00:29:30,690 --> 00:29:33,651
'compared to what is actually used
in the completed film,
458
00:29:33,776 --> 00:29:37,280
'usually somewhere
between 2:1 and 3:1,
459
00:29:37,405 --> 00:29:41,242
'compared to a Hollywood average
of 10:1, or often much higher.
460
00:29:42,118 --> 00:29:44,829
'And while a Hollywood director
like Stanley Kubrick
461
00:29:44,954 --> 00:29:48,249
'might enjoy the luxury of shooting
as many takes as he likes,
462
00:29:48,374 --> 00:29:51,460
'even a big star like Bruce Lee
accepts that in Hong Kong,
463
00:29:51,585 --> 00:29:53,754
'if you get it right on the first take,
464
00:29:53,879 --> 00:29:56,007
'you move on to the next angle.
465
00:29:56,632 --> 00:29:59,010
'The economic rationale
is self-explanatory.
466
00:29:59,135 --> 00:30:02,138
'35mm film and studio time
aren't cheap.
467
00:30:02,263 --> 00:30:06,642
'But an expected artistic advantage
is a restless, dynamic energy
468
00:30:06,767 --> 00:30:10,521
'that puts the action scenes in many
of its Western counterparts to shame.
469
00:30:11,105 --> 00:30:12,690
'In spite of the ruthless economy
470
00:30:12,815 --> 00:30:15,443
'that came with the segment shooting
production style,
471
00:30:15,568 --> 00:30:18,237
'Lee holds firm when it comes
to pursuing perfection
472
00:30:18,362 --> 00:30:20,323
'during the combat scenes.
473
00:30:20,448 --> 00:30:23,326
'The third day of filming begins
with a wide angle,
474
00:30:23,451 --> 00:30:26,245
'showing Lee toppling Abdul-Jabbar
with a leglock.
475
00:30:26,954 --> 00:30:29,582
'The following back-and-forth
between Lee and Abdul-Jabbar
476
00:30:29,707 --> 00:30:32,501
'ends up taking no less
than seven takes to shoot,
477
00:30:32,626 --> 00:30:35,629
'with the timing needing to be
absolutely on point.
478
00:30:36,630 --> 00:30:40,676
'You'll notice a pattern emerge in longer
setups that require multiple takes.
479
00:30:40,801 --> 00:30:43,888
'Lee and his scene partner may
initially come across as stiff
480
00:30:44,013 --> 00:30:45,765
'on the first couple of tries,
481
00:30:45,890 --> 00:30:48,934
'as if attempting to remember
the choreography while moving,
482
00:30:49,060 --> 00:30:53,731
'but by the final takes
looking far more fluid and spontaneous.
483
00:30:53,856 --> 00:30:57,151
'Lee has a keen eye
for how not only his moves
484
00:30:57,276 --> 00:31:00,321
'but those of his scene partner's
will read on camera,
485
00:31:00,446 --> 00:31:03,449
'and is aided in judging takes
on more dynamic scenes
486
00:31:03,574 --> 00:31:07,078
'by his trusted cinematographer,
Tadashi Nishimoto.
487
00:31:08,996 --> 00:31:12,792
'As Hai Tien attempts in vain
to best the Guardian of the Unknown,
488
00:31:12,917 --> 00:31:15,211
'who smiles eerily
as his long-limbed strength
489
00:31:15,336 --> 00:31:17,380
'helps him regain the upper hand...
490
00:31:17,505 --> 00:31:19,590
'Or should that be the upper leg?
491
00:31:19,715 --> 00:31:22,968
'...a dramatic dolly shot accompanies
Hai Tien's retreat
492
00:31:23,094 --> 00:31:25,805
'as he stands back to consider
his next move.
493
00:31:25,930 --> 00:31:28,057
'The Guardian sits calmly.
494
00:31:46,867 --> 00:31:50,871
'With almost clairvoyant precision,
the Guardian thrusts out his hands,
495
00:31:50,996 --> 00:31:53,541
'halting Hai Tien's attack
dead in its tracks.
496
00:32:17,648 --> 00:32:20,401
'In his handwritten note
for this part of the fight,
497
00:32:20,526 --> 00:32:23,612
'Bruce writes in Chinese
a voiceover for his character,
498
00:32:23,737 --> 00:32:26,740
'giving the audience an insight
to his inner monologue.
499
00:32:26,866 --> 00:32:29,869
'The voiceover says,
referring to the Guardian,
500
00:32:29,994 --> 00:32:33,456
"'His big advantage is that
he gives no thought to life or death,
501
00:32:33,581 --> 00:32:35,416
"'and with no distracting thoughts,
502
00:32:35,541 --> 00:32:38,878
"'he is therefore free to concentrate
on fighting against the attack
503
00:32:39,003 --> 00:32:40,796
"'from outside."
504
00:32:40,921 --> 00:32:42,381
'As the Guardian stands,
505
00:32:42,506 --> 00:32:45,259
'Kareem Abdul-Jabbar speaks
some of the first dialogue
506
00:32:45,384 --> 00:32:47,094
'Bruce has written for the film.
507
00:32:47,219 --> 00:32:48,971
'In English, he says,
508
00:32:49,096 --> 00:32:51,974
"'Little one, you must have
given up hope of living."
509
00:32:53,350 --> 00:32:56,645
'Lee has Abdul-Jabbar film
three takes of the dialogue,
510
00:32:56,770 --> 00:33:00,149
'his face more still and inscrutable
with each turn.
511
00:33:29,470 --> 00:33:31,805
'The camera reverses for Bruce's reply.
512
00:33:32,848 --> 00:33:37,061
"'On the contrary, I do not let
the word 'death' bother me."
513
00:33:41,565 --> 00:33:44,610
'The Guardian replies,
"Same here, baby."
514
00:33:48,739 --> 00:33:52,243
'To which Hai Tien says,
"Then, what are you waiting for?"
515
00:33:54,286 --> 00:33:58,707
'For some, Lee's dialogue may risk
sounding inelegant and stilted.
516
00:33:58,832 --> 00:34:01,085
'But the stylised nature of the words
are in keeping
517
00:34:01,210 --> 00:34:03,963
'with the heightened unreality
of the tale being told.
518
00:34:05,130 --> 00:34:06,549
'It is in this dialogue
519
00:34:06,674 --> 00:34:10,427
'where the motivation behind the title
"The Game of Death" becomes clear.
520
00:34:10,553 --> 00:34:14,223
'It refers not only to the mortal stakes
of the pagoda heist itself,
521
00:34:14,348 --> 00:34:17,685
'but Hai Tien's transcendence
of his own limitations.
522
00:34:17,810 --> 00:34:21,438
'In understanding and matching
the Guardian's advantage over him
523
00:34:21,564 --> 00:34:25,150
'and how his true strength lies
not in his physical abilities
524
00:34:25,276 --> 00:34:27,111
'but his transcendent mastery over
525
00:34:27,236 --> 00:34:30,531
'and acceptance of
the fear of death itself,
526
00:34:30,656 --> 00:34:35,411
'Hai Tien begins to tip the scales back
in his favour, if only for a short while.
527
00:34:36,870 --> 00:34:38,956
'The arc of Lee and Abdul-Jabbar's fight
528
00:34:39,081 --> 00:34:41,917
'demonstrates the core theme
of Lee's thesis for the film
529
00:34:42,042 --> 00:34:44,211
'and Jeet Kune Do in general.
530
00:34:44,336 --> 00:34:46,463
'This final fight would be the culmination
531
00:34:46,589 --> 00:34:49,425
'of everything demonstrated
throughout the preceding battles
532
00:34:49,550 --> 00:34:51,510
'on the lower floors of the pagoda.
533
00:34:51,635 --> 00:34:53,721
'Unlike those earlier fights, however,
534
00:34:53,846 --> 00:34:56,765
'Hai Tien has two significant
disadvantages:
535
00:34:56,890 --> 00:34:59,602
'the Guardian of the Unknown's
physical size and strength,
536
00:34:59,727 --> 00:35:02,771
'in particular the long reach
of his arms and legs,
537
00:35:02,896 --> 00:35:06,984
'but also his own unpredictable lack
of a specific fighting discipline.
538
00:35:07,526 --> 00:35:10,654
'Like the small willow tree
that withstands the snowstorm
539
00:35:10,779 --> 00:35:13,032
'while larger oaks around it fall,
540
00:35:13,157 --> 00:35:17,036
'his character will ultimately triumph
against the colossus in front of him
541
00:35:17,161 --> 00:35:20,039
'not through the mastery
of one specific fighting regimen,
542
00:35:20,164 --> 00:35:23,042
'but learning his opponent's strengths
and weaknesses in combat
543
00:35:23,167 --> 00:35:25,836
'and adapting his strategy accordingly,
544
00:35:25,961 --> 00:35:28,297
'fighting smarter, not harder.
545
00:35:29,048 --> 00:35:32,009
'Having already been knocked down
once at the start of the fight,
546
00:35:32,134 --> 00:35:34,762
'he starts allowing the Guardian
to make the first move,
547
00:35:34,887 --> 00:35:38,307
'continually learning as he responds
to each move in turn.
548
00:36:39,660 --> 00:36:41,912
'In one of the violent highlights
of the scene,
549
00:36:42,037 --> 00:36:43,664
'Hai Tien nearly meets his end
550
00:36:43,789 --> 00:36:45,624
'when the Guardian attempts
to push his face
551
00:36:45,749 --> 00:36:50,546
'onto the sharp end of a broken vase
until he bends his body in such a way
552
00:36:50,671 --> 00:36:54,174
'to be able to kick the Guardian
in the head, escaping his grasp.
553
00:36:55,426 --> 00:36:58,679
'In spite of a debilitating
back injury in 1970
554
00:36:58,804 --> 00:37:00,723
'that had been one
of the contributing factors
555
00:37:00,848 --> 00:37:03,183
'behind his hiatus from Hollywood acting,
556
00:37:03,308 --> 00:37:05,686
'Bruce maintains intense core strength,
557
00:37:05,811 --> 00:37:09,106
'allowing him to perform
this difficult stunt singlehandedly
558
00:37:09,231 --> 00:37:11,984
'without the use of doubles
or wire assistance,
559
00:37:12,109 --> 00:37:15,988
'aided only by the counterbalance offered
as Kareem holds the back of his head.
560
00:37:17,531 --> 00:37:19,742
'However, the lack of a camera angle
561
00:37:19,867 --> 00:37:23,162
'explicitly detailing how Hai Tien
is able to flip himself over
562
00:37:23,287 --> 00:37:25,456
'in such a way
where he lands on his feet
563
00:37:25,581 --> 00:37:27,624
'means this scene
is cut together awkwardly
564
00:37:27,750 --> 00:37:29,793
'in any assembly of the footage.
565
00:37:32,212 --> 00:37:35,924
'In a project so deliberately
and ambitiously choreographed,
566
00:37:36,049 --> 00:37:40,345
'it stands out as the one move
one could reasonably call a cheat.
567
00:37:42,139 --> 00:37:44,016
'We can speculate
that Lee might have planned
568
00:37:44,141 --> 00:37:46,226
'for a pick-up shot at a later date,
569
00:37:46,351 --> 00:37:49,688
'perhaps being doubled by Yuen Wah,
the acrobatic stuntman
570
00:37:49,813 --> 00:37:52,775
'that would later perform backflips
for Bruce on "Enter the Dragon".
571
00:37:53,317 --> 00:37:57,321
'However, no notes or footage exist
to corroborate this,
572
00:37:57,446 --> 00:38:00,866
'and though Yuen Wah will appear
in "The Game of Death" footage later on,
573
00:38:00,991 --> 00:38:03,202
'it is not to double Bruce.
574
00:38:06,663 --> 00:38:09,333
'September 10th,
the fourth day of filming.
575
00:38:10,834 --> 00:38:14,296
'One interesting flourish that
Lee gives Abdul-Jabbar to perform
576
00:38:14,421 --> 00:38:19,009
'is the Guardian adjusting his sunglasses
as the fight increases intensity,
577
00:38:19,134 --> 00:38:21,220
'showing both his rattled realisation
578
00:38:21,345 --> 00:38:24,723
'that Hai Tien may not be the pushover
he originally assumed,
579
00:38:24,848 --> 00:38:28,310
'but also cluing the audience in
on his one major weakness
580
00:38:28,435 --> 00:38:31,146
'that will be exploited
later in the fight.
581
00:39:10,519 --> 00:39:13,605
'As Hai Tien begins to gain
the upper hand against the Guardian,
582
00:39:13,730 --> 00:39:17,734
'he makes things really personal
with an uppercut punch to the groin.
583
00:40:11,830 --> 00:40:15,208
'Once again, Bruce's choreography notes
for the scene
584
00:40:15,334 --> 00:40:19,588
'include a line of internal monologue,
potentially to be recorded in voiceover.
585
00:40:20,213 --> 00:40:24,301
'Here, Hai Tien assesses the advantage
he now has over the Guardian.
586
00:40:25,135 --> 00:40:26,678
"'With his great size,
587
00:40:26,803 --> 00:40:30,974
"'he's going to find it difficult to keep
getting up each time I knock him down."
588
00:41:35,831 --> 00:41:38,917
'As Hai Tien senses
the Guardian's growing exhaustion,
589
00:41:39,042 --> 00:41:41,420
'Bruce writes another piece
of internal monologue
590
00:41:41,545 --> 00:41:43,964
'referring to his next plan of attack:
591
00:41:44,089 --> 00:41:47,259
"'Look at him.
Give him the fatigue bombing."
592
00:43:01,291 --> 00:43:04,127
'One criticism levelled at Lee
on and off through the years
593
00:43:04,252 --> 00:43:06,546
'was that he allowed himself
to look too invincible
594
00:43:06,671 --> 00:43:09,341
'in many of the fights
he choreographed himself,
595
00:43:09,466 --> 00:43:12,594
'always having the upper hand
against whoever he was sparring with,
596
00:43:12,719 --> 00:43:14,763
'in contrast to the conventional wisdom
597
00:43:14,888 --> 00:43:17,557
'that a fight scene should set
its protagonist against a foe
598
00:43:17,682 --> 00:43:21,103
'of equal or greater ability
to heighten the tension,
599
00:43:21,228 --> 00:43:23,313
'to put the audience
on the edge of their seat
600
00:43:23,438 --> 00:43:26,149
'about whether the hero will survive.
601
00:43:26,274 --> 00:43:29,653
'Setting aside Lee's motivations
for not doing so for now,
602
00:43:29,778 --> 00:43:32,197
'the arc of this battle with Abdul-Jabbar,
603
00:43:32,322 --> 00:43:34,908
'like the fight with Chuck Norris
in "The Way of the Dragon",
604
00:43:35,033 --> 00:43:37,994
'follows the more common structure
of the vulnerable hero
605
00:43:38,120 --> 00:43:39,996
'looking increasingly exhausted,
606
00:43:40,122 --> 00:43:42,207
'almost succumbing
to his adversary's strength
607
00:43:42,332 --> 00:43:44,042
'two thirds of the way through.
608
00:43:44,167 --> 00:43:46,294
'Whereas Lee's character
in his previous film
609
00:43:46,419 --> 00:43:50,507
'won the fight against Norris
through the surgical use of Jeet Kune Do,
610
00:43:50,632 --> 00:43:54,010
'Hai Tien regains his advantage
against the Guardian of the Unknown
611
00:43:54,136 --> 00:43:56,471
'through a lucky discovery,
612
00:43:56,596 --> 00:43:58,890
'as Hai Tien accidentally
breaks the paper
613
00:43:59,015 --> 00:44:01,309
'covering the square windows
of the pagoda,
614
00:44:01,434 --> 00:44:04,479
'causing daylight to flood
the darkened Hall of the Unknown.
615
00:44:04,604 --> 00:44:07,858
'The fourth day of filming the scene
ends with a happy occasion,
616
00:44:07,983 --> 00:44:09,943
'assistant director Ricky Chik's wedding,
617
00:44:10,068 --> 00:44:13,446
'with Bruce, Raymond Chow
and others in attendance.
618
00:44:14,072 --> 00:44:16,449
'But before Ricky can head off
on his honeymoon,
619
00:44:16,575 --> 00:44:19,035
'there's one more day of filming
left to go.
620
00:44:19,161 --> 00:44:21,705
'September 11th, 1972.
621
00:44:21,830 --> 00:44:25,041
'Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's
last day of filming.
622
00:44:25,167 --> 00:44:28,670
'The Guardian recoils,
revealing his Achilles' heel.
623
00:44:29,254 --> 00:44:31,715
'The sunglasses aren't just to look cool.
624
00:44:31,840 --> 00:44:34,634
'He has a crippling sensitivity
to daylight.
625
00:44:37,762 --> 00:44:40,974
'Hai Tien seizes the advantage
and lays into the Guardian,
626
00:44:41,099 --> 00:44:42,976
'sending him to the floor.
627
00:46:22,617 --> 00:46:26,371
'Three takes are filmed from
Abdul-Jabbar's character's point of view.
628
00:46:26,496 --> 00:46:29,666
'The first maintains a constant focus
from start to finish,
629
00:46:29,791 --> 00:46:32,419
'with the next two toying
with a shifting focus,
630
00:46:32,544 --> 00:46:36,923
'implying that he's losing concentration
and may even be concussed.
631
00:46:44,472 --> 00:46:48,101
'The effect, achieved in-camera
by Tadashi Nishimoto,
632
00:46:48,226 --> 00:46:50,645
'is repeated from a similar moment
with Chuck Norris
633
00:46:50,770 --> 00:46:52,605
'in "The Way of the "Dragon".
634
00:46:58,403 --> 00:47:00,113
'The Guardian's allergy to sunlight
635
00:47:00,238 --> 00:47:03,074
'is never explained
in Lee's notes for the film,
636
00:47:03,199 --> 00:47:05,076
'nor is it known
whether he ever discussed it
637
00:47:05,201 --> 00:47:07,245
'with Abdul-Jabbar or anyone else.
638
00:47:08,413 --> 00:47:12,042
'Though Lee's characteristically
grounded, authentic choreography
639
00:47:12,167 --> 00:47:16,004
'tempers any notion the film will venture
into the realm of outright fantasy,
640
00:47:16,129 --> 00:47:17,672
'unlike many of the wuxia films
641
00:47:17,797 --> 00:47:20,550
'inspired by Chinese myth and legend
that preceded it,
642
00:47:20,675 --> 00:47:23,303
'or even the wire-fu films that followed,
643
00:47:23,428 --> 00:47:27,057
'a vein of magical realism runs
through "The Game of Death",
644
00:47:27,182 --> 00:47:29,559
'subtle and often unremarked upon.
645
00:47:30,226 --> 00:47:32,437
'What we see instead
in "The Game of Death",
646
00:47:32,562 --> 00:47:35,357
'albeit in controlled, nascent bursts,
647
00:47:35,482 --> 00:47:38,651
'is Bruce Lee's imagination
given free rein.
648
00:47:40,445 --> 00:47:41,946
'At the story's core,
649
00:47:42,072 --> 00:47:46,409
'the farfetched notion of the remote
ancient temple guarded by expert fighters,
650
00:47:46,534 --> 00:47:50,246
'whose lives solely revolve
around mastering their craft in solitude
651
00:47:50,372 --> 00:47:52,624
'while fending off
the occasional intruder,
652
00:47:52,749 --> 00:47:56,544
'is one steeped in a mythic,
almost dream-like illogic.
653
00:47:57,587 --> 00:47:59,547
'Would Lee have clarified
the practicalities
654
00:47:59,672 --> 00:48:03,176
'of such an unlikely arrangement
in a finished script had he lived?
655
00:48:03,760 --> 00:48:05,136
'Unlikely.
656
00:48:05,261 --> 00:48:07,097
'Some have even compared
"The Game of Death"
657
00:48:07,222 --> 00:48:10,016
'to Lee's script for "The Silent Flute"
from 1970,
658
00:48:10,141 --> 00:48:13,311
'a tale much more driven
by esoteric philosophical ideas
659
00:48:13,436 --> 00:48:15,355
'and 1960s psychedelia
660
00:48:15,480 --> 00:48:18,024
'than anything he would
subsequently film in Hong Kong.
661
00:48:18,733 --> 00:48:21,653
'Whether due to the low budgets
offered by Golden Harvest
662
00:48:21,778 --> 00:48:23,988
'or simply changing tastes on his part,
663
00:48:24,114 --> 00:48:27,951
'Bruce only teases at the otherworldly
potential of his storyline.
664
00:48:28,660 --> 00:48:32,080
'Any philosophical breakthroughs
in the script are purely subtextual
665
00:48:32,205 --> 00:48:34,833
'and left to the audience's imagination.
666
00:50:15,308 --> 00:50:19,354
'However, one brief series of setups
during the filming of this scene
667
00:50:19,479 --> 00:50:22,482
'offer two tantalising glimpses
of the fantastical nature
668
00:50:22,607 --> 00:50:24,317
'of the Guardian of the Unknown,
669
00:50:24,442 --> 00:50:28,780
'unremarked upon in the script
or anywhere in Lee's notes.
670
00:50:28,905 --> 00:50:32,408
'The first occurs after Hai Tien
has kicked the Guardian's sunglasses
671
00:50:32,534 --> 00:50:37,664
'from his face, leaving him blinded
and cowering in the safety of the dark.
672
00:50:51,719 --> 00:50:55,473
'Lee and Nishimoto shoot three takes
of a point-of-view shot
673
00:50:55,598 --> 00:50:57,850
'filmed from the Guardian's perspective.
674
00:50:57,976 --> 00:51:00,645
'The initial take is filmed
with a red filter,
675
00:51:00,770 --> 00:51:04,941
'almost as if the Guardian's eyes
are being flooded with ultraviolet light.
676
00:51:07,235 --> 00:51:10,780
'On the second and third takes,
the filter is removed.
677
00:51:10,905 --> 00:51:14,659
'Whether this means the red filter was
an experiment that was swiftly abandoned
678
00:51:14,784 --> 00:51:18,788
'or if Lee was simply covering his bases
by filming the scene both ways,
679
00:51:18,913 --> 00:51:20,665
'we will never know.
680
00:51:22,250 --> 00:51:25,670
'However, Bruce attempts
another experiment
681
00:51:25,795 --> 00:51:29,132
'as he films a close-up
of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's eyes.
682
00:51:29,757 --> 00:51:33,177
'Abdul-Jabbar poses static
for the camera in the single take.
683
00:51:34,721 --> 00:51:38,057
'Then, in probably the most mysterious
piece of footage
684
00:51:38,182 --> 00:51:39,726
'filmed for "The Game of Death",
685
00:51:39,851 --> 00:51:45,064
'a still image of Abdul-Jabbar's face
is filmed with serpentine, mutant eyes
686
00:51:45,189 --> 00:51:47,191
'painted on top of his own.
687
00:51:48,651 --> 00:51:52,530
'How Lee would have incorporated
this twist, what it means,
688
00:51:52,655 --> 00:51:54,699
'and whether it would have
even been used at all,
689
00:51:54,824 --> 00:51:56,701
'is, again, unknown.
690
00:51:57,493 --> 00:52:00,580
'The shot is reminiscent
of the reveal of the father's eyes
691
00:52:00,705 --> 00:52:02,749
'in the dream scene
from "Rosemary's Baby",
692
00:52:02,874 --> 00:52:05,293
'directed by Lee's friend,
Roman Polanski,
693
00:52:05,418 --> 00:52:09,547
'and a supernatural, perhaps even
vampiric element seems inevitable,
694
00:52:09,672 --> 00:52:13,092
'given the character's super strength
and aversion to light.
695
00:52:13,217 --> 00:52:15,428
'But with little else to contextualise it,
696
00:52:15,553 --> 00:52:17,305
'the shot of the eyes
has often been omitted
697
00:52:17,430 --> 00:52:19,766
'from assemblies
of the footage altogether.
698
00:52:20,892 --> 00:52:23,811
'As the confrontation hurtles
towards its final act,
699
00:52:23,936 --> 00:52:26,731
'Lee writes more dialogue
for him and Abdul-Jabbar,
700
00:52:26,856 --> 00:52:30,193
'including a call-back
to their earlier exchange,
701
00:52:30,318 --> 00:52:33,237
'as he pleads for common sense
from the Guardian:
702
00:52:33,363 --> 00:52:36,115
"'Why continue? Just let me pass."
703
00:52:37,492 --> 00:52:41,663
'Abdul-Jabbar's tired response,
delivered through halting breaths,
704
00:52:41,788 --> 00:52:45,041
'confirms his character's acceptance
of his impending fate:
705
00:52:47,543 --> 00:52:53,007
"'You have forgotten that I, too,
am not bothered by the word 'death'."
706
00:53:55,611 --> 00:53:57,655
'And so begins their final battle,
707
00:53:57,780 --> 00:54:01,909
'the last of three ground-game fights
peppered throughout the scene.
708
00:54:02,034 --> 00:54:05,037
'The first, early on, signalled
Hai Tien's awareness
709
00:54:05,163 --> 00:54:07,623
'that he would have
to drastically change his strategy
710
00:54:07,749 --> 00:54:11,627
'in order to continue the fight
following a failed attempt at a leglock.
711
00:54:12,462 --> 00:54:14,589
'The second, midway through,
712
00:54:14,714 --> 00:54:17,300
'comes as another attempt
to defeat the Guardian at floor level
713
00:54:17,425 --> 00:54:19,427
'almost leads to Hai Tien's defeat,
714
00:54:19,552 --> 00:54:22,930
'before he accidentally knocks out
one of the windows.
715
00:54:23,055 --> 00:54:25,516
'Finally, with the Guardian subdued,
716
00:54:25,641 --> 00:54:28,019
'Hai Tien is able to topple the giant
to his level,
717
00:54:28,144 --> 00:54:32,064
'and with extreme effort
finally chokes him out.
718
00:56:12,290 --> 00:56:16,586
'After five days of exhausting filming
on a hot, sweaty sound stage,
719
00:56:16,711 --> 00:56:20,047
'the fight in the Hall of the Unknown
wraps filming.
720
00:56:21,090 --> 00:56:23,759
'Kareem Abdul-Jabbar flies
back to the United States
721
00:56:23,885 --> 00:56:26,387
'in anticipation of another
record-breaking season
722
00:56:26,512 --> 00:56:28,681
'playing for the Milwaukee Bucks.
723
00:56:29,557 --> 00:56:34,061
'The following summer, he is en route
to Hong Kong to see his friend again,
724
00:56:34,186 --> 00:56:37,857
'when, flying through Singapore,
he receives the terrible news
725
00:56:37,982 --> 00:56:39,859
'that Bruce is gone.
726
00:56:43,446 --> 00:56:46,824
'Though he did not continue training
in martial arts after Bruce's death,
727
00:56:46,949 --> 00:56:50,328
'Kareem Abdul-Jabbar appeared
in a variety of cameo appearances
728
00:56:50,453 --> 00:56:52,830
'in films such as "Airplane!"
and "Fletch",
729
00:56:52,955 --> 00:56:56,250
'all while maintaining
a record-breaking NBA basketball career
730
00:56:56,375 --> 00:56:59,337
'until his retirement in 1989.
731
00:56:59,462 --> 00:57:03,549
'Now aged 75,
he remains today a prolific author
732
00:57:03,674 --> 00:57:07,345
'and a passionate, outspoken advocate
of social and racial justice,
733
00:57:07,470 --> 00:57:11,599
'and in 2016 was awarded
the Presidential Medal of Freedom
734
00:57:11,724 --> 00:57:13,559
'by President Barack Obama. '
735
00:57:29,992 --> 00:57:31,410
(Narrator) 'Two weeks later,
736
00:57:31,535 --> 00:57:34,330
'Bruce and his crew returned
to the same sound stage,
737
00:57:34,455 --> 00:57:39,627
'now redressed into the third floor
of the pagoda, the Hall of the Tiger.
738
00:57:39,752 --> 00:57:42,296
'The first two days of filming
are largely dedicated
739
00:57:42,421 --> 00:57:46,676
'to a fight scene never seen before
and long presumed lost
740
00:57:46,801 --> 00:57:48,636
'until now.
741
00:57:53,265 --> 00:57:55,518
'As cameras roll on September 25th,
742
00:57:55,643 --> 00:57:59,188
'we see James Tien,
his scheming character alive and well,
743
00:57:59,313 --> 00:58:02,441
'little knowing his doom
is still two floors ahead.
744
00:58:02,566 --> 00:58:05,653
'The actor joining him,
carrying the large pole,
745
00:58:05,778 --> 00:58:08,864
'is stuntman turned actor, Chieh Yuan.
746
00:58:18,249 --> 00:58:22,461
'The actor waiting for them,
sitting in a chair, is Dan Inosanto.
747
00:58:27,925 --> 00:58:30,261
'Though there are no script notes
to indicate this,
748
00:58:30,386 --> 00:58:34,515
'we can infer from his late arrival
that Bruce's character, Hai Tien,
749
00:58:34,640 --> 00:58:37,977
'is busy fighting the Guardian
of the second floor of the pagoda,
750
00:58:38,102 --> 00:58:41,105
'an expert in Praying Mantis Kung Fu.
751
00:58:49,405 --> 00:58:53,451
'Born in 1945 to a Chinese family
living in Malaysia,
752
00:58:53,576 --> 00:58:56,829
'Chieh Yuan had already firmly
established himself for five years
753
00:58:56,954 --> 00:58:59,498
'as an in-demand stuntman
at Shaw Brothers
754
00:58:59,623 --> 00:59:01,876
'since first appearing
in their record-breaking hit,
755
00:59:02,001 --> 00:59:03,669
"'The One-Armed Swordsman".
756
00:59:04,545 --> 00:59:07,715
'His role in "The Game of Death",
originally intended
757
00:59:07,840 --> 00:59:11,677
for then up-and-coming Golden Harvest
fight choreographer Sammo Hung,
758
00:59:11,802 --> 00:59:13,345
'is of another one of the fighters
759
00:59:13,471 --> 00:59:16,724
'sent by the Korean mobster
to raid the pagoda.
760
00:59:16,849 --> 00:59:21,270
'His character, unnamed except
for "Chieh" in Bruce's notes,
761
00:59:21,395 --> 00:59:24,065
'is immediately contrasted
with James Tien's.
762
00:59:24,857 --> 00:59:28,527
'Dressed in traditional
black karate gi clothing,
763
00:59:28,652 --> 00:59:31,197
'Chieh's headstrong
and less sophisticated character
764
00:59:31,322 --> 00:59:34,492
'is cannily manipulated
by the stylish James Tien,
765
00:59:34,617 --> 00:59:38,621
'who continually goads him
to run into the path of danger first.
766
00:59:48,756 --> 00:59:49,965
'The log fight,
767
00:59:50,091 --> 00:59:53,469
'as it has become known to legions
of Bruce Lee fans over the years,
768
00:59:53,594 --> 00:59:56,639
'has never been incorporated
into any edited assembly
769
00:59:56,764 --> 00:59:59,141
'of "The Game of Death" footage before.
770
00:59:59,266 --> 01:00:03,187
'As Chieh wields the large pole,
picked up, allegedly,
771
01:00:03,312 --> 01:00:06,899
'from a display of weapons held
on the second floor of the pagoda,
772
01:00:07,024 --> 01:00:11,153
'Dan's character is unfazed
as he picks up the two much smaller sticks
773
01:00:11,278 --> 01:00:14,156
'known in the Philippines
as kali, or arnis.
774
01:00:18,119 --> 01:00:21,914
'Dan begins to tap an insistent,
nagging melody using the kali,
775
01:00:22,039 --> 01:00:25,376
'taunting Tien and Yuan
by repeating it over and over.
776
01:00:28,295 --> 01:00:30,881
'Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap, tap-tap.
777
01:00:33,551 --> 01:00:36,220
'Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap, tap-tap.
778
01:00:37,012 --> 01:00:40,891
'The origin of this melody dates back
to Bruce and Dan's early friendship.
779
01:00:41,892 --> 01:00:43,644
'It was the secret knock they devised
780
01:00:43,769 --> 01:00:46,313
'for entrance
to the Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute
781
01:00:46,438 --> 01:00:50,651
'the pair opened in the Chinatown area
of Los Angeles in 1967.
782
01:00:52,611 --> 01:00:55,156
'Having only appeared
on camera once before
783
01:00:55,281 --> 01:00:59,618
'as a fight double in an episode
of "The Green Hornet" opposite Bruce,
784
01:00:59,743 --> 01:01:04,039
'Dan's character in "The Game of Death" is
the Guardian of the pagoda's third floor.
785
01:01:04,165 --> 01:01:07,835
'Expert in the art of eskrima
stick fighting from the Philippines.
786
01:01:08,460 --> 01:01:12,089
'The third-floor Guardian's red headband
and open-chested black shirt
787
01:01:12,214 --> 01:01:13,883
'indicate he is a Moro,
788
01:01:14,008 --> 01:01:17,386
'one of the Muslim communities
native to the southern Philippines.
789
01:01:21,891 --> 01:01:26,729
'As Chieh turns to James Tien,
intimidated by Dan's display of force,
790
01:01:26,854 --> 01:01:30,691
'James Tien snorts derisively,
provoking Chieh to continue.
791
01:01:34,820 --> 01:01:39,116
'Born to Filipino parents
in Stockton, California in 1936,
792
01:01:39,241 --> 01:01:42,203
'Dan Inosanto began learning karate
at the age of 11,
793
01:01:42,328 --> 01:01:45,789
'and by the time he met Bruce Lee
at Long Beach in 1964
794
01:01:45,915 --> 01:01:49,210
'was already proficient in a range
of different fighting techniques,
795
01:01:49,335 --> 01:01:52,129
'learning from an eclectic mix
of masters and teachers.
796
01:01:53,297 --> 01:01:57,009
'His deftness at combining different
methods greatly influenced Bruce
797
01:01:57,134 --> 01:01:58,969
'as he developed Jeet Kune Do,
798
01:01:59,094 --> 01:02:02,556
'and soon Dan became one
of only three Jeet Kune Do instructors
799
01:02:02,681 --> 01:02:05,184
'personally appointed by Bruce.
800
01:02:11,690 --> 01:02:14,109
'Chieh turns to Tien for guidance.
801
01:02:15,152 --> 01:02:17,821
'Tien goads him to proceed,
telling him:
802
01:02:17,947 --> 01:02:19,949
"'Don't let him psyche you out."
803
01:02:21,867 --> 01:02:24,119
'As with the fight
with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,
804
01:02:24,245 --> 01:02:26,538
'the message is that
it's not the size of the fighter
805
01:02:26,664 --> 01:02:28,666
'or their chosen weapon that counts,
806
01:02:28,791 --> 01:02:31,794
'but rather the skill and strategy
with which they attack.
807
01:02:32,795 --> 01:02:35,798
'This fight philosophy unfolds
through numerous stages,
808
01:02:35,923 --> 01:02:37,967
'and with the log fight footage
found again,
809
01:02:38,092 --> 01:02:41,220
'we get a much clearer view
of what Lee strived for.
810
01:02:42,972 --> 01:02:47,226
'In many ways, the Hall of the Tiger
sequence expands on the Colosseum fight
811
01:02:47,351 --> 01:02:49,395
'from "The Way of the Dragon".
812
01:02:49,520 --> 01:02:52,439
'That classic confrontation
between Lee and Chuck Norris
813
01:02:52,564 --> 01:02:54,608
'progressed in two phases.
814
01:02:54,733 --> 01:02:59,321
'The first had Lee attempting to match
Norris' hard style of traditional karate
815
01:02:59,446 --> 01:03:01,448
'but coming up short.
816
01:03:01,573 --> 01:03:05,244
'But on the second phase,
Lee overcomes his mammoth opponent
817
01:03:05,369 --> 01:03:08,789
'through Jeet Kune Do's ethos
of adaptability and flexibility,
818
01:03:08,914 --> 01:03:12,418
'visually signified by the Ali shuffle
in his footwork
819
01:03:12,543 --> 01:03:14,962
'and an overall unpredictability
of movement
820
01:03:15,087 --> 01:03:17,840
'that doesn't fit with any
traditional martial system.
821
01:03:18,966 --> 01:03:20,801
'In the Hall of the Tiger sequence,
822
01:03:20,926 --> 01:03:23,679
'this philosophy is expressed
through four phases.
823
01:03:23,804 --> 01:03:25,806
'Each one has its own sub-phases
824
01:03:25,931 --> 01:03:29,518
'that unveil a more nuanced expression
of Lee's martial ethos,
825
01:03:29,643 --> 01:03:32,855
'while never losing sight
of entertaining his audience.
826
01:03:33,981 --> 01:03:37,401
'In particular, Lee had
a keen sense of storytelling
827
01:03:37,526 --> 01:03:40,612
'and understood that for action
to not be monotonous,
828
01:03:40,738 --> 01:03:44,283
'danger and escalation were key
to gripping the viewers' attention.
829
01:03:45,367 --> 01:03:48,412
'Phase one is entirely dedicated
to Chieh Yuan,
830
01:03:48,537 --> 01:03:51,081
'as he attempts to bypass
the third-floor Guardian.
831
01:03:52,583 --> 01:03:54,793
'He strikes at Inosanto with a large log,
832
01:03:54,918 --> 01:03:59,423
'and does so with appropriate gusto,
desperate to prove his worth.
833
01:03:59,548 --> 01:04:02,343
'But Chieh's chosen weapon
proves too unwieldy
834
01:04:02,468 --> 01:04:06,680
'for the dexterity and speed
of the Guardian's duo eskrima sticks.
835
01:04:06,805 --> 01:04:10,642
'Chieh Yuan switches gears
and resorts to empty-hand combat.
836
01:04:10,768 --> 01:04:12,978
'Inosanto discards his own weapons
837
01:04:13,103 --> 01:04:17,232
'and employs kenpo karate
to take down his foolhardy opponent.
838
01:04:30,329 --> 01:04:33,165
'The first day's filming ends,
839
01:04:33,290 --> 01:04:37,211
'and after a one-day break
from shooting for reasons unknown,
840
01:04:37,336 --> 01:04:40,881
'the second day,
Wednesday 27th September,
841
01:04:41,006 --> 01:04:43,759
'begins with one more take
of the same shot.
842
01:04:48,806 --> 01:04:51,600
'This entire first phase
perfectly establishes
843
01:04:51,725 --> 01:04:54,103
'Dan Inosanto's
formidable martial prowess
844
01:04:54,228 --> 01:04:57,064
'in both armed
and then unarmed combat.
845
01:04:57,731 --> 01:05:01,276
'But these two skillsets are presented
in isolation from each other,
846
01:05:01,402 --> 01:05:05,489
'separated by the third-level
Guardian's pride in his own abilities.
847
01:05:07,783 --> 01:05:12,413
'With this information brought to light,
Lee as a choreographer and director
848
01:05:12,538 --> 01:05:16,041
'also smartly foreshadows
Inosanto's limitation.
849
01:06:26,862 --> 01:06:29,907
'Phase two,
and it is James Tien's turn.
850
01:06:31,283 --> 01:06:36,288
'He pulls out his own stick, wanting
to fight Inosanto at his own game.
851
01:08:03,458 --> 01:08:05,294
'Unlike the brash Chieh,
852
01:08:05,419 --> 01:08:08,714
'Tien is more cautious
and takes a more defensive approach.
853
01:08:09,881 --> 01:08:12,551
'But as soon as he uses
any offensive manoeuvre,
854
01:08:12,676 --> 01:08:14,511
'he falters.
855
01:09:11,985 --> 01:09:15,113
'Though it is only onscreen
for a fraction of a second,
856
01:09:15,238 --> 01:09:17,658
'the slate seen at the beginning
of the next take
857
01:09:17,783 --> 01:09:19,868
'shows an important milestone.
858
01:09:20,994 --> 01:09:24,331
'For the very first time,
the title written at the top,
859
01:09:24,456 --> 01:09:28,168
'as opposed to "audition"
or "Yellow-Faced Tiger",
860
01:09:28,293 --> 01:09:30,295
'is "The Game of Death".
861
01:11:55,941 --> 01:11:58,401
'Many martial arts
that specialise in weapons
862
01:11:58,527 --> 01:12:02,572
'lay the claim that any object held
should be an extension of one's body.
863
01:12:03,865 --> 01:12:07,410
'If this is the case,
the Tien versus Inosanto bout
864
01:12:07,536 --> 01:12:10,163
'has them wield only a single arm each.
865
01:12:10,288 --> 01:12:13,041
'It is only when Inosanto
gains a second stick
866
01:12:13,166 --> 01:12:15,210
'that the tides turn in his favour.
867
01:12:16,253 --> 01:12:19,798
'As in phase one,
a nuance is at play here.
868
01:12:19,923 --> 01:12:23,218
'Are these sticks extensions
of the third Guardian's body?
869
01:12:23,343 --> 01:12:26,471
'Or are they simply chains
that restrict it?
870
01:12:26,596 --> 01:12:31,601
'These questions will later be answered
once Inosanto faces our main hero.
871
01:13:18,023 --> 01:13:22,027
'Day three of filming, and Bruce Lee
finally makes his appearance,
872
01:13:22,152 --> 01:13:24,738
'marking the beginning of phase three.
873
01:13:30,785 --> 01:13:33,330
'Our hero presents
his own extended limb,
874
01:13:33,455 --> 01:13:36,124
'a wiry, emerald-hue bamboo stick.
875
01:13:53,391 --> 01:13:55,185
'After reacting to James Tien,
876
01:13:55,310 --> 01:13:58,939
'who is still nursing
his wounded pride on the floor,
877
01:13:59,064 --> 01:14:01,149
'Bruce turns to Dan Inosanto
878
01:14:01,274 --> 01:14:04,069
'and speaks his first line of dialogue
in the scene:
879
01:14:06,196 --> 01:14:08,198
"'Do you speak any English?"
880
01:14:09,240 --> 01:14:11,868
'Like the scenes opposite
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,
881
01:14:11,993 --> 01:14:15,622
'Bruce films all of his dialogue
with Dan Inosanto in English
882
01:14:15,747 --> 01:14:18,375
'even as other actors in the film,
like James Tien,
883
01:14:18,500 --> 01:14:20,377
'speak Cantonese on set,
884
01:14:20,502 --> 01:14:22,879
'and in one later instance, Korean.
885
01:14:23,713 --> 01:14:25,799
'Dan Inosanto responds:
886
01:14:25,924 --> 01:14:28,343
"'Of course I speak English."
887
01:14:29,761 --> 01:14:32,764
'Bruce looks down at the wounded Chieh
as he says to Dan:
888
01:14:33,848 --> 01:14:37,477
"'I hope you don't mind us
moving our man,
889
01:14:37,602 --> 01:14:41,022
"'so that the two of us
will have more room to groove."
890
01:14:57,998 --> 01:15:00,792
'Dan accepts, with one condition:
891
01:15:00,917 --> 01:15:06,965
"'But have your men stay as far away
from that stairway as possible."
892
01:15:09,092 --> 01:15:12,721
'The idea that the three of them could
ambush the third-floor Guardian,
893
01:15:12,846 --> 01:15:15,640
'or, indeed, any of the adversaries
in the pagoda
894
01:15:15,765 --> 01:15:17,976
'is seemingly out of the question.
895
01:15:18,935 --> 01:15:21,187
'Like the Colosseum
in "The Way of the Dragon",
896
01:15:21,312 --> 01:15:23,148
'the rules of combat apply,
897
01:15:23,273 --> 01:15:27,694
'and to break them,
even during a heist, is to lose face.
898
01:15:30,530 --> 01:15:33,241
'Though films made
in Hong Kong in 1972
899
01:15:33,366 --> 01:15:35,744
'were overwhelmingly
distributed in Mandarin,
900
01:15:35,869 --> 01:15:37,829
'in contrast to the Cantonese language
901
01:15:37,954 --> 01:15:39,956
'more commonly spoken
by Hong Kongers
902
01:15:40,081 --> 01:15:43,209
'that had yet to reassert itself
in the cultural mainstream,
903
01:15:43,960 --> 01:15:47,672
'it was not unknown for films made
in Hong Kong to feature English as well,
904
01:15:47,797 --> 01:15:51,134
'especially as the country was still
under British colonial rule.
905
01:15:52,427 --> 01:15:54,429
'Bruce himself had
even dubbed the voices
906
01:15:54,554 --> 01:15:57,515
'of English-speaking characters
in the original Mandarin dub tracks
907
01:15:57,640 --> 01:15:59,934
'for "Fist of Fury"
and "The Way of the Dragon".
908
01:16:00,060 --> 01:16:02,270
'But whether the English dialogue
in "The Game of Death"
909
01:16:02,395 --> 01:16:05,315
'would have been maintained
for its original release in Hong Kong
910
01:16:05,440 --> 01:16:08,318
'if it had ever been finished,
we will never know.
911
01:16:28,296 --> 01:16:30,548
'Inosanto attempts to intimidate our hero
912
01:16:30,673 --> 01:16:35,428
'by swinging both sticks in flashy and
perfectly coordinated figures of eight,
913
01:16:35,553 --> 01:16:37,931
'a physical declaration of war,
if you will.
914
01:16:39,265 --> 01:16:40,975
'But, unlike James Tien,
915
01:16:41,101 --> 01:16:44,896
'Lee has no intention of matching
Inosanto's fighting repertoire,
916
01:16:45,021 --> 01:16:48,691
'or, as he dubs it later,
a rehearsed routine.
917
01:17:21,891 --> 01:17:23,643
'Before battle commences,
918
01:17:23,768 --> 01:17:26,813
'Bruce allows himself
one more lengthy line of dialogue
919
01:17:26,938 --> 01:17:29,607
'that serves partly
as a warning to Inosanto,
920
01:17:29,732 --> 01:17:34,195
'but also as a summation of the film's
themes and Jeet Kune Do in general:
921
01:17:36,406 --> 01:17:38,158
"'You know, baby...
922
01:17:39,742 --> 01:17:41,786
"'this bamboo is longer,
923
01:17:43,621 --> 01:17:47,333
"'more flexible and very much alive.
924
01:17:49,252 --> 01:17:50,962
"'And when your flashy routine
925
01:17:51,087 --> 01:17:55,842
"'cannot keep up with the speed
and elusiveness of this thing here,
926
01:17:55,967 --> 01:18:00,013
"'all I can is that
you're gonna be in deep trouble."
927
01:18:04,392 --> 01:18:06,853
'The third-floor Guardian
does not heed his warning.
928
01:18:11,316 --> 01:18:14,736
'He taps his teasing beat
once more, and says:
929
01:18:14,861 --> 01:18:17,697
"'That we will have to find out."
930
01:18:26,623 --> 01:18:30,168
'Lee's dialogue stresses the importance
of the speed and elusiveness
931
01:18:30,293 --> 01:18:32,128
'of his chosen weapon.
932
01:18:33,254 --> 01:18:37,467
'He simply holds the bamboo stick
over his head in a striking pose,
933
01:18:37,592 --> 01:18:40,929
'not a fighting stance
from any traditional martial art,
934
01:18:41,054 --> 01:18:45,516
'but a personal stamp to the physical
dynamism burning to be released.
935
01:19:02,408 --> 01:19:07,372
'And as these two warriors collide,
we see this dynamism in a single strike.
936
01:19:08,164 --> 01:19:10,583
'Efficient and non-complex,
937
01:19:10,708 --> 01:19:15,171
'Lee strikes his bamboo stick
akin to the snap of his famous backfist.
938
01:19:16,130 --> 01:19:20,718
'Suddenly, Inosanto's flashy routine
unveils its restrictive nature.
939
01:19:21,678 --> 01:19:25,390
'Two heffy sticks simply can't keep up
with the fast whipping motion
940
01:19:25,515 --> 01:19:28,142
'of one thin and more elusive stick.
941
01:19:29,352 --> 01:19:32,730
'In addition, the defensive stance
of crossing two sticks
942
01:19:32,855 --> 01:19:35,441
'proves to also be futile.
943
01:19:35,566 --> 01:19:38,695
'Hai Tien, using the bamboo stick
like a whip,
944
01:19:38,820 --> 01:19:41,239
'strikes the third-floor Guardian
on the forehead,
945
01:19:41,364 --> 01:19:44,117
'branding him with the first of two scars.
946
01:19:44,242 --> 01:19:45,910
'He taunts him further
947
01:19:46,035 --> 01:19:51,457
'with another line of dialogue expressing
his and Bruce's martial philosophy:
948
01:19:51,582 --> 01:19:57,088
"'I'm telling you, it's difficult to have
a rehearsed routine to fit in with.
949
01:19:58,589 --> 01:20:00,258
"'Broken rhythm."
950
01:20:02,218 --> 01:20:05,972
'Already, one of our questions
from phase two is answered.
951
01:20:06,097 --> 01:20:10,768
'The swinging duo sticks are indeed
extensions of Inosanto's body,
952
01:20:10,893 --> 01:20:13,354
'and we can see the years
of drilling these patterns
953
01:20:13,479 --> 01:20:17,817
'have concocted a powerful formula,
but only to a point.
954
01:20:19,027 --> 01:20:22,030
'Once Inosanto becomes reliant
on that formula,
955
01:20:22,155 --> 01:20:24,741
'he corners himself
from expressing these objects
956
01:20:24,866 --> 01:20:26,576
'in any other way.
957
01:20:26,701 --> 01:20:30,538
'The sticks are no longer extensions
of his body, but chains.
958
01:20:30,663 --> 01:20:33,166
'Or, as Bruce taunts him further:
959
01:20:33,291 --> 01:20:39,130
"'You see? A rehearsed routine
lacks the flexibility to adapt."
960
01:20:46,429 --> 01:20:50,058
'As Bruce effortlessly steals
one of the Guardian's kali sticks
961
01:20:50,183 --> 01:20:51,684
'and bobs and weaves,
962
01:20:51,809 --> 01:20:56,105
'Bruce adds another line of dialogue
not found in his original script notes.
963
01:20:57,440 --> 01:21:00,360
'Reading his lips, he appears to say:
964
01:21:00,485 --> 01:21:02,820
"'It's a challenge, isn't it?
965
01:21:02,945 --> 01:21:05,990
"'When bamboo strikes, it's a sword."
966
01:21:09,452 --> 01:21:11,662
'Others have interpreted the line
differently,
967
01:21:11,788 --> 01:21:15,416
'and on the second take,
it could be argued that he says:
968
01:21:15,541 --> 01:21:18,878
"'When bamboo strikes, it's hard."
969
01:21:38,064 --> 01:21:43,152
'It is at this point the fight switches
gear, and a fourth phase commences.
970
01:21:51,494 --> 01:21:54,664
'To counter such an elusive
and unpredictable opponent,
971
01:21:54,789 --> 01:21:57,834
'Inosanto employs the nunchaku,
972
01:21:57,959 --> 01:22:00,002
'a weapon derived from Okinawa
973
01:22:00,128 --> 01:22:03,089
'where two sticks are joined
by a chain or cord.
974
01:22:03,673 --> 01:22:07,176
'He swings and waves it
with a dextrous, flashy blur,
975
01:22:07,301 --> 01:22:09,720
'even more so than his eskrima sticks,
976
01:22:09,846 --> 01:22:13,724
'perhaps to demonstrate that he can be
just as flexible and unpredictable.
977
01:22:16,352 --> 01:22:19,313
'Hai Tien gives his two companions
a signal to approach
978
01:22:19,439 --> 01:22:22,567
'and give him something
he'd passed to James Tien earlier on:
979
01:22:22,692 --> 01:22:26,571
'a black leather sleeve,
perhaps picked up from the floor below,
980
01:22:26,696 --> 01:22:29,157
'containing his own set of nunchaku.
981
01:22:47,467 --> 01:22:50,011
'Of course, Lee is undeterred,
982
01:22:51,554 --> 01:22:53,681
'and as if to meet his opponent halfway,
983
01:22:53,806 --> 01:22:57,018
'he demonstrates his own mastery
of the nunchaku.
984
01:23:03,524 --> 01:23:05,276
'Day four of filming the scene
985
01:23:05,401 --> 01:23:08,613
'begins with the Guardian's
stunned response to Hai Tien's skills,
986
01:23:09,989 --> 01:23:13,576
'to which Bruce cheekily responds:
"Surprised?"
987
01:23:40,186 --> 01:23:42,855
'Both warriors give
further demonstrations,
988
01:23:42,980 --> 01:23:46,150
'circling each other
in a sort of pre-battle ritual.
989
01:23:47,610 --> 01:23:50,196
'But this nunchaku
versus nunchaku section
990
01:23:50,321 --> 01:23:53,282
'was not just a novel way
to escalate the conflict.
991
01:23:53,407 --> 01:23:56,702
'It was another chance for Lee
to hammer home his martial ethos.
992
01:23:57,662 --> 01:24:00,665
'Seemingly similar in the way
they wield their weapons,
993
01:24:00,790 --> 01:24:05,169
'on closer inspection, both warriors
carry over their physical ticks and traits
994
01:24:05,294 --> 01:24:07,171
'from the previous phase.
995
01:24:17,473 --> 01:24:20,601
'Inosanto swings his nunchakus
around his body
996
01:24:20,726 --> 01:24:23,145
'much in the same way
as his eskrima sticks,
997
01:24:23,980 --> 01:24:27,191
'showing he's unable to break away
from the codified system
998
01:24:27,316 --> 01:24:29,402
'he trained his body so well in.
999
01:24:31,571 --> 01:24:34,490
'Lee, on the other hand,
employs the freestyle movements
1000
01:24:34,615 --> 01:24:37,118
from his bamboo stick
swings and strikes,
1001
01:24:37,243 --> 01:24:39,745
'even carrying over his cheeky taunts.
1002
01:24:41,205 --> 01:24:43,791
'The nunchaku used during
the making of "The Game of Death"
1003
01:24:43,916 --> 01:24:47,962
'are custom-made by Bruce's friends,
Taky Kimura and George Lee.
1004
01:24:49,046 --> 01:24:52,675
'For scenes in which Dan and Bruce
merely pose with the weapons,
1005
01:24:52,800 --> 01:24:55,052
'allowing the audience a close look,
1006
01:24:55,177 --> 01:24:59,181
'authentic lacquered wood versions
are used for maximum realism.
1007
01:25:00,474 --> 01:25:03,352
'For shots such as this,
where there is a risk of injury,
1008
01:25:03,477 --> 01:25:06,981
'a backup set likely made
of foam rubber is used,
1009
01:25:07,106 --> 01:25:09,275
'allowing for multiple takes to be filmed
1010
01:25:09,400 --> 01:25:12,278
'even if the sticks make contact
with someone's face.
1011
01:25:13,237 --> 01:25:16,115
'Bruce had already popularised
the use of nunchaku onscreen
1012
01:25:16,240 --> 01:25:18,534
'in "Fist of Fury"
and "The Way of the Dragon",
1013
01:25:19,285 --> 01:25:23,372
'and had been introduced to them
in 1964 by Dan Inosanto.
1014
01:25:25,583 --> 01:25:27,960
'According to Dan,
Bruce thought the chain sticks
1015
01:25:28,085 --> 01:25:31,297
'were a worthless piece of junk
when they were first handed to him,
1016
01:25:31,422 --> 01:25:34,884
'but within three months,
he was, in Dan's words,
1017
01:25:35,009 --> 01:25:37,637
"'swinging them like he'd been doing it
for a lifetime."
1018
01:25:38,596 --> 01:25:42,058
'His pose after licking the tip
of one of the nunchaku sticks
1019
01:25:42,183 --> 01:25:44,477
'is even reminiscent
of the beginning of the fight
1020
01:25:44,602 --> 01:25:46,479
'where he held the bamboo
over his head.
1021
01:25:47,146 --> 01:25:51,025
'Again, not an indicator of being
trapped in a rigid system,
1022
01:25:51,150 --> 01:25:55,154
'but showing one's personal stamp
within another system of combat.
1023
01:25:56,530 --> 01:26:01,077
'The other noticeable difference is
that Lee is working with his entire body.
1024
01:26:01,702 --> 01:26:04,955
'He isn't just swinging
the nunchakus in isolation.
1025
01:26:05,081 --> 01:26:08,668
'He bounces and pops as he moves
from one spot to the other.
1026
01:26:09,293 --> 01:26:12,004
'It is as if something within him
is about to burst,
1027
01:26:12,129 --> 01:26:14,590
'showing his unpredictability
as a fighter,
1028
01:26:14,715 --> 01:26:19,095
'but also that individualistic
screen charisma that Bruce Lee oozed.
1029
01:26:19,929 --> 01:26:24,558
'But it is also here that the other nuance
from an earlier phase comes into play.
1030
01:26:25,101 --> 01:26:26,852
'As mentioned in phase one,
1031
01:26:26,977 --> 01:26:29,271
'Inosanto's character is shown
to be proficient
1032
01:26:29,397 --> 01:26:32,066
'in both armed and unarmed combat.
1033
01:26:32,191 --> 01:26:34,860
'Both categories are
demonstrated in isolation.
1034
01:26:35,444 --> 01:26:37,571
'However, up till this point,
1035
01:26:37,697 --> 01:26:41,283
'we truly see that he is unable
to merge these two together.
1036
01:26:42,743 --> 01:26:44,245
'A skilful man indeed,
1037
01:26:44,370 --> 01:26:47,665
'but unable to mix things up
and truly be present in the moment
1038
01:26:47,790 --> 01:26:50,668
'and react according to spontaneity.
1039
01:26:50,793 --> 01:26:55,840
'In comparison, Lee employed
numerous bursts of hook and spin kicks
1040
01:26:55,965 --> 01:26:58,175
'in conjunction with his nunchaku strikes,
1041
01:26:58,300 --> 01:27:03,097
'thus showing his character's
adaptability and versatility in combat.
1042
01:27:03,681 --> 01:27:09,145
'Lee is broken rhythm personified,
unique and truly present.
1043
01:27:09,270 --> 01:27:13,232
'Because to possess broken rhythm
is to be present in the moment,
1044
01:27:13,357 --> 01:27:15,609
'reacting fast and well enough
1045
01:27:15,735 --> 01:27:17,987
'to whatever life throws at him.
1046
01:27:27,830 --> 01:27:32,334
'While a weapons versus weapons fight
was nothing new for a Bruce Lee film,
1047
01:27:32,460 --> 01:27:36,046
'whether it was the nunchaku
versus sword battle in "Fist of Fury",
1048
01:27:36,172 --> 01:27:39,216
'the nunchaku versus switchblade fight
in "The Way of the Dragon"
1049
01:27:39,341 --> 01:27:42,261
'or even just the knife fights
in "The Big Boss",
1050
01:27:42,386 --> 01:27:45,473
'it perhaps seems inevitable
that he would choreograph a fight
1051
01:27:45,598 --> 01:27:50,019
'where both opponents wield the weapon
that was swiftly becoming his trademark.
1052
01:27:51,145 --> 01:27:53,647
'Granted, a majority of the fight
becomes a matter
1053
01:27:53,773 --> 01:27:57,026
of defence over offence
because of this,
1054
01:27:57,151 --> 01:28:00,905
'but it gives a more unique spin
on a Bruce Lee fight in the long run.
1055
01:28:01,864 --> 01:28:05,117
'It's well documented that Inosanto
was Lee's teacher of the weapon,
1056
01:28:05,242 --> 01:28:09,288
'so, of course, by Lee casting Inosanto
in the nunchaku fight,
1057
01:28:09,413 --> 01:28:13,250
'it becomes a direct case
of the student becoming the master.
1058
01:28:13,918 --> 01:28:16,921
'But, as emphasised by Lee's
strong eye for the camera,
1059
01:28:17,046 --> 01:28:19,423
'his approach to certain
nunchaku manoeuvres,
1060
01:28:19,548 --> 01:28:21,091
'such as stance-shifting,
1061
01:28:21,217 --> 01:28:25,054
'is shown to have more
of a flourish to them than Inosanto's.
1062
01:28:25,179 --> 01:28:28,265
'Inosanto, or rather
the third-floor Guardian,
1063
01:28:28,390 --> 01:28:31,644
'tends to stay hand-locked when shifting
from shoulder to shoulder,
1064
01:28:31,769 --> 01:28:33,354
'guarded and stiff,
1065
01:28:33,479 --> 01:28:37,274
'while Lee as Hai Tien goes
for the over-the-shoulder swings,
1066
01:28:37,399 --> 01:28:39,610
'more casual and exhibitionist.
1067
01:28:48,536 --> 01:28:52,498
'At last, the Guardian's nunchaku
connects with Hai Tien's face.
1068
01:28:55,251 --> 01:28:59,839
'And he allows himself a brief moment
of self-congratulation, as he says:
1069
01:28:59,964 --> 01:29:01,924
"'How do you like that...?"
1070
01:29:02,049 --> 01:29:03,926
'But he hasn't even finished
his sentence
1071
01:29:04,051 --> 01:29:06,387
'before Bruce strikes him
square in the nose
1072
01:29:06,512 --> 01:29:10,140
'and mimics his words back to him,
retaining the upper hand.
1073
01:29:12,017 --> 01:29:16,230
'If there was ever any doubt about who
was truly in control of this situation,
1074
01:29:16,355 --> 01:29:18,107
'we now know for sure.
1075
01:29:18,858 --> 01:29:20,818
'And as the formerly
unflappable Guardian
1076
01:29:20,943 --> 01:29:25,406
'looks increasingly angry and frustrated,
we sense his doom approaches.
1077
01:29:27,324 --> 01:29:29,535
'The last day of filming
the Hall of the Tiger
1078
01:29:29,660 --> 01:29:32,413
'begins as Bruce Lee reprises
his Ali shuffle,
1079
01:29:32,538 --> 01:29:34,999
'Hai Tien toying with his foe.
1080
01:32:47,191 --> 01:32:50,360
'As filming on the Hall of the Tiger
approaches its end,
1081
01:32:50,486 --> 01:32:53,864
'one of the final displays
of nunchaku mastery from Lee
1082
01:32:53,989 --> 01:32:56,825
'takes no less than ten takes
to get right.
1083
01:32:58,410 --> 01:33:01,288
'While he already showed
earlier signs of perfectionism
1084
01:33:01,413 --> 01:33:04,208
'in the filming of this scene
and the Hall of the Unknown,
1085
01:33:04,333 --> 01:33:06,668
'some may read this fastidiousness
as a sign
1086
01:33:06,794 --> 01:33:11,548
'as to how much harder Bruce was going
to be on himself in the months to come
1087
01:33:11,673 --> 01:33:15,844
'to make sure he got everything down
to no less than perfect.
1088
01:34:28,709 --> 01:34:32,629
'Having played the Guardian at his own
game of death for long enough,
1089
01:34:32,754 --> 01:34:36,675
'Hai Tien knocks him to the floor with
another one of Bruce Lee's trademarks,
1090
01:34:36,800 --> 01:34:40,637
'the triple spin kick, as demonstrated
in his three previous films,
1091
01:34:40,762 --> 01:34:42,848
'not least the scene in "Fist of Fury"
1092
01:34:42,973 --> 01:34:46,101
'where he takes on a dojo
of Japanese karate fighters,
1093
01:34:46,226 --> 01:34:48,187
'also armed with a nunchaku,
1094
01:34:48,312 --> 01:34:51,106
'using one of their own weapons
against them.
1095
01:35:55,379 --> 01:35:58,757
'In the end,
Lee takes his opponent's life,
1096
01:35:58,882 --> 01:36:02,636
'albeit more willingly than he did
Chuck Norris in "The Way of the Dragon",
1097
01:36:03,720 --> 01:36:07,975
'though we do see the briefest pause
as his character soaks in his deed.
1098
01:36:08,767 --> 01:36:10,435
'Is it regret?
1099
01:36:10,560 --> 01:36:12,813
'Perhaps a growing weariness?
1100
01:36:12,938 --> 01:36:15,732
'It's vague, yet no less compelling,
1101
01:36:15,857 --> 01:36:19,903
'and just another example of Lee's
unique screen presence at play.
1102
01:36:21,446 --> 01:36:23,073
'As behind the scenes
1103
01:36:23,198 --> 01:36:26,743
'Lee tries to assemble a cast
for the next round of filming,
1104
01:36:26,868 --> 01:36:31,164
'sending Taky Kimura a plane ticket
so he can fly from Seattle to Hong Kong
1105
01:36:31,290 --> 01:36:34,293
'in a couple of weeks to play
the second-floor Guardian,
1106
01:36:34,418 --> 01:36:38,922
'the Hall of the Tiger shoot ends
as Lee, Chieh Yuan and James Tien
1107
01:36:39,047 --> 01:36:41,925
'all ascend the fake stairway to nowhere.
1108
01:36:42,050 --> 01:36:44,261
'In a letter,
in which he also tells Kimura
1109
01:36:44,386 --> 01:36:49,599
'to bring his "old and blue
classical gung fu uniform", Lee says:
1110
01:36:49,725 --> 01:36:52,853
"'If something comes up,
I will call you personally.
1111
01:36:52,978 --> 01:36:58,734
"'If not, I will see you upon
your arrival on or around October 8th."
1112
01:36:58,859 --> 01:37:01,820
'But Kimura is forced to cancel
his trip to Hong Kong,
1113
01:37:01,945 --> 01:37:04,531
'and filming on "The Game of Death"
will not resume
1114
01:37:04,656 --> 01:37:07,034
'for almost another month.
1115
01:37:07,826 --> 01:37:10,287
'During shooting,
the set for "The Game of Death"
1116
01:37:10,412 --> 01:37:13,332
'regularly receives a number
of friendly visitors,
1117
01:37:13,457 --> 01:37:18,462
'among them King Hu,
former collaborator of Tadashi Nishimoto,
1118
01:37:18,587 --> 01:37:21,631
'and, of course, Bruce's wife Linda,
1119
01:37:21,757 --> 01:37:25,761
'often with their children
Brandon and Shannon in tow.
1120
01:37:26,386 --> 01:37:29,348
'But it is during the filming
of the Hall of the Tiger sequence
1121
01:37:29,473 --> 01:37:32,059
'that Bruce receives a visit
from Fred Weintraub,
1122
01:37:32,184 --> 01:37:35,395
'an old friend from the States
and an up-and-coming executive
1123
01:37:35,520 --> 01:37:37,356
'at Warner Bros.
1124
01:37:37,481 --> 01:37:39,358
'Fred comes with stunning news.
1125
01:37:40,359 --> 01:37:44,029
'Warner are offering Bruce
the lead role in a new feature film.
1126
01:37:44,654 --> 01:37:46,406
'It will be filmed in Hong Kong,
1127
01:37:46,531 --> 01:37:48,867
'but is unmistakably
a Hollywood production
1128
01:37:48,992 --> 01:37:52,037
'with the budget, resources
and wide distribution
1129
01:37:52,162 --> 01:37:54,164
'only a major studio can afford.
1130
01:37:54,831 --> 01:37:57,501
'The script goes through
several names in preproduction,
1131
01:37:57,626 --> 01:38:00,128
'before settling on Bruce's
own preferred title:
1132
01:38:01,171 --> 01:38:02,798
"Enter the Dragon".
1133
01:38:03,590 --> 01:38:06,218
'It is the biggest opportunity
of Bruce's career,
1134
01:38:06,343 --> 01:38:08,261
'the one he's been chasing for years.
1135
01:38:09,137 --> 01:38:13,016
'And it is the catalyst that seals
the fate of not just "The Game of Death",
1136
01:38:13,141 --> 01:38:16,061
'but perhaps Bruce himself. '
1137
01:38:35,997 --> 01:38:37,165
(Narrator) 'In October, 1972,
1138
01:38:38,083 --> 01:38:42,379
'early negotiations take place between
Warner Bros. and Concord Productions
1139
01:38:42,504 --> 01:38:46,133
'for the film that will eventually
become "Enter the Dragon".
1140
01:38:47,008 --> 01:38:49,636
'Its production not yet
an assured outcome,
1141
01:38:49,761 --> 01:38:52,639
'Bruce continues work
on "The Game of Death",
1142
01:38:52,764 --> 01:38:55,183
'drawing upon the Golden Harvest
talent pool
1143
01:38:55,308 --> 01:38:57,394
'to cast Hai Tien's next opponent,
1144
01:38:57,978 --> 01:39:02,274
'the Guardian of the Hall of the Dragon,
the fourth floor of the pagoda.
1145
01:39:04,151 --> 01:39:08,488
'Ji Han-jae was born in 1936
in Andong, South Korea.
1146
01:39:09,114 --> 01:39:12,325
'Already an eighth-dan black belt
by his early twenties,
1147
01:39:12,451 --> 01:39:16,496
'in 1957 he combined
all of his knowledge into a hybrid form
1148
01:39:16,621 --> 01:39:18,748
'he called hapkido.
1149
01:39:19,416 --> 01:39:22,502
'Though some dispute whether
Ji actually invented hapkido,
1150
01:39:22,627 --> 01:39:26,173
'it cannot be argued that he was foremost
in promoting and teaching it
1151
01:39:26,298 --> 01:39:27,591
'far and wide,
1152
01:39:27,716 --> 01:39:32,596
'eventually founding
the Korea Hapkido Association in 1965.
1153
01:39:33,388 --> 01:39:36,850
'Bruce Lee first met Ji Han-jae in 1969,
1154
01:39:36,975 --> 01:39:38,810
'when the latter was in the United States
1155
01:39:38,935 --> 01:39:41,813
'to teach hapkido to members
of the Secret Service
1156
01:39:41,938 --> 01:39:43,899
'and other branches
of the US government,
1157
01:39:44,024 --> 01:39:47,235
'including President Richard Nixon's
security detail.
1158
01:39:48,195 --> 01:39:50,489
'While staying
at Andrews Air Force Base,
1159
01:39:50,614 --> 01:39:54,618
'a mutual friend,
taekwondo grandmaster Jhoon Rhee,
1160
01:39:54,743 --> 01:39:58,538
'introduced the pair, and Lee asked Ji
to teach him some moves.
1161
01:39:59,247 --> 01:40:03,084
'In 1972, Golden Harvest director
Huang Feng
1162
01:40:03,210 --> 01:40:06,838
'recruits Ji, along with
his right-hand man Hwang In-shik,
1163
01:40:06,963 --> 01:40:10,425
'to train the cast
of his upcoming film, "Hapkido".
1164
01:40:10,550 --> 01:40:13,178
'Ji and Hwang also play roles in the film,
1165
01:40:13,303 --> 01:40:16,097
'and it is on the set
at Golden Harvest Studios
1166
01:40:16,223 --> 01:40:19,184
'where Ji once again makes
the acquaintance of Bruce Lee,
1167
01:40:19,309 --> 01:40:22,145
'who is filming "The Way of the Dragon"
at the same time.
1168
01:40:23,230 --> 01:40:26,942
'Bruce enlists Hwang In-shik's services
as an actor on "The Way of the Dragon",
1169
01:40:27,067 --> 01:40:30,153
'playing a Japanese fighter
near the end of the film,
1170
01:40:30,278 --> 01:40:34,074
'and soon enough, he has offered
both Hwang and Ji acting roles
1171
01:40:34,199 --> 01:40:35,492
'in "The Game of Death".
1172
01:40:35,617 --> 01:40:38,828
'Hwang's role is the Guardian
of the first floor of the pagoda,
1173
01:40:38,954 --> 01:40:41,873
'but other than some exterior footage
we'll discuss later,
1174
01:40:42,415 --> 01:40:44,626
'his scenes never make it
before a camera.
1175
01:40:46,711 --> 01:40:50,632
'Ji Han-jae, on the other hand,
plays the Guardian of the fourth floor,
1176
01:40:50,757 --> 01:40:52,133
'and as it happens,
1177
01:40:52,259 --> 01:40:55,679
'his is the last of the major fight scenes
for "The Game of Death"
1178
01:40:55,804 --> 01:40:57,973
'that Bruce Lee ever lives to film.
1179
01:41:00,183 --> 01:41:02,686
'Filming resumes on October 22nd,
1180
01:41:02,811 --> 01:41:05,855
'exactly where we left off
nearly a month prior,
1181
01:41:05,981 --> 01:41:08,942
'with Bruce Lee,
James Tien and Chieh Yuan
1182
01:41:09,067 --> 01:41:12,487
'ascending the stairs and arriving
at the Hall of the Dragon,
1183
01:41:12,612 --> 01:41:14,823
'a level in which the action demonstrates
1184
01:41:14,948 --> 01:41:18,493
'some Lee's most inventive
and imaginative choreography.
1185
01:41:21,121 --> 01:41:24,124
'To begin our breakdown
with Lee's choreographic approach,
1186
01:41:24,249 --> 01:41:26,876
'we must look at one aspect
often overlooked:
1187
01:41:27,502 --> 01:41:29,671
'the space.
1188
01:41:29,796 --> 01:41:33,800
'For the second time, the sound stage
is redressed to differentiate it
1189
01:41:33,925 --> 01:41:36,886
'from the previous two levels
already shot,
1190
01:41:37,012 --> 01:41:41,474
'and it is for this level Lee opted
for a more visually off-kilter look.
1191
01:41:42,934 --> 01:41:44,394
'As mentioned previously,
1192
01:41:44,519 --> 01:41:47,981
'the somewhat illogical and dreamlike
setting of "The Game of Death"
1193
01:41:48,106 --> 01:41:51,693
'has often been compared
to a previously scrapped project of Lee's,
1194
01:41:51,818 --> 01:41:53,695
"'The Silent Flute".
1195
01:41:53,820 --> 01:41:57,324
'In that film, Lee would mix
his esoteric philosophical ideas
1196
01:41:57,449 --> 01:41:59,659
'with 1960s psychedelia.
1197
01:41:59,784 --> 01:42:03,455
'This creative impulse is most
pronounced in this fourth level,
1198
01:42:03,580 --> 01:42:07,959
'where the overall art direction leans
towards more otherworldly sensibilities.
1199
01:42:08,501 --> 01:42:13,006
'We immediately see this as Ji Han-jae
emerges behind a ghostly, white veil
1200
01:42:13,131 --> 01:42:15,258
'his gi seamed with gold lapels
1201
01:42:15,383 --> 01:42:19,554
'and, wrapped around his waist,
an equally blinding gold belt.
1202
01:42:19,679 --> 01:42:23,892
'They constantly glimmer in the light,
almost as if to distort the senses
1203
01:42:24,017 --> 01:42:26,478
'of anyone who lays eyes
on this Guardian.
1204
01:42:27,687 --> 01:42:31,232
'Even Ji's choice to drench the room
with a harsh red light
1205
01:42:31,358 --> 01:42:33,902
'evokes a mildly psychedelic sensation.
1206
01:42:41,368 --> 01:42:44,037
'The red light is explained
in the fourth-floor Guardian's
1207
01:42:44,162 --> 01:42:48,124
'only major line of dialogue,
written by Bruce as follows:
1208
01:42:49,501 --> 01:42:52,962
"'As you gentlemen know,
red spells danger.
1209
01:42:53,088 --> 01:42:57,175
"'Therefore I advise you people
not to step into this warning arena.
1210
01:42:57,717 --> 01:43:02,180
"'If you want to go on living,
stop here and go back downstairs.
1211
01:43:02,305 --> 01:43:03,723
"'Life is precious."
1212
01:43:05,600 --> 01:43:08,019
'In a moment,
you'll see a break in the action
1213
01:43:08,144 --> 01:43:10,063
'when Chieh Yuan charges at Ji.
1214
01:43:10,814 --> 01:43:16,069
'The ensuing fight in which Ji easily
beats both Chieh and James Tien
1215
01:43:16,194 --> 01:43:20,073
'is not filmed until three days later,
on October 25th.
1216
01:43:23,493 --> 01:43:26,621
'Was the fight filmed on the 22nd
and deemed insufficient,
1217
01:43:26,746 --> 01:43:28,540
'having to be reshot later?
1218
01:43:29,124 --> 01:43:31,584
'No footage survives
to corroborate this theory.
1219
01:43:32,919 --> 01:43:35,797
'Instead, we return to a similar angle,
1220
01:43:35,922 --> 01:43:38,341
'where Chieh and Tien rub their wounds
1221
01:43:38,466 --> 01:43:41,761
'as Lee approaches Ji
for his turn at combat.
1222
01:43:43,346 --> 01:43:47,016
'The Hall of the Dragon marks
a significant departure for Lee,
1223
01:43:47,142 --> 01:43:49,352
'as the choreography
would involve heavy amounts
1224
01:43:49,477 --> 01:43:51,980
'of locks, throws and grapples.
1225
01:43:52,605 --> 01:43:56,359
'As a screen fighter,
Lee was primarily a striker,
1226
01:43:56,484 --> 01:43:58,194
'given his roots in Wing Chun
1227
01:43:58,319 --> 01:44:01,239
'and his later employment
of more boxing fundamentals
1228
01:44:01,364 --> 01:44:03,074
'in his Jeet Kune Do.
1229
01:44:03,199 --> 01:44:06,161
'Employing Ji Han-jae's
specific hapkido skills
1230
01:44:06,286 --> 01:44:11,040
'show's Lee's ongoing impetus to widen
his cinematic martial vocabulary.
1231
01:44:11,833 --> 01:44:16,254
'It was clearly a challenge,
as, unlike Inosanto and Abdul-Jabbar,
1232
01:44:16,379 --> 01:44:19,799
'Ji Han-jae was not someone
Lee had trained extensively with.
1233
01:44:20,550 --> 01:44:23,136
'As such, there was a lack of familiarity
1234
01:44:23,261 --> 01:44:25,138
'with how they would move
with one another.
1235
01:44:25,764 --> 01:44:30,685
'Of course, Lee was no less tenacious
in wanting to create a spectacular duel
1236
01:44:30,810 --> 01:44:33,104
'while also keeping true
to his philosophy,
1237
01:44:33,813 --> 01:44:36,232
'and it shows with take after take,
1238
01:44:36,357 --> 01:44:39,068
'experimentation after experimentation,
1239
01:44:39,194 --> 01:44:42,322
'all to best capture this clash
of martial bodies.
1240
01:44:43,364 --> 01:44:47,452
'Lee is most renowned for his martial arts
ability on and off the screen,
1241
01:44:47,577 --> 01:44:48,995
'and rightfully so.
1242
01:44:49,621 --> 01:44:51,080
'But this iconic status,
1243
01:44:51,206 --> 01:44:54,793
'coupled with the often critical dismissal
of kung fu cinema
1244
01:44:54,918 --> 01:44:58,421
'often belied his skills
as a cinematic storyteller.
1245
01:44:59,464 --> 01:45:01,966
'Many forget that Lee was an actor first,
1246
01:45:02,091 --> 01:45:07,263
'and appreciated the craftsmanship
of American and Japanese filmmakers.
1247
01:45:07,388 --> 01:45:10,058
'In fact, he believed
the Hong Kong film industry
1248
01:45:10,183 --> 01:45:12,560
'should employ
the same standard of artistry
1249
01:45:12,685 --> 01:45:15,355
'if it were to compete
with the worldwide circuit.
1250
01:45:15,897 --> 01:45:20,151
'We can see this incentive at work
as Lee gained more creative control,
1251
01:45:20,276 --> 01:45:23,196
'and it's particularly true
in this penultimate duel.
1252
01:45:24,948 --> 01:45:29,077
'The first day's filming concludes
with Bruce's first blow against Ji,
1253
01:45:29,202 --> 01:45:32,080
'shot at a number of speeds
over multiple takes.
1254
01:45:32,747 --> 01:45:37,085
'When Lee first approaches Ji,
he raises one hand to his opponent.
1255
01:45:37,210 --> 01:45:40,630
'The pose is a peculiar amalgamation
of a fighting stance
1256
01:45:40,755 --> 01:45:43,132
'and a gesture to beckon
his opponent to attack.
1257
01:45:43,758 --> 01:45:46,594
'It becomes obvious that
Lee must make the first move.
1258
01:45:47,762 --> 01:45:49,639
'With the most deliberate pace,
1259
01:45:49,764 --> 01:45:53,351
'Lee retracts his hand and eventually
reaches a crescendo,
1260
01:45:53,935 --> 01:45:56,312
'that being a dynamic roundhouse kick.
1261
01:45:57,272 --> 01:45:59,107
'To quote his choreography notes,
1262
01:45:59,232 --> 01:46:03,111
'he "relaxes, smiles,
and puts his hand back,
1263
01:46:03,236 --> 01:46:04,571
"'and while keeping his smile,
1264
01:46:04,696 --> 01:46:07,699
"'initiates a lightning
right finger-jab feint,
1265
01:46:07,824 --> 01:46:11,244
"'follows instantaneously
with a low-high hook kick
1266
01:46:11,369 --> 01:46:16,124
"'with fluid speed, intense grace
and powerful one, two, three."
1267
01:46:17,041 --> 01:46:20,044
'Each gesture and movement
are simple by design,
1268
01:46:20,169 --> 01:46:24,173
'but when utilised with the correct
intent and rhythm, as Lee does,
1269
01:46:24,299 --> 01:46:27,093
'it effectively establishes
the narrative conflict
1270
01:46:27,218 --> 01:46:30,471
'and adds a level of anticipation
and suspense.
1271
01:46:31,764 --> 01:46:33,433
'Through these rushes,
1272
01:46:33,558 --> 01:46:37,103
'we not only see the breakdown
of Lee's choreographic decisions,
1273
01:46:37,228 --> 01:46:41,441
'but also his directorial decisions
and his approach to storytelling.
1274
01:46:42,191 --> 01:46:44,903
'It must be stressed that
these are rushes, after all,
1275
01:46:45,028 --> 01:46:48,114
'far away from being
a completed and refined product.
1276
01:46:48,239 --> 01:46:53,077
'But as with the previous two levels
involving Inosanto and Abdul-Jabbar,
1277
01:46:53,202 --> 01:46:56,497
'there is enough evidence here
to show Lee wanting to elevate
1278
01:46:56,623 --> 01:46:59,417
'what would be another
one-on-one martial arts duel.
1279
01:47:00,168 --> 01:47:02,337
'Structurally, the Hall of the Dragon
1280
01:47:02,462 --> 01:47:05,924
'is no different to the Hall of the Tiger
and the Hall of the Unknown,
1281
01:47:06,507 --> 01:47:09,385
'but they all possess
their own key characteristic
1282
01:47:09,510 --> 01:47:12,555
'that influences the action
unfolding at their centres.
1283
01:47:13,306 --> 01:47:15,391
'That characteristic could be obtrusive,
1284
01:47:15,516 --> 01:47:17,894
'like the darkness
in the Abdul-Jabbar fight,
1285
01:47:18,019 --> 01:47:21,314
'or insidious like the harsh red light
in this one.
1286
01:47:21,439 --> 01:47:24,108
'But given the planned order
of these three levels,
1287
01:47:24,233 --> 01:47:27,153
'we do get a sense that
the higher we climb the pagoda,
1288
01:47:27,278 --> 01:47:29,906
'the more otherworldly
the surroundings become.
1289
01:47:30,740 --> 01:47:32,951
'All this is further evidence
that, for Lee,
1290
01:47:33,076 --> 01:47:37,288
'the choreography isn't just about
the interaction between two individuals,
1291
01:47:37,413 --> 01:47:39,791
'it is also the interaction
with the space,
1292
01:47:39,916 --> 01:47:43,503
'and how the action escalates
when said space changes.
1293
01:47:45,171 --> 01:47:48,216
'The second day's filming
begins with the second angle,
1294
01:47:48,341 --> 01:47:51,094
'only this time shot at regular speed.
1295
01:47:51,803 --> 01:47:53,680
'Two takes of an additional angle
1296
01:47:53,805 --> 01:47:57,684
'will also be filmed as part
of the pickup filming three days later.
1297
01:47:59,060 --> 01:48:01,020
'If this feint is intended to demonstrate
1298
01:48:01,145 --> 01:48:03,690
'Hai Tien's canniness
and unpredictability,
1299
01:48:03,815 --> 01:48:07,151
'then the next shot shows that
he will have his work cut out for him,
1300
01:48:07,276 --> 01:48:10,989
'as Ji lands gracefully
and regains his fighting stance,
1301
01:48:11,114 --> 01:48:13,116
'seemingly unphased.
1302
01:48:41,227 --> 01:48:44,939
'Another aspect of Lee's choreography
is the camerawork.
1303
01:48:46,024 --> 01:48:49,652
'Many fans and critics championed
his naturalistic approach
1304
01:48:49,777 --> 01:48:51,738
'to capturing fight scenes,
1305
01:48:51,863 --> 01:48:54,907
'specifically the use
of a wide-angle lens,
1306
01:48:55,033 --> 01:48:58,494
'which represents the audience's
objective standpoint,
1307
01:48:58,619 --> 01:49:02,957
'a clear window that authenticates
the physical abilities being exhibited.
1308
01:49:03,791 --> 01:49:05,418
'This is certainly true,
1309
01:49:05,543 --> 01:49:09,255
'but also an oversimplification
of Lee's creative stamp.
1310
01:49:10,214 --> 01:49:14,302
'Much credit goes to the film's
cinematographer, Tadashi Nishimoto,
1311
01:49:14,427 --> 01:49:18,264
'for injecting such visual dynamism
in each of these wide shots.
1312
01:49:18,806 --> 01:49:21,768
'But it's when the camera moves,
even slightly,
1313
01:49:21,893 --> 01:49:25,438
'that it becomes a third participant
in Lee's choreography.
1314
01:49:25,563 --> 01:49:29,067
'A good example would be the shaky
point-of-view shot of Ji Han-jae
1315
01:49:29,192 --> 01:49:30,985
'as he kicks Bruce back to the floor,
1316
01:49:31,736 --> 01:49:33,654
'an impressionistic design choice
1317
01:49:33,780 --> 01:49:37,200
'showing what it would be like to be
on the receiving end of such a blow.
1318
01:49:37,909 --> 01:49:41,621
'And it's no accident that we are
seeing this through the hero's eyes.
1319
01:49:42,330 --> 01:49:45,291
'For this reason, we, as an audience,
1320
01:49:45,416 --> 01:49:48,544
'are both Bruce Lee's observer
and his advocate.
1321
01:49:49,796 --> 01:49:54,217
'Further evidence of this would be
when Lee circles around his opponent.
1322
01:49:54,342 --> 01:49:57,428
'He extends out one arm
to keep his distance,
1323
01:49:57,553 --> 01:50:00,765
'all the while searching for a way in
for his next strike.
1324
01:50:01,557 --> 01:50:04,477
'Here, the camera moves
in tandem with Lee,
1325
01:50:04,602 --> 01:50:08,356
'capturing not only his movement,
but also his screen energy,
1326
01:50:09,190 --> 01:50:13,027
'and we, as an audience,
are pulled in by this energy,
1327
01:50:13,152 --> 01:50:16,656
'which ultimately helps us identity
with Lee's character.
1328
01:50:18,074 --> 01:50:20,159
'With these creative choices highlighted,
1329
01:50:20,284 --> 01:50:23,204
'it becomes apparent that
the camerawork has two functions.
1330
01:50:23,955 --> 01:50:26,541
'It is objective in capturing
the authenticity
1331
01:50:26,666 --> 01:50:28,709
'of highly skilled bodies in motion,
1332
01:50:29,377 --> 01:50:33,131
'but it's also subjective
in capturing the unfolding story
1333
01:50:33,256 --> 01:50:36,134
'and the emotional content of our hero.
1334
01:50:37,301 --> 01:50:39,137
'At this point in the narrative,
1335
01:50:39,262 --> 01:50:42,682
'we've become well acquainted
with James Tien's scheming ways.
1336
01:50:43,307 --> 01:50:45,476
'But this isn't an exercise in repetition.
1337
01:50:46,686 --> 01:50:49,397
'Tien's underhand method
to reach the top level
1338
01:50:49,522 --> 01:50:53,901
'becomes a recurring character trait
that we, as an audience, take notice of.
1339
01:50:55,069 --> 01:50:57,321
'This links directly
with two narrative plants
1340
01:50:57,446 --> 01:51:00,199
'that also occur
in this fourth-level bout.
1341
01:51:00,324 --> 01:51:02,160
'We see a break in between the action
1342
01:51:02,285 --> 01:51:04,328
'where James Tien
convinces Chieh Yuan
1343
01:51:04,453 --> 01:51:06,455
'to clear his way to the top level.
1344
01:51:07,039 --> 01:51:10,418
'In the dialogue in Lee's script notes,
Tien says:
1345
01:51:10,543 --> 01:51:12,003
"'You are my brother.
1346
01:51:12,128 --> 01:51:14,922
"'I will let you do
this first deed of merit.
1347
01:51:15,047 --> 01:51:17,925
"'You go ahead. I wish you success."
1348
01:51:47,330 --> 01:51:50,458
'Lee fails to stop Chieh
from ascending the stairway,
1349
01:51:50,583 --> 01:51:52,752
'and as Ji Han-jae runs forward,
1350
01:51:52,877 --> 01:51:55,421
'presumably in his own attempt
to stop Chieh,
1351
01:51:55,546 --> 01:51:59,342
'Hai Tien unleashes a multitude
of snapping side kicks towards him.
1352
01:52:34,418 --> 01:52:36,837
'The violence is interrupted once again,
1353
01:52:36,963 --> 01:52:39,507
'when Chieh is thrown back down
to the fourth level
1354
01:52:39,632 --> 01:52:41,175
'by an unknown assailant.
1355
01:52:41,884 --> 01:52:44,470
'It is here the audience
will gasp and question
1356
01:52:44,595 --> 01:52:47,974
'what powerful individual could be
guarding the fifth and final level.
1357
01:52:48,933 --> 01:52:52,061
'We obviously know that the assailant
is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,
1358
01:52:52,645 --> 01:52:54,730
'but in this unfolding story,
1359
01:52:54,855 --> 01:52:58,776
'this moment of dark humour interrupts
the danger happening onscreen
1360
01:52:58,901 --> 01:53:01,279
'by foreshadowing
a larger danger ahead.
1361
01:53:02,363 --> 01:53:03,864
'Some fans have speculated
1362
01:53:03,990 --> 01:53:07,034
'that Chieh Yuan did not in fact
perform the jump,
1363
01:53:07,159 --> 01:53:10,705
'in spite of his considerable
experience as a stuntman,
1364
01:53:10,830 --> 01:53:13,124
'largely due to on-set photographs
1365
01:53:13,249 --> 01:53:16,669
'showing Hwang In-shik dressed
in Chieh's character's clothing.
1366
01:53:17,503 --> 01:53:22,258
'In fact, we can clearly see Chieh's face
in the flashes between takes,
1367
01:53:22,383 --> 01:53:25,303
'proving he did indeed
make the fall himself.
1368
01:53:26,679 --> 01:53:31,392
'However, he is doubled by Hwang In-shik
elsewhere in this scene,
1369
01:53:31,517 --> 01:53:34,020
'and his lifeless corpse, seen later on,
1370
01:53:34,145 --> 01:53:38,983
'is in fact doubled by Bruce's long-time
friend and housekeeper, Wu Ngan.
1371
01:53:43,821 --> 01:53:47,116
'Regardless of Chieh's fate
and the ease with which his dead body
1372
01:53:47,241 --> 01:53:49,618
'has been thrown back down
to the floor below,
1373
01:53:50,369 --> 01:53:54,915
'James Tien's ruthless ambition to reach
the top floor has not dimmed one iota.
1374
01:53:56,792 --> 01:53:58,711
'And as we already know,
1375
01:53:58,836 --> 01:54:01,589
'that ambition will soon prove
to be his downfall.
1376
01:54:02,965 --> 01:54:07,470
'In the following sequence, we see Tien
trying to sneak over to the stairway.
1377
01:54:07,595 --> 01:54:11,349
'However, he is quickly stopped
and knocked down by Ji.
1378
01:54:36,665 --> 01:54:40,753
'What follows this is another
silent, humorous exchange,
1379
01:54:40,878 --> 01:54:45,216
'as Lee gestures Tien to stand aside,
almost like a parent figure
1380
01:54:45,341 --> 01:54:48,135
'ordering a mischievous child
to stand in the corner.
1381
01:54:54,767 --> 01:54:58,562
'Bruce Lee had many misgivings
about Hong Kong's filmmaking practices,
1382
01:54:59,313 --> 01:55:02,858
'in particular the overabundance
of classical shapes
1383
01:55:02,983 --> 01:55:04,693
'and the dance-like choreography
1384
01:55:04,819 --> 01:55:07,905
'in the contemporary crop
of martial arts pictures.
1385
01:55:08,030 --> 01:55:11,617
'The visual rhythm was
overly rehearsed and tiresome,
1386
01:55:11,742 --> 01:55:14,286
'the same old tune
played over and over.
1387
01:55:14,954 --> 01:55:18,332
'His own brand of choreography
was a direct reaction to this.
1388
01:55:18,457 --> 01:55:21,085
'Based on the ethos
of his Jeet Kune Do,
1389
01:55:21,210 --> 01:55:25,589
'Lee wanted to present
the spontaneity of real-life combat,
1390
01:55:25,714 --> 01:55:28,467
'the practicality
and improvisation involved
1391
01:55:28,592 --> 01:55:30,302
'when using the body as a weapon,
1392
01:55:30,428 --> 01:55:34,181
'and the emotional volcano that erupts
whenever that weapon is swung.
1393
01:55:35,057 --> 01:55:39,103
'He strived for a visual rhythm
that didn't follow a set pattern,
1394
01:55:39,228 --> 01:55:43,607
'rather something that constantly
breaks and resets that pattern.
1395
01:55:44,400 --> 01:55:45,651
'We have seen this already
1396
01:55:45,776 --> 01:55:49,196
'when after reacting
to Chieh Yuan's fall from the top floor,
1397
01:55:49,321 --> 01:55:51,574
'Lee attempts to strike Ji Han-jae,
1398
01:55:51,699 --> 01:55:55,077
'but the current of Ji's hapkido throws
proves too overwhelming.
1399
01:55:55,870 --> 01:55:57,455
'After a brief respite,
1400
01:55:57,580 --> 01:56:00,833
'Lee manages to adapt
and overcome Ji's throws,
1401
01:56:00,958 --> 01:56:04,670
'riding his opponent's current
before landing two clean strikes,
1402
01:56:04,795 --> 01:56:07,381
'one in the rib
and the other in the groin,
1403
01:56:07,506 --> 01:56:09,592
'just like the willow tree
riding with the wind
1404
01:56:09,717 --> 01:56:12,011
'in the film's planned opening.
1405
01:56:13,471 --> 01:56:17,892
'As mentioned, Lee disliked the dance-like
martial spectacles of the time.
1406
01:56:18,017 --> 01:56:22,104
'But that doesn't mean his own kung fu
spectacles weren't musically inclined.
1407
01:56:22,229 --> 01:56:26,150
'Any type of choreography is still
a composition of moments,
1408
01:56:26,275 --> 01:56:30,404
'a through line where one's emotional
content is being expressed.
1409
01:56:31,238 --> 01:56:34,742
'It's a whimsical,
even overly romantic cliche
1410
01:56:34,867 --> 01:56:37,453
'that martial arts are
often compared to music.
1411
01:56:38,120 --> 01:56:39,997
'But just like music,
1412
01:56:40,122 --> 01:56:44,376
'martial arts screen fighting employs
a rhythm and song-like structure
1413
01:56:44,502 --> 01:56:46,253
'to captivate its audience.
1414
01:56:47,004 --> 01:56:50,883
'In these rushes, we get a real sense
of Lee's distinctive rhythm
1415
01:56:51,008 --> 01:56:53,969
'and its role in advancing
the characters and story.
1416
01:56:54,929 --> 01:56:56,889
'The actual movements themselves
1417
01:56:57,014 --> 01:57:01,018
'are indeed an impressive collage
of Lee's cinematic violence.
1418
01:57:02,186 --> 01:57:06,482
'However, these are just the high
and powerful notes of a chorus,
1419
01:57:06,607 --> 01:57:08,859
'and a chorus is never continuous.
1420
01:57:09,568 --> 01:57:13,697
'There needs to be build-up,
quiet melodies in between the violence
1421
01:57:13,822 --> 01:57:16,951
'that allow the emotional content
to unfold,
1422
01:57:17,660 --> 01:57:19,411
'or, in musical terms,
1423
01:57:19,537 --> 01:57:22,873
'the verse that unfolds
a song's story and theme.
1424
01:57:23,541 --> 01:57:27,378
'It is in these quiet moments
we latch to Lee's point of view,
1425
01:57:27,503 --> 01:57:30,005
'his emotional disposition
in the stillness,
1426
01:57:30,130 --> 01:57:32,925
'as he re-evaluates
the circumstances around him.
1427
01:57:33,676 --> 01:57:35,261
'These will be the vital springboards
1428
01:57:35,386 --> 01:57:37,638
'to the next barrage
of punches and kicks.
1429
01:57:47,565 --> 01:57:48,691
'In many ways,
1430
01:57:48,816 --> 01:57:52,403
'these have more to do with Lee's
acting ability than his martial ability,
1431
01:57:53,195 --> 01:57:56,323
'and it's largely the reason
why his would-be imitators
1432
01:57:56,448 --> 01:57:59,118
'fail to recapture his uniqueness.
1433
01:59:16,028 --> 01:59:18,781
'As we return to the advancing stage
of the bout,
1434
01:59:18,906 --> 01:59:22,117
'we see James Tien's second attempt
to reach the top level.
1435
01:59:23,160 --> 01:59:25,204
'This time, he succeeds.
1436
01:59:26,038 --> 01:59:28,874
'However, as we are already privy to,
1437
01:59:29,458 --> 01:59:32,503
'the Guardian of the Unknown
proves far too formidable.
1438
01:59:34,296 --> 01:59:37,591
'Tien's actions in the fourth level
provide story context
1439
01:59:37,716 --> 01:59:40,135
'to the fifth-level material already shot.
1440
01:59:40,844 --> 01:59:43,889
'So when he finally faces
the Guardian of the Unknown,
1441
01:59:44,014 --> 01:59:46,016
'it is actually a character payoff,
1442
01:59:46,642 --> 01:59:49,645
'that being the comeuppance
for his scheming ways.
1443
01:59:51,480 --> 01:59:55,109
'The events as noted will directly impact
the actions in the fourth level,
1444
01:59:55,234 --> 01:59:58,612
'as we get another break in between
the Lee versus Ji bout.
1445
01:59:59,488 --> 02:00:01,740
'Dust falls on Hai Tien's head,
1446
02:00:01,865 --> 02:00:05,244
'and in a point-of-view shot,
we see the ceiling shake.
1447
02:00:06,120 --> 02:00:09,915
'Again, a narrative plant
is signposted for the audience.
1448
02:00:10,040 --> 02:00:13,502
'This time, the falling dust
is a visual foreshadowing
1449
02:00:13,627 --> 02:00:17,631
'of the enormous ability and power
the fifth-level Guardian has.
1450
02:00:19,091 --> 02:00:22,344
'The amount of narrative
and philosophical cogs at work here
1451
02:00:22,469 --> 02:00:25,597
'makes Bruce Lee's choreography
all the more impressive,
1452
02:00:26,181 --> 02:00:29,601
'and a strong indication
that he was thinking far beyond
1453
02:00:29,727 --> 02:00:32,104
'wanting to flex fancy shapes.
1454
02:00:32,229 --> 02:00:34,982
'Punches and kicks weren't
just random movements to Lee.
1455
02:00:35,607 --> 02:00:39,987
'They were choices of how to display
his fighting philosophy effectively.
1456
02:00:40,696 --> 02:00:44,742
'Likewise, there was no dead space
in between the violence,
1457
02:00:44,867 --> 02:00:47,619
'as they would provide
the characters' emotional content
1458
02:00:47,745 --> 02:00:50,122
'in forward momentum to the story.
1459
02:00:51,331 --> 02:00:54,376
'This is arguably the key component
in Lee's philosophy,
1460
02:00:54,918 --> 02:00:57,963
'as it allows the audience
to emotionally connect
1461
02:00:58,088 --> 02:01:00,507
'with these spectacular fighting bodies.
1462
02:01:01,341 --> 02:01:04,845
'In an interview with Pierre Burton,
Lee commented:
1463
02:01:04,970 --> 02:01:08,307
"'It is easy for me to put on a show
and be cocky.
1464
02:01:08,432 --> 02:01:10,809
"'I can show you
some really fancy movements.
1465
02:01:11,769 --> 02:01:15,481
"'But to express oneself honestly
is very hard to do."
1466
02:01:17,065 --> 02:01:20,152
'Applying this quote too literally
would be missing the point,
1467
02:01:20,277 --> 02:01:24,490
'especially on such an exaggerated
premise as "The Game of Death" 's.
1468
02:01:24,615 --> 02:01:27,618
'But the honest expression
doesn't come from the premise,
1469
02:01:27,743 --> 02:01:29,953
'nor the character Lee's playing.
1470
02:01:30,621 --> 02:01:32,790
'After all, it's all make-believe.
1471
02:01:33,624 --> 02:01:35,793
'But make-believe is not his voice,
1472
02:01:35,918 --> 02:01:38,587
'but a vessel for his voice
to reach his audience.
1473
02:01:39,171 --> 02:01:42,341
'As such, to honestly express oneself
1474
02:01:42,466 --> 02:01:46,595
'is to resonate with some form
of truthful human connection.
1475
02:01:46,720 --> 02:01:49,056
'Even within the exaggerated backdrop,
1476
02:01:49,181 --> 02:01:51,850
'we see Lee as always trying
to find these moments
1477
02:01:51,975 --> 02:01:54,978
'to truly connect with us, the audience.
1478
02:01:56,021 --> 02:01:58,357
'And if an emotion stirs within us,
1479
02:01:58,482 --> 02:02:03,987
'then, in that sense, his expression
is most certainly truthful and honest.
1480
02:02:19,461 --> 02:02:22,464
'As we see Hai Tien reacting
to the sound of James Tien
1481
02:02:22,589 --> 02:02:25,008
'screaming for help
from the floor above,
1482
02:02:25,133 --> 02:02:28,345
'the final stage of his bout
with Ji Han-jae commences.
1483
02:02:29,555 --> 02:02:31,640
'Both men trade a series of kicks,
1484
02:02:31,765 --> 02:02:35,602
'before Lee's attempt to subdue Ji
results in getting kicked in the face.
1485
02:02:37,020 --> 02:02:39,940
'As both men lie on the floor, exhausted,
1486
02:02:40,065 --> 02:02:43,026
'Hai Tien backs off
and considers his next move.
1487
02:02:59,084 --> 02:03:02,588
'Over the years, rumours have swirled
that Bruce Lee was unhappy
1488
02:03:02,713 --> 02:03:04,673
'with the Hall of the Dragon footage,
1489
02:03:04,798 --> 02:03:07,843
'whether it was dissatisfaction
with his own choreography
1490
02:03:07,968 --> 02:03:10,220
'or Ji Han-jae's performance.
1491
02:03:10,345 --> 02:03:13,849
'Nothing, however, that can be
corroborated through interviews,
1492
02:03:13,974 --> 02:03:17,477
'Lee's notes or anything we see
in the footage itself.
1493
02:03:18,228 --> 02:03:22,608
'Indeed, we frequently see Lee smiling
and in a positive mood
1494
02:03:22,733 --> 02:03:24,443
'in the flashes between takes
1495
02:03:24,568 --> 02:03:27,988
'as well as the photographs
taken on set by Chan Yuk.
1496
02:03:30,532 --> 02:03:33,327
'It's not out of the question
that the Hall of the Dragon shoot
1497
02:03:33,452 --> 02:03:36,788
'may have been more challenging
than the filming of the other two levels,
1498
02:03:36,914 --> 02:03:41,585
'if only because in comparison
to Dan Inosanto and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,
1499
02:03:41,710 --> 02:03:44,630
'close friends with whom
Bruce had trained for years,
1500
02:03:44,755 --> 02:03:48,634
'Ji was a relative stranger
who spoke little to no English,
1501
02:03:48,759 --> 02:03:51,136
'making the process
of getting a performance from him
1502
02:03:51,261 --> 02:03:53,263
'more difficult by comparison.
1503
02:03:54,473 --> 02:03:58,435
'Furthermore, while Ji's hapkido skills
are beyond reproach,
1504
02:03:58,560 --> 02:04:02,272
'and he is obviously capable
of matching Bruce blow for blow,
1505
02:04:02,397 --> 02:04:05,150
'there's inarguably something
lacking in the Hall of the Dragon
1506
02:04:05,275 --> 02:04:07,235
'compared to the other two levels,
1507
02:04:07,361 --> 02:04:10,364
'a real sense of menace
or palpable threat.
1508
02:04:11,907 --> 02:04:14,409
'Regardless,
despite persistent rumours
1509
02:04:14,534 --> 02:04:17,537
'that Bruce wanted to reshoot
the scene entirely,
1510
02:04:17,663 --> 02:04:21,541
'some say with another actor playing
the role of the fourth-floor Guardian,
1511
02:04:21,667 --> 02:04:25,420
'the fact remains that there is
no evidence to corroborate this.
1512
02:04:25,545 --> 02:04:29,216
'And in any event,
what we see now is all there is,
1513
02:04:29,341 --> 02:04:31,426
'and all there will ever be.
1514
02:04:38,308 --> 02:04:40,143
'As the scene nears its end,
1515
02:04:40,268 --> 02:04:43,605
'both men are covered with sweat
and running on fumes.
1516
02:04:44,314 --> 02:04:47,734
'But, of course,
Bruce emerges triumphant,
1517
02:04:47,859 --> 02:04:51,738
'as he hoists Ji up and brings him
crashing down on his knee,
1518
02:04:51,863 --> 02:04:53,699
'breaking his back.
1519
02:04:54,616 --> 02:04:58,245
'Unlike the third-floor Guardian,
Hai Tien leaves Ji alive
1520
02:04:58,370 --> 02:05:00,414
'but crippled beyond repair.
1521
02:05:02,791 --> 02:05:07,087
'He stumbles to the stairway
and barely has time to catch his breath,
1522
02:05:07,212 --> 02:05:10,132
'before he reacts
to a sound from upstairs,
1523
02:05:10,257 --> 02:05:12,092
'most likely James Tien's character
1524
02:05:12,217 --> 02:05:15,512
'being pummelled by whoever
is waiting for Hai Tien above.
1525
02:05:16,263 --> 02:05:19,516
'The third day of filming ends
as Bruce Lee ascends,
1526
02:05:19,641 --> 02:05:22,978
'his epic battle with
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar awaiting him.
1527
02:05:59,765 --> 02:06:02,350
'But the Hall of the Dragon shoot
isn't over yet,
1528
02:06:02,476 --> 02:06:05,395
'with one more day
of pickup filming left to go,
1529
02:06:05,520 --> 02:06:07,981
'filling the gaps left three days earlier.
1530
02:06:09,566 --> 02:06:13,904
'The headstrong Chieh Yuan launches
himself into battle against Ji Han-jae,
1531
02:06:14,029 --> 02:06:16,656
'and is quickly and thoroughly beaten.
1532
02:07:09,000 --> 02:07:10,961
'And it is in the wide shots of Ji
1533
02:07:11,086 --> 02:07:13,463
'repeatedly flipping Chieh
over on his back,
1534
02:07:13,588 --> 02:07:16,341
'where Chieh's face is pointedly
kept out of view,
1535
02:07:16,466 --> 02:07:19,386
'where Yuan is being doubled
by Hwang In-shik,
1536
02:07:19,511 --> 02:07:22,013
'who is well practised
at demonstrating flips
1537
02:07:22,139 --> 02:07:24,724
'alongside his hapkido grandmaster.
1538
02:07:24,850 --> 02:07:26,184
'One could even theorise
1539
02:07:26,309 --> 02:07:29,396
'that perhaps the reason
this part of the scene was left until last
1540
02:07:29,521 --> 02:07:33,024
'was simply Hwang's availability,
or lack thereof.
1541
02:09:29,224 --> 02:09:31,643
'Bruce and James Tien
watch at the sidelines,
1542
02:09:31,768 --> 02:09:34,562
'as Tien once again
encourages Chieh to continue.
1543
02:09:36,106 --> 02:09:38,149
'These quiet moments crop up frequently,
1544
02:09:38,275 --> 02:09:41,361
'showing the ebb and flow
of this physical interaction.
1545
02:09:59,045 --> 02:10:03,174
'One other quality these moments reveal
is Lee's keen sense of humour.
1546
02:10:04,301 --> 02:10:06,261
'Lee had worked with comedy before,
1547
02:10:06,386 --> 02:10:08,263
'most notably in
"The Way of the Dragon".
1548
02:10:08,805 --> 02:10:12,934
'In "The Game of Death", we see
his use of humour grow in sophistication,
1549
02:10:13,059 --> 02:10:15,812
'as the humour injects
the action with personality,
1550
02:10:15,937 --> 02:10:18,898
'while never losing sight
of advancing the narrative.
1551
02:10:19,024 --> 02:10:22,986
'The interplay between Lee and James Tien
perfectly demonstrates this.
1552
02:10:23,111 --> 02:10:25,488
'In one shot, we see the two debate
1553
02:10:25,613 --> 02:10:28,366
'about who should next battle
the fourth-floor Guardian.
1554
02:10:29,075 --> 02:10:30,952
'It's a wordless exchange,
1555
02:10:31,077 --> 02:10:34,247
'communicated only
through movements and gestures,
1556
02:10:34,372 --> 02:10:37,667
'each one carefully timed
to hit its intended mark.
1557
02:10:38,668 --> 02:10:41,421
'If "The Game of Death"
was completed as intended,
1558
02:10:41,546 --> 02:10:43,882
'this moment would most likely act
as a payoff
1559
02:10:44,007 --> 02:10:47,052
'to the character interplay
between Lee and Tien,
1560
02:10:47,177 --> 02:10:51,598
'that being our hero finally
one-upping Tien's duplicitous schemer.
1561
02:11:59,290 --> 02:12:02,127
'As well as being the last day
of filming "The Game of Death"
1562
02:12:02,252 --> 02:12:03,962
'at Golden Harvest Studios,
1563
02:12:04,087 --> 02:12:06,923
'October 25th is also
the last day of filming
1564
02:12:07,048 --> 02:12:09,467
'for James Tien and Chieh Yuan.
1565
02:12:10,218 --> 02:12:13,930
'Though Chieh appears in several
more films over the next five years,
1566
02:12:14,055 --> 02:12:18,893
'including 1976's box office
record breaker "The Private Eyes",
1567
02:12:19,018 --> 02:12:22,439
'he arguably never quite gets
an opportunity to shine
1568
02:12:22,564 --> 02:12:24,566
'like he did in "The Game of Death".
1569
02:12:26,443 --> 02:12:31,030
'Similarly, James Tien's career as a star
never quite regained the momentum
1570
02:12:31,156 --> 02:12:33,450
'of his earliest days at Golden Harvest,
1571
02:12:33,575 --> 02:12:35,160
'and as a character actor,
1572
02:12:35,285 --> 02:12:37,704
'he became a mainstay
of Hong Kong action cinema
1573
02:12:37,829 --> 02:12:42,083
'for many more years, playing villains
for directors like John Woo,
1574
02:12:42,208 --> 02:12:44,544
'Sammo Hung and Jackie Chan.
1575
02:12:45,128 --> 02:12:50,091
'He retired from acting in 1997 and
vanished from the public eye entirely,
1576
02:12:50,216 --> 02:12:52,552
'his current whereabouts unknown.
1577
02:13:09,068 --> 02:13:13,114
'And so the filming of the pagoda scenes
on "The Game of Death" concludes.
1578
02:13:14,032 --> 02:13:16,409
'There's still a bit more shooting
left to go outside,
1579
02:13:16,534 --> 02:13:20,788
'but these two additional angles
of Bruce's feint and jump kick against Ji
1580
02:13:20,914 --> 02:13:24,542
'are the last studio sequences
ever shot for the film.
1581
02:13:24,667 --> 02:13:29,255
'The sets are dismantled and
the project is officially put on pause.
1582
02:13:32,842 --> 02:13:36,721
'Ten months later,
Bruce Lee's dream has come true.
1583
02:13:36,846 --> 02:13:40,475
'He is the star of the number one film
in the United States.
1584
02:13:40,600 --> 02:13:44,354
'But he has not lived long enough
to see that dream manifested. '
1585
02:13:59,702 --> 02:14:02,872
(Narrator) 'According to Golden Harvest
producer Andre Morgan,
1586
02:14:02,997 --> 02:14:06,292
'every delay and gap in filming
on "The Game of Death"
1587
02:14:06,417 --> 02:14:07,877
'was welcomed by Bruce
1588
02:14:08,002 --> 02:14:11,297
'as an opportunity to solve the puzzle
that most eluded him:
1589
02:14:11,881 --> 02:14:15,009
'what exactly would be the treasure
on the top floor of the pagoda,
1590
02:14:15,593 --> 02:14:18,304
'the MacGuffin that sets
the whole plot in motion?
1591
02:14:18,930 --> 02:14:21,516
'In his scene-by-scene breakdown
of the story,
1592
02:14:21,641 --> 02:14:25,144
'Bruce only offers three sentences
for the latter part of the film.
1593
02:14:25,895 --> 02:14:29,148
"'The big fight", referring to the scenes
in the pagoda.
1594
02:14:29,274 --> 02:14:33,695
"'The arrest", possible referring
to the defeat of the Korean crime boss.
1595
02:14:33,820 --> 02:14:36,656
'And "the airport", where one assumes
Hai Tien and his family
1596
02:14:36,781 --> 02:14:38,992
'would return home as the film ends.
1597
02:14:39,659 --> 02:14:42,203
'When it comes to deciding
the treasure on the top floor,
1598
02:14:42,328 --> 02:14:45,873
'Bruce changes his mind
on an almost daily basis.
1599
02:14:45,999 --> 02:14:48,042
'Rumours of how
the ending might play out
1600
02:14:48,167 --> 02:14:50,628
'and what would have awaited
Hai Tien on the top floor
1601
02:14:50,753 --> 02:14:52,964
'have been shared
among fans for years.
1602
02:14:53,089 --> 02:14:56,342
'A floor of bountiful treasures?
Another fighter?
1603
02:14:56,467 --> 02:15:00,054
'The most common theory is that
Bruce may have recycled an idea
1604
02:15:00,179 --> 02:15:02,223
'from his treatment
for "The Silent Flute",
1605
02:15:02,348 --> 02:15:04,559
'with Hai Tien finding a sacred book
1606
02:15:04,684 --> 02:15:07,437
'filled with nothing
but mirrors on each page,
1607
02:15:07,562 --> 02:15:10,273
'perhaps indicating
that knowledge of the self
1608
02:15:10,398 --> 02:15:12,567
'was the treasure
he was seeking all along.
1609
02:15:12,692 --> 02:15:16,571
'How much relevance this may have had
in the overall context of the pagoda heist
1610
02:15:16,696 --> 02:15:18,114
'is a moot point.
1611
02:15:18,239 --> 02:15:19,949
'Beyond some second-hand accounts,
1612
02:15:20,074 --> 02:15:24,120
'there is nothing concrete to verity
Bruce considering this as an option.
1613
02:15:25,663 --> 02:15:30,543
'Instead, all we have to go on
is what was filmed in 1972.
1614
02:15:32,211 --> 02:15:34,380
'Having repeatedly asked
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
1615
02:15:34,505 --> 02:15:36,716
'to let him pass up to the top floor,
1616
02:15:36,841 --> 02:15:38,551
'upon defeating him,
1617
02:15:38,676 --> 02:15:41,596
'Bruce does not give the stairway
to the treasure a second look.
1618
02:15:44,015 --> 02:15:49,145
'Instead, he walks to the window
and shouts down below to the locksmith
1619
02:15:49,270 --> 02:15:52,940
'and whoever else is waiting outside,
giving them the all-clear.
1620
02:16:01,574 --> 02:16:04,619
'Rather than take the treasure
down with him, however,
1621
02:16:04,744 --> 02:16:08,873
'Bruce leaves it behind
and starts the long walk downstairs.
1622
02:16:14,545 --> 02:16:15,963
'Two months later,
1623
02:16:16,089 --> 02:16:19,550
'once the rest of the Hall of the Dragon
scene has concluded filming,
1624
02:16:19,676 --> 02:16:23,137
'Bruce films three takes of him
passing through this floor.
1625
02:16:23,262 --> 02:16:26,432
'He briefly stops as he descends,
and reacts to something.
1626
02:16:27,433 --> 02:16:29,852
'Exhaustion at what he has undergone
1627
02:16:29,977 --> 02:16:32,980
'and at knowing how many steps down
are left to go?
1628
02:16:33,106 --> 02:16:35,024
'Or sounds from outside,
1629
02:16:35,149 --> 02:16:38,945
'indicating that another fight awaits him
as he exits the pagoda,
1630
02:16:39,070 --> 02:16:41,447
'perhaps from the criminals
double-crossing him
1631
02:16:41,572 --> 02:16:44,158
'now he has served his purpose?
1632
02:16:44,283 --> 02:16:46,661
'We will never know for sure.
1633
02:16:46,786 --> 02:16:49,831
'Without these missing pieces
to clarity his intent,
1634
02:16:49,956 --> 02:16:52,625
'the conclusion
to "The Game of Death" as filmed
1635
02:16:52,750 --> 02:16:54,794
'becomes something more ambiguous,
1636
02:16:54,919 --> 02:16:59,549
'with Hai Tien on a haunting death march
towards an uncertain fate.
1637
02:16:59,674 --> 02:17:01,718
'Does he sense the game is rigged,
1638
02:17:01,843 --> 02:17:04,303
but doesn't intend to go out
without a fight?
1639
02:17:13,688 --> 02:17:15,898
'Regardless of what
Bruce might have planned,
1640
02:17:16,023 --> 02:17:19,193
'the last scene he films,
in terms of plot chronology,
1641
02:17:19,318 --> 02:17:21,863
'is on the Hall of the Tiger set
in September,
1642
02:17:21,988 --> 02:17:24,907
'likely on the heels of receiving
the "Enter the Dragon" offer
1643
02:17:25,032 --> 02:17:27,285
'from Fred Weintraub.
1644
02:17:27,410 --> 02:17:29,162
'Does he already know
that "The Game of Death"
1645
02:17:29,287 --> 02:17:33,207
'is going to go on the backburner,
perhaps never to be revived?
1646
02:17:33,332 --> 02:17:35,501
'We don't know.
1647
02:17:39,088 --> 02:17:42,633
'Instead, what we have is this.
1648
02:17:54,061 --> 02:17:57,857
'Hai Tien walks to the window,
punches out the panels,
1649
02:17:57,982 --> 02:18:01,235
'and shouts something unknown
to the people outside.
1650
02:18:02,153 --> 02:18:04,113
'Perhaps a cry for help.
1651
02:18:04,238 --> 02:18:06,240
'Perhaps someone's name.
1652
02:18:07,200 --> 02:18:09,202
'His expression changes.
1653
02:18:13,164 --> 02:18:14,874
'He descends.
1654
02:18:17,794 --> 02:18:19,545
'He is gone.
1655
02:18:20,379 --> 02:18:22,006
'The end.'
1656
02:18:36,395 --> 02:18:39,482
(Narrator) 'Over two separate days
three weeks apart,
1657
02:18:40,233 --> 02:18:44,070
'Bruce leads a small crew
to the hills of the New Territories,
1658
02:18:44,195 --> 02:18:47,990
'the countryside on the border
of Hong Kong's bustling metropolis.
1659
02:18:48,533 --> 02:18:52,370
'There they will film some of the most
hotly debated footage in the film
1660
02:18:52,495 --> 02:18:56,082
'in which three of the pagoda's
Guardians, Dan Inosanto,
1661
02:18:56,791 --> 02:18:57,917
'Ji Han-jae,
1662
02:18:58,918 --> 02:19:03,047
'and Hwang In-shik, Bruce's top choice
to play the first-floor Guardian
1663
02:19:03,172 --> 02:19:05,591
'are shown fighting
a handful of subordinates
1664
02:19:05,716 --> 02:19:07,718
'dressed in white karate outfits.
1665
02:19:08,177 --> 02:19:10,137
'Is it training footage meant to establish
1666
02:19:10,263 --> 02:19:12,598
'some of the key villains
at the start of the film?
1667
02:19:13,182 --> 02:19:16,853
'Or just a camera test never intended
to make it to the final film?
1668
02:19:17,687 --> 02:19:20,815
'Bruce left no indication
in his notes or script pages,
1669
02:19:20,940 --> 02:19:23,484
'which means we will never
really know for sure.
1670
02:19:34,579 --> 02:19:35,955
'On the 4th of October,
1671
02:19:37,456 --> 02:19:40,042
'days after filming his scenes
in the Hall of the Tiger,
1672
02:19:40,501 --> 02:19:42,211
'Dan Inosanto returns,
1673
02:19:43,296 --> 02:19:47,592
'once again demonstrating his
eskrima prowess opposite Wu Ngan,
1674
02:19:47,717 --> 02:19:50,386
'Bruce's childhood friend
and present-day butler,
1675
02:19:50,511 --> 02:19:52,138
'playing one of the karateka.
1676
02:19:55,141 --> 02:19:58,227
'The pair have already
extensively rehearsed the sequence
1677
02:19:58,352 --> 02:20:01,230
'in the backyard of Bruce's home
on Cumberland Road,
1678
02:20:01,355 --> 02:20:04,734
'but shoot numerous takes
filmed at various speeds.
1679
02:24:11,689 --> 02:24:14,066
'Though Inosanto is one of a few actors
1680
02:24:14,191 --> 02:24:16,485
'to film all of his scenes
for "The Game of Death"
1681
02:24:16,986 --> 02:24:21,323
'and the only one to reprise his role
when called to do so five years later,
1682
02:24:21,448 --> 02:24:24,326
'he did not pursue a career
in film acting full-time.
1683
02:24:25,119 --> 02:24:27,246
'Today, aged 87,
1684
02:24:27,705 --> 02:24:30,666
'he continues to teach
Jeet Kune Do, eskrima
1685
02:24:30,791 --> 02:24:32,835
'and many other fighting techniques
1686
02:24:32,960 --> 02:24:37,673
'at the Inosanto Academy of Martial Arts
in Marina del Rey, California.
1687
02:24:50,186 --> 02:24:52,146
'On the 26th of October,
1688
02:24:52,271 --> 02:24:55,191
'the day after filming
on the Hall of the Dragon concludes,
1689
02:24:56,734 --> 02:24:59,862
'Ji Han-jae also films his last scenes
for "The Game of Death"
1690
02:24:59,987 --> 02:25:01,071
'at the New Territories,
1691
02:25:01,947 --> 02:25:04,909
'fighting off fellow hapkido master
Hwang In-shik
1692
02:25:05,034 --> 02:25:07,494
'and a handful of Bruce's
regular stunt team
1693
02:25:07,620 --> 02:25:11,498
'playing more members of the karateka
that guard the outside of the pagoda.
1694
02:25:12,583 --> 02:25:16,879
'The stuntmen are Billy Chan,
Lam Ching-ying and Yuen Wah.
1695
02:26:25,948 --> 02:26:27,866
'After the release of the film "Hapkido",
1696
02:26:28,409 --> 02:26:31,495
'Ji Han-jae only acted
in two more films in Hong Kong
1697
02:26:31,996 --> 02:26:34,790
'before moving to
the United States in 1984
1698
02:26:35,207 --> 02:26:39,253
'where, aged 86,
he lives and teaches to this day.
1699
02:26:53,267 --> 02:26:57,313
'Hwang In-shik, born
in Sunchon, Korea in 1949
1700
02:26:57,813 --> 02:27:00,649
'was a key figure in
the Korea Hapkido Association
1701
02:27:00,774 --> 02:27:04,278
'alongside Ji Han-jae,
and followed him to Hong Kong
1702
02:27:04,403 --> 02:27:06,947
'when the pair were recruited
by Golden Harvest
1703
02:27:07,072 --> 02:27:11,493
'to instruct and star alongside the cast
of Huang Feng's film "Hapkido".
1704
02:27:12,786 --> 02:27:16,248
'It was on the set of that film
earlier in 1972,
1705
02:27:16,373 --> 02:27:19,501
'where Bruce Lee cast him in
a memorable role as a Japanese fighter
1706
02:27:19,626 --> 02:27:20,711
'in "The Way of the Dragon".
1707
02:27:21,962 --> 02:27:24,465
'He was especially noted
for his kicking abilities,
1708
02:27:24,882 --> 02:27:28,302
'which would have been foregrounded
in his role as the first-floor Guardian.
1709
02:27:31,138 --> 02:27:33,265
'Sadly, these few takes
1710
02:27:33,682 --> 02:27:37,603
'opposite stuntmen Wu Ngan,
Billy Chan and Lam Ching-ying
1711
02:27:38,020 --> 02:27:41,648
'are the only footage he ever filmed
for "The Game of Death".
1712
02:27:42,775 --> 02:27:46,570
'His film roles, though limited
in number following Lee's death,
1713
02:27:46,695 --> 02:27:49,156
'helped popularise
Korean fighting methods
1714
02:27:49,281 --> 02:27:50,491
'in martial arts cinema,
1715
02:27:51,116 --> 02:27:55,662
'and at the age of 82, he continues
to train students at his school
1716
02:27:56,121 --> 02:27:57,456
'in Toronto, Canada.
1717
02:28:14,056 --> 02:28:18,227
'Rumours have persisted that Bruce
shot footage of himself fighting here
1718
02:28:18,352 --> 02:28:20,354
'thanks largely to
behind-the-scenes photos
1719
02:28:20,479 --> 02:28:22,398
of him fighting with the karateka,
1720
02:28:22,523 --> 02:28:25,275
'but outside of split-second flashes
between takes,
1721
02:28:25,401 --> 02:28:28,320
'no footage apparently exists
to corroborate this.
1722
02:28:29,321 --> 02:28:34,159
'In any event, the material
filmed on October 26th
1723
02:28:34,576 --> 02:28:37,746
'will end up being the last footage
Bruce will ever film
1724
02:28:38,205 --> 02:28:39,415
'for "The Game of Death".
1725
02:29:04,022 --> 02:29:05,941
(Narrator) 'The rest of 1972
1726
02:29:06,066 --> 02:29:10,320
'is taken up with contract negotiations
and rehearsals for "Enter the Dragon",
1727
02:29:10,446 --> 02:29:15,451
'until, finally, shooting begins
on January 25th, 1973,
1728
02:29:15,576 --> 02:29:17,744
'a week before the Chinese New Year.
1729
02:29:19,705 --> 02:29:23,000
'The production of "Enter the Dragon"
takes a heavy toll on Bruce.
1730
02:29:24,001 --> 02:29:26,628
'He fights with American director
Robert Clouse
1731
02:29:26,753 --> 02:29:30,090
'and executives from Warner Bros.
almost every day,
1732
02:29:30,215 --> 02:29:32,843
'attempting to improve
the action choreography,
1733
02:29:32,968 --> 02:29:36,513
'writing and filming new scenes,
even changing the title.
1734
02:29:37,473 --> 02:29:40,601
'He has gone from being a man
in charge of his own destiny
1735
02:29:40,726 --> 02:29:43,854
'to his fate being back in the hands
of white Hollywood.
1736
02:29:43,979 --> 02:29:47,983
'And while he wins many battles
behind the camera as well as in front,
1737
02:29:48,108 --> 02:29:50,235
'it is not without a cost.
1738
02:29:50,360 --> 02:29:54,656
'Even after the film wraps,
he pushes his body to its utmost limits,
1739
02:29:54,781 --> 02:29:58,869
'and rumours of a heavy,
all-hours lifestyle persist.
1740
02:29:58,994 --> 02:30:01,788
'He takes harder drugs
in greater quantities.
1741
02:30:02,456 --> 02:30:07,127
'His behaviour becomes more volatile,
unpredictable and paranoid.
1742
02:30:08,378 --> 02:30:13,133
'During a dubbing session in May, 1973,
Bruce collapses,
1743
02:30:13,258 --> 02:30:17,679
'losing consciousness until doctors
revive him at Queen Elizabeth Hospital,
1744
02:30:17,804 --> 02:30:21,892
'diagnosing it as a cerebral edema,
a swelling of the brain.
1745
02:30:22,684 --> 02:30:26,313
'In the maelstrom of momentum
ahead of "Enter the Dragon" 's completion,
1746
02:30:26,438 --> 02:30:30,651
'Bruce himself is the first to dismiss it
as an isolated incident.
1747
02:30:30,776 --> 02:30:34,112
'He flies to Los Angeles
and receives a clean bill of health,
1748
02:30:34,238 --> 02:30:37,574
'claiming to have been told
he has the body of an 18-year-old.
1749
02:30:37,699 --> 02:30:39,993
'Instead, he ploughs onwards,
1750
02:30:40,118 --> 02:30:42,579
'completing postproduction
on "Enter the Dragon",
1751
02:30:42,704 --> 02:30:46,500
'and looking back to the project
he abandoned the previous autumn.
1752
02:30:46,625 --> 02:30:48,585
'What Bruce may have done
with "The Game of Death"
1753
02:30:48,710 --> 02:30:51,338
'after "Enter the Dragon"
is debated to this day.
1754
02:30:51,880 --> 02:30:54,675
'Would he have discarded much
of which he had already filmed
1755
02:30:54,800 --> 02:30:57,302
'and retooled the concept
with a new plotline?
1756
02:30:57,886 --> 02:30:59,596
'Would he have dropped it altogether,
1757
02:30:59,721 --> 02:31:02,015
'once "Enter the Dragon" hit big
at the box office?
1758
02:31:02,933 --> 02:31:06,019
'We know that in the months
prior to his death
1759
02:31:06,144 --> 02:31:09,064
'he goes back to work
on developing "The Game of Death",
1760
02:31:09,189 --> 02:31:11,984
'and plans to resume filming
at the end of the summer.
1761
02:31:12,651 --> 02:31:14,695
'He calls Tadashi Nishimoto
1762
02:31:14,820 --> 02:31:17,781
'and tells him that they will soon
be filming the exterior scenes
1763
02:31:17,906 --> 02:31:20,659
'at Songnisan National Park
in South Korea,
1764
02:31:20,784 --> 02:31:23,328
'where the five-storey
Palsangjeon Temple
1765
02:31:23,453 --> 02:31:25,414
'will double for the outside
of the pagoda.
1766
02:31:26,164 --> 02:31:28,959
'While filming "Enter the Dragon",
Bruce films a camera test
1767
02:31:29,084 --> 02:31:32,421
'with his former Wing Chun mentor,
Wong Shun-leung,
1768
02:31:32,546 --> 02:31:35,716
'sparring with Wu Ngan,
body double Joey Chen
1769
02:31:35,841 --> 02:31:37,759
'and stuntman Peter Chan.
1770
02:31:38,302 --> 02:31:41,430
'He's auditioning Wong for the role
of the second-floor Guardian.
1771
02:32:56,380 --> 02:32:59,007
'Bruce has already offered the role
of the second-floor Guardian
1772
02:32:59,132 --> 02:33:03,345
'to a close friend and former student
of his from Seattle, Taky Kimura,
1773
02:33:03,470 --> 02:33:06,306
'who had been forced to cancel
the previous October.
1774
02:33:06,431 --> 02:33:08,767
'Eventually, Kimura relents,
1775
02:33:08,892 --> 02:33:11,269
'and Bruce even buys him
another plane ticket
1776
02:33:11,395 --> 02:33:13,647
'and tells him to get
to Hong Kong for filming,
1777
02:33:13,772 --> 02:33:15,482
'but fate will soon intervene.
1778
02:33:16,233 --> 02:33:18,276
'On the morning of July 20th,
1779
02:33:18,402 --> 02:33:21,321
'he meets former James Bond star
George Lazenby
1780
02:33:21,446 --> 02:33:23,490
'and promises him a part in the film,
1781
02:33:23,615 --> 02:33:26,910
'allegedly as one of the initial partners
to raid the pagoda.
1782
02:33:27,744 --> 02:33:31,289
'Less than 12 hours later,
Bruce is gone.
1783
02:33:33,041 --> 02:33:35,627
'The events of that day
are still a matter of debate,
1784
02:33:36,253 --> 02:33:38,630
'but the commonly held version is this.
1785
02:33:38,755 --> 02:33:41,425
'That evening,
Bruce and Raymond Chow
1786
02:33:41,550 --> 02:33:43,719
'visit the apartment of Betty Ting Pei,
1787
02:33:43,844 --> 02:33:47,097
'an actress with whom Bruce has been
romantically linked in the press,
1788
02:33:47,222 --> 02:33:50,559
'ostensibly to discuss offering her
a role in "The Game of Death".
1789
02:33:51,226 --> 02:33:53,645
'Bruce has complained all day
of a migraine,
1790
02:33:53,770 --> 02:33:57,149
'and Betty offers him a painkiller
so he can take a nap.
1791
02:33:57,274 --> 02:34:00,193
'Raymond Chow goes ahead
to the restaurant to meet Lazenby,
1792
02:34:00,318 --> 02:34:04,072
'but when he gets there, he receives
a panicked phone call from Betty.
1793
02:34:04,656 --> 02:34:06,241
'Bruce will not wake up.
1794
02:34:06,366 --> 02:34:09,703
'And by the time
the paramedics arrive, he is dead.
1795
02:34:11,455 --> 02:34:14,207
'The coroner diagnoses
the official cause of death
1796
02:34:14,332 --> 02:34:17,669
'as a cerebral edema,
like the one he had in May,
1797
02:34:17,794 --> 02:34:21,465
'the likely cause of which is determined
to be an allergic reaction
1798
02:34:21,590 --> 02:34:23,592
'to the Equagesic painkiller.
1799
02:34:23,717 --> 02:34:27,512
'But such a prosaic explanation
will not suffice for many people.
1800
02:34:28,305 --> 02:34:30,098
'Fuelled by a tabloid press
1801
02:34:30,223 --> 02:34:33,518
'hungry to spill ink
regardless of the collateral damage,
1802
02:34:33,643 --> 02:34:36,313
'increasingly outlandish
conspiracy theories
1803
02:34:36,438 --> 02:34:38,356
'begin to spread like wildfire,
1804
02:34:38,482 --> 02:34:40,776
'implicating everyone from the Triads
1805
02:34:40,901 --> 02:34:44,070
'to ancient curses
and even Raymond Chow
1806
02:34:44,196 --> 02:34:46,198
'as culpable in Bruce's death.
1807
02:34:46,323 --> 02:34:48,742
'Some even refuse to believe
Bruce has died at all,
1808
02:34:48,867 --> 02:34:50,660
'and suggest he has faked his death,
1809
02:34:50,786 --> 02:34:53,830
'perhaps as a publicity stunt
for "Enter the Dragon".
1810
02:34:53,955 --> 02:34:57,501
'Perhaps the main drive behind
these theories was simply denial,
1811
02:34:57,626 --> 02:35:00,420
'a widespread inability
to accept the loss of a man
1812
02:35:00,545 --> 02:35:03,089
'who had recently been
immortalised in freezeframe
1813
02:35:03,215 --> 02:35:06,635
'as he leapt towards a firing squad
at the end of "Fist of Fury".
1814
02:35:07,302 --> 02:35:09,554
'How could someone
so iconic and beloved
1815
02:35:09,679 --> 02:35:11,264
'who would come
to be revered by many
1816
02:35:11,389 --> 02:35:14,184
'as the greatest warrior
the silver screen had ever seen
1817
02:35:14,309 --> 02:35:16,394
'be felled by something so intangible,
1818
02:35:16,520 --> 02:35:20,440
'so unexpected
and perhaps even self-inflicted?
1819
02:35:21,316 --> 02:35:24,569
'Regardless,
two certain truths remained:
1820
02:35:24,694 --> 02:35:26,530
'Bruce Lee was gone forever,
1821
02:35:26,655 --> 02:35:29,366
'and if production on "The Game of Death"
were ever to continue,
1822
02:35:29,908 --> 02:35:31,952
'it would be without him.
1823
02:35:34,538 --> 02:35:39,292
'His open-casket funeral, held in
Hong Kong only five days after his death,
1824
02:35:39,417 --> 02:35:41,461
'is a media circus.
1825
02:35:41,586 --> 02:35:44,464
'Cameras film every mourner
from every possible angle,
1826
02:35:44,589 --> 02:35:47,217
'and footage of his dead body
lying in state
1827
02:35:47,342 --> 02:35:50,971
'is rushed onto cinema and television
screens across the country.
1828
02:35:54,558 --> 02:35:56,560
'In the wake of every public tragedy
1829
02:35:56,685 --> 02:36:00,355
'is a long line of opportunists
out to make a quick buck out of it,
1830
02:36:00,480 --> 02:36:04,776
'and before Bruce Lee's body is even
in the ground, the vultures sweep in.
1831
02:36:06,653 --> 02:36:10,365
'Right away, eager to satiate
an audience hungry for more films
1832
02:36:10,490 --> 02:36:12,659
'by a man no longer alive to make them,
1833
02:36:12,784 --> 02:36:15,620
'the film industry spawns
a whole new subgenre,
1834
02:36:15,745 --> 02:36:20,500
'one that has come to be known
in later years as "Brucesploitation",
1835
02:36:20,625 --> 02:36:24,629
'a unique phenomenon only possible
in a country like Hong Kong
1836
02:36:24,754 --> 02:36:29,009
'where trademark laws and likeness rights
have never even been heard of.
1837
02:36:29,134 --> 02:36:31,595
'Hundreds of counterfeit
Bruce Lee films are made,
1838
02:36:31,720 --> 02:36:36,057
'designed to entice audiences either too
naive to realise they're being sold a fake
1839
02:36:36,182 --> 02:36:38,685
'or too desperate for more to care. '
1840
02:36:54,242 --> 02:36:58,246
(Trailer narrator) 'Bruce is back
in his first action film at the age of 18.
1841
02:36:58,371 --> 02:37:02,459
'We repeat this dramatic development,
a film no one believed existed,
1842
02:37:02,584 --> 02:37:07,047
'a film held in China and
never before seen is finally here. '
1843
02:37:07,172 --> 02:37:10,175
(Narrator) 'Unauthorised biopics
professed to tell the true story
1844
02:37:10,300 --> 02:37:11,718
'of Bruce's life and death,
1845
02:37:11,843 --> 02:37:15,764
'but often dramatised the wild scenarios
invented by the tabloid press. '
1846
02:37:15,889 --> 02:37:17,557
(Film narrator) 'The martial arts
community was shocked
1847
02:37:17,682 --> 02:37:19,643
'by his sudden death.
1848
02:37:19,768 --> 02:37:23,563
'Kung fu people especially mourned
the loss of their most popular hero.
1849
02:37:24,105 --> 02:37:27,192
'The early reports of his death
were unclear and confusing. '
1850
02:37:30,987 --> 02:37:34,074
Man, look at his face. Doesn't
even seem like the same person.
1851
02:37:34,199 --> 02:37:36,076
(Trailer narrator) 'It's the life story,
1852
02:37:36,201 --> 02:37:39,245
'the true story,
it's "The Bruce Lee Story"!
1853
02:37:39,371 --> 02:37:42,499
'It reveals secrets of his personal life
you've never seen before,
1854
02:37:42,624 --> 02:37:45,502
'a life more violent
than his movie roles. '
1855
02:37:46,670 --> 02:37:49,965
(Narrator) 'Betty Ting Pei even stars
in one such film for Shaw Brothers. '
1856
02:37:50,090 --> 02:37:52,550
(Trailer narrator) 'The film
that separates truth from fiction.
1857
02:37:52,676 --> 02:37:54,803
'See "Bruce Lee: His Last Days",
1858
02:37:54,928 --> 02:37:58,390
'as told by the one person who was
with him during his final hours. '
1859
02:37:58,515 --> 02:38:01,518
(Narrator) 'Another film even depicts
the widely held fantasy
1860
02:38:01,643 --> 02:38:05,397
'that Bruce has faked his own death,
planning to re-emerge in 1983
1861
02:38:05,522 --> 02:38:08,483
'on the tenth anniversary
of his exodus from public life. '
1862
02:38:08,608 --> 02:38:10,610
You must announce
that you are dead.
1863
02:38:10,735 --> 02:38:15,073
(Man) 'Your wife, your children,
your friend and, above all, your work...
1864
02:38:15,198 --> 02:38:16,241
'That's gone.
1865
02:38:16,366 --> 02:38:19,119
'You will live as a recluse
for ten years. '
1866
02:38:19,244 --> 02:38:22,706
(Narrator) 'Inevitably, with the public
eager to see "The Game of Death",
1867
02:38:23,415 --> 02:38:26,626
'Brucesploitation producers
step in to fill the void,
1868
02:38:26,751 --> 02:38:29,004
'cannily spinning their own storylines
1869
02:38:29,129 --> 02:38:33,174
'from the few scraps of information
publicly known about Lee's script. '
1870
02:38:34,426 --> 02:38:37,095
(Trailer narrator) 'Now, through
the miracle of motion pictures,
1871
02:38:37,220 --> 02:38:40,765
'we bring you the story and the film
that superstar Bruce Lee
1872
02:38:40,890 --> 02:38:42,559
'wanted you to see. '
1873
02:38:42,684 --> 02:38:45,687
(♪ "Also Sprach Zarathustra"
by Richard Strauss)
1874
02:38:47,856 --> 02:38:52,736
(Trailer narrator) "'Goodbye, Bruce Lee:
His Last Game of Death". '
1875
02:38:55,196 --> 02:38:57,824
(Narrator) 'Few would ever mistake
these for the real thing,
1876
02:38:57,949 --> 02:39:00,535
'but the success of these films
only demonstrated
1877
02:39:00,660 --> 02:39:02,996
'that in the absence
of the genuine article,
1878
02:39:03,121 --> 02:39:06,041
'fans would happily take
whatever they could get.
1879
02:39:06,875 --> 02:39:12,464
'Then, in 1976, the Lee family sells
all of its shares in Concord
1880
02:39:12,589 --> 02:39:15,050
'to Raymond Chow and Golden Harvest.
1881
02:39:15,175 --> 02:39:17,594
'Knowing that money
is being left on the table
1882
02:39:17,719 --> 02:39:20,138
'and that a unique opportunity
presents itself
1883
02:39:20,263 --> 02:39:22,432
'to make one last Bruce Lee film,
1884
02:39:22,557 --> 02:39:26,436
'the studio immediately gets to work
on reviving "The Game of Death".
1885
02:39:26,561 --> 02:39:29,856
'A documentary that merely presents
the footage as Bruce has shot it
1886
02:39:29,981 --> 02:39:31,900
'is deemed commercially unviable,
1887
02:39:32,025 --> 02:39:35,487
'and the notion of presenting outtakes
through the medium of home video
1888
02:39:35,612 --> 02:39:37,655
'is still several years away.
1889
02:39:37,781 --> 02:39:40,742
'Only a new, feature-length narrative film
1890
02:39:40,867 --> 02:39:43,328
'will satiate demand
and recoup the investment
1891
02:39:43,453 --> 02:39:46,498
'Golden Harvest have already
sunk into the project.
1892
02:39:46,623 --> 02:39:49,042
'A promotional film is quickly distributed
1893
02:39:49,167 --> 02:39:51,961
'that shows Golden Harvest
auditioning lookalike actors
1894
02:39:52,087 --> 02:39:53,880
'to replace Bruce in the lead,
1895
02:39:54,005 --> 02:39:56,800
'working with Hollywood companies
to develop a new storyline,
1896
02:39:56,925 --> 02:39:59,094
'and even states that James Coburn,
1897
02:39:59,219 --> 02:40:02,180
'Steve McQueen,
Muhammad Ali and Pelé
1898
02:40:02,305 --> 02:40:04,474
'are lined up to star in the new footage.
1899
02:40:05,642 --> 02:40:09,187
'Enter, once again, Robert Clouse.
1900
02:40:10,271 --> 02:40:12,857
'Following the runaway success
of "Enter the Dragon",
1901
02:40:12,982 --> 02:40:17,028
'none of his subsequent films
has enjoyed the acclaim or box office
1902
02:40:17,153 --> 02:40:19,531
'of his fleeting collaboration
with Bruce Lee,
1903
02:40:19,656 --> 02:40:21,950
'and when Raymond Chow
offers him the opportunity
1904
02:40:22,075 --> 02:40:24,786
'to finish "The Game of Death",
Clouse accepts.
1905
02:40:24,911 --> 02:40:27,372
'He views the two hours of raw footage,
1906
02:40:27,497 --> 02:40:32,001
'entirely without sound and not even
a completed script or plot outline
1907
02:40:32,127 --> 02:40:35,171
'to help contextualise the events
taking place onscreen.
1908
02:40:35,713 --> 02:40:39,425
'Nonetheless, he eventually completes
a script of his own
1909
02:40:39,551 --> 02:40:43,471
'and begins filming in Hong Kong
towards the end of 1977.
1910
02:40:44,347 --> 02:40:48,143
'When Clouse's film, "Game of Death",
is finally unveiled to the public
1911
02:40:48,268 --> 02:40:50,436
'in the summer of 1978,
1912
02:40:50,562 --> 02:40:53,398
'the answer as to how the filmmaker
has been able to incorporate
1913
02:40:53,523 --> 02:40:57,068
'Bruce Lee's incomplete vision
into a finished feature film
1914
02:40:57,193 --> 02:40:59,195
'quickly becomes apparent.
1915
02:40:59,320 --> 02:41:01,281
'He has ignored it altogether.
1916
02:41:01,823 --> 02:41:05,827
'Instead of Lee's tale of Hai Tien
using his nimble adeptness in combat
1917
02:41:05,952 --> 02:41:08,955
'to take down every foe
on each level of the pagoda
1918
02:41:09,080 --> 02:41:11,291
'in order to win his family's freedom,
1919
02:41:11,416 --> 02:41:14,836
'and in doing so depicting
the importance of adaptability
1920
02:41:14,961 --> 02:41:17,172
'to Lee's Jeet Kune Do philosophy,
1921
02:41:17,297 --> 02:41:20,425
'Clouse's script tells
a completely different story,
1922
02:41:20,550 --> 02:41:23,845
'one almost certainly inspired
by some of the more inane rumours
1923
02:41:23,970 --> 02:41:27,307
'that circulated around Lee in
the tabloid press following his death. '
1924
02:41:27,432 --> 02:41:29,893
(Trailer narrator)
'He is an international superstar.
1925
02:41:31,144 --> 02:41:33,646
'They call him a living legend.
1926
02:41:33,771 --> 02:41:36,941
'But the woman he loves
belongs to the mob.
1927
02:41:37,066 --> 02:41:39,986
'And now they're out to own him. '
1928
02:41:40,111 --> 02:41:41,946
Don't be a slow learner, Billy.
1929
02:41:42,071 --> 02:41:43,114
Billy!
1930
02:41:44,032 --> 02:41:47,202
(Trailer narrator) 'If they can't buy him,
they'll have to kill him. '
1931
02:41:47,327 --> 02:41:48,369
Billy!
1932
02:41:49,454 --> 02:41:50,914
You don't have too many choices.
1933
02:41:51,039 --> 02:41:52,790
A final warning.
1934
02:41:55,251 --> 02:41:59,255
(Trailer narrator) And so begins
the "Game of Death".
1935
02:41:59,380 --> 02:42:03,051
(Narrator) 'In Clouse's film,
Lee's character is Billy Lo,
1936
02:42:03,176 --> 02:42:05,053
'a famous action film star
1937
02:42:05,178 --> 02:42:07,722
'who is pressured
by a vicious American syndicate
1938
02:42:07,847 --> 02:42:10,016
'that subsequently attempt
to assassinate him
1939
02:42:10,141 --> 02:42:12,101
'when he doesn't give in
to their demands.
1940
02:42:12,894 --> 02:42:15,813
'Billy Lo survives, but fakes his death,
1941
02:42:15,939 --> 02:42:18,066
'at which point Clouse
tastelessly reprises
1942
02:42:18,191 --> 02:42:21,110
'the actual footage
of Lee's open-casket funeral
1943
02:42:21,236 --> 02:42:22,779
'filmed by Golden Harvest,
1944
02:42:22,904 --> 02:42:26,574
'complete with a jaw-dropping scene
in which his character's plot is exposed
1945
02:42:26,699 --> 02:42:28,660
'when one of the mobsters
mutilates the face
1946
02:42:28,785 --> 02:42:31,579
'of a wax facsimile of Lee's corpse.
1947
02:42:31,704 --> 02:42:33,206
'And if that kind of bad taste
1948
02:42:33,331 --> 02:42:35,750
'sounds like something you'd see
in a Brucesploitation film,
1949
02:42:35,875 --> 02:42:37,752
'that's because it is. '
1950
02:42:37,877 --> 02:42:39,671
(Clamouring)
1951
02:42:43,716 --> 02:42:45,009
Someone important died?
1952
02:42:45,134 --> 02:42:49,305
Oh, it's Bruce Lee,
kung fu star, at age 34.
1953
02:42:49,430 --> 02:42:51,224
His death is still the headlines here.
1954
02:42:53,643 --> 02:42:56,854
(Radio) 'Today, the funeral ceremony
for Bruce Lee, kung fu superstar.
1955
02:42:56,980 --> 02:43:00,525
'Tens of thousands of people turn out
to pay homage to this brilliant young man
1956
02:43:00,650 --> 02:43:03,403
'whose untimely death will be mourned
by a great many people.
1957
02:43:03,528 --> 02:43:06,197
'In the funeral procession were
leading names in the movie business
1958
02:43:06,322 --> 02:43:09,701
'and, of course, thousands
of Bruce Lee's loyal fans. '
1959
02:43:12,537 --> 02:43:17,417
(Film narrator) 'The mourners, many
who kept the long vigil through the night,
1960
02:43:17,959 --> 02:43:20,920
'now file in to pay their final tribute.
1961
02:43:22,380 --> 02:43:25,591
'Family, friends and admirers,
1962
02:43:26,301 --> 02:43:31,139
'some from distant lands,
Rome, Tokyo, London,
1963
02:43:31,973 --> 02:43:34,851
'all shocked by this sudden tragedy.
1964
02:43:36,311 --> 02:43:38,855
'Bruce Lee's love for the martial arts
1965
02:43:39,439 --> 02:43:43,568
'was perhaps only surpassed
by his love of friends.
1966
02:43:43,693 --> 02:43:47,447
'As the Dragon, it was said
he was feared by many
1967
02:43:47,572 --> 02:43:49,782
'but loved by all. '
1968
02:43:50,742 --> 02:43:52,618
(Narrator)
'Out of the two hours of footage,
1969
02:43:52,744 --> 02:43:56,247
'Clouse has been able to edit together
barely 11 minutes of material
1970
02:43:56,372 --> 02:43:59,917
'featuring Bruce Lee,
which, even then, is liberally intercut
1971
02:44:00,043 --> 02:44:02,670
'with newly filmed inserts
featuring lookalikes
1972
02:44:02,795 --> 02:44:05,465
'as well as recycled footage
from his other films.
1973
02:44:05,590 --> 02:44:09,719
'The fights with Dan Inosanto,
Ji Han-jae and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
1974
02:44:09,844 --> 02:44:12,221
'all feature in the film,
but only fleetingly,
1975
02:44:12,347 --> 02:44:14,932
'the setting changed
from a Korean pagoda
1976
02:44:15,058 --> 02:44:17,226
'to a Chinese restaurant.
1977
02:44:17,352 --> 02:44:22,523
'Of Lee's original cast, only Dan Inosanto
returns to film new scenes,
1978
02:44:22,648 --> 02:44:26,235
'the other actors either unable
or unwilling to participate,
1979
02:44:27,445 --> 02:44:31,741
'replaced by body doubles
or their characters cut out altogether.
1980
02:44:34,827 --> 02:44:38,998
'To be generous to Clouse for a moment,
he had an impossible task in front of him,
1981
02:44:39,832 --> 02:44:42,835
'and it is difficult to imagine anyone
who could have acquitted themselves
1982
02:44:42,960 --> 02:44:45,880
'with the task of fashioning
a coherent feature film
1983
02:44:46,005 --> 02:44:48,674
'out of the disparate odds and ends
that were available.
1984
02:44:49,384 --> 02:44:53,137
'Indeed, Bruce Lee himself
had yet to decide the specifics
1985
02:44:53,262 --> 02:44:56,808
'of much of the connecting tissue that
would have held these strands together
1986
02:44:56,933 --> 02:44:59,227
'even up to the day he died.
1987
02:44:59,352 --> 02:45:02,105
'But it is difficult to imagine
a more thorough vandalism
1988
02:45:02,230 --> 02:45:06,025
'of Bruce's original intent,
or a more committed misunderstanding
1989
02:45:06,150 --> 02:45:09,445
'of the philosophical underpinnings
he imbued his work with
1990
02:45:09,570 --> 02:45:13,074
'than that which Clouse
achieved in 1978.
1991
02:45:15,368 --> 02:45:16,828
'In the years that followed,
1992
02:45:16,953 --> 02:45:20,498
'rumours of a curse surrounding
the production grew in prominence,
1993
02:45:20,623 --> 02:45:24,293
'with superstitious Chinese tabloids
blaming, among other things,
1994
02:45:24,419 --> 02:45:26,379
'the title of the project itself,
1995
02:45:26,504 --> 02:45:28,798
'blaming Lee's careless use
of the word "death"
1996
02:45:28,923 --> 02:45:31,968
'for all the ills that befell him and it.
1997
02:45:32,093 --> 02:45:34,011
'Like all films purported to be cursed,
1998
02:45:34,137 --> 02:45:38,850
"'The Game of Death" is, of course,
only the victim of tragic coincidences,
1999
02:45:38,975 --> 02:45:41,686
'but those coincidences
did not stop with Lee's death,
2000
02:45:41,811 --> 02:45:45,106
'and indeed became more troubling
as time passed.
2001
02:45:48,443 --> 02:45:53,156
'On November 16th, 1977,
Chieh Yuan suddenly died.
2002
02:45:53,865 --> 02:45:55,366
'Just like Bruce,
2003
02:45:55,491 --> 02:45:58,953
'the coroner diagnosed his cause
of death as a cerebral edema.
2004
02:45:59,745 --> 02:46:05,626
'He died just 32 years and eight months,
the same age as Bruce when he died.
2005
02:46:07,712 --> 02:46:10,631
'While filming Robert Clouse's
"Game of Death" the same year,
2006
02:46:10,756 --> 02:46:12,967
'Academy Award--winning actor
Gig Young
2007
02:46:13,092 --> 02:46:16,596
'fell in love with the film's
young script supervisor, Kim Schmidt.
2008
02:46:17,680 --> 02:46:22,143
'A year later, in September, 1978,
they married in Manhattan,
2009
02:46:22,894 --> 02:46:24,645
'and only three weeks later,
2010
02:46:24,770 --> 02:46:27,356
'Young shot and killed Schmidt
in their apartment
2011
02:46:27,482 --> 02:46:29,567
'before turning the gun on himself.
2012
02:46:30,193 --> 02:46:32,487
"'Game of Death" was his last film.
2013
02:46:34,530 --> 02:46:35,990
'Fifteen years later,
2014
02:46:36,115 --> 02:46:39,785
'Bruce's son Brandon was tragically
killed on the set of "The Crow"
2015
02:46:39,911 --> 02:46:43,206
'in an accident involving
improperly loaded blank rounds.
2016
02:46:44,165 --> 02:46:46,209
'Some were quick to note
the eerie similarity
2017
02:46:46,334 --> 02:46:48,294
to a scene in Clouse's "Game of Death",
2018
02:46:48,419 --> 02:46:51,380
'where Bruce Lee's character is shot
on the set of his latest film.
2019
02:46:53,799 --> 02:46:55,801
'Regardless of what anyone believed,
2020
02:46:55,927 --> 02:47:00,556
'there was no denying "The Game of Death"
was already a film shrouded in notoriety,
2021
02:47:00,681 --> 02:47:05,311
'unfinished, unlucky, unseen. '
2022
02:47:19,825 --> 02:47:21,494
(Narrator) 'For whatever sins
we can accuse
2023
02:47:21,619 --> 02:47:23,496
Robert Clouse's "Game of Death" of,
2024
02:47:23,621 --> 02:47:28,376
'its success was pivotal in keeping the
spectre of Lee's original project alive,
2025
02:47:28,501 --> 02:47:30,836
'and one could argue that
the most enduring image of Bruce
2026
02:47:30,962 --> 02:47:34,715
'to audiences today is him
in the yellow and black jumpsuit.
2027
02:47:36,008 --> 02:47:38,761
'Filmmakers who have paid tribute
to "Game of Death" over the years
2028
02:47:38,886 --> 02:47:42,056
'range from Stephen Chow
to Quentin Tarantino,
2029
02:47:42,181 --> 02:47:43,683
'and its influence was keenly felt
2030
02:47:43,808 --> 02:47:46,602
'on the next generation
of kung fu superstars as well,
2031
02:47:46,727 --> 02:47:50,064
'some of whom directly
paid homage to it in their films.
2032
02:48:04,537 --> 02:48:06,372
'It's often been argued
that "The Game of Death"
2033
02:48:06,497 --> 02:48:10,293
'had the greatest impact not on cinema,
but on video games.
2034
02:48:10,418 --> 02:48:14,880
'Lee's original multi-level concept
and escalating series of antagonists
2035
02:48:15,006 --> 02:48:18,301
'evoked in many early
eight-bit electronic favourites.
2036
02:48:19,510 --> 02:48:21,387
'One can't help but wonder, though,
2037
02:48:21,512 --> 02:48:24,015
'what impact Lee's "Game of Death"
might have had
2038
02:48:24,140 --> 02:48:26,267
'if it had ever been finished.
2039
02:48:26,392 --> 02:48:29,937
'As a new millennium approached,
there were finally signs of hope.
2040
02:48:30,646 --> 02:48:32,231
'After gathering dust in the vaults
2041
02:48:32,356 --> 02:48:34,442
'following the sale
of Golden Harvest's assets
2042
02:48:34,567 --> 02:48:36,902
'to Media Asia in 1993,
2043
02:48:37,028 --> 02:48:41,282
'nine of the eleven reels of footage
are uncovered in 1998.
2044
02:48:41,407 --> 02:48:45,077
'Almost simultaneously,
Lee's original notes for the project,
2045
02:48:45,202 --> 02:48:50,082
'including dialogue and a shot list for
almost all of the footage shot in 1972,
2046
02:48:50,207 --> 02:48:52,627
'are discovered by biographer John Little
2047
02:48:52,752 --> 02:48:56,172
'in a storage unit in Seattle
belonging to Bruce's family.
2048
02:48:56,297 --> 02:48:59,967
'At last, not only is most
of the footage rediscovered,
2049
02:49:00,092 --> 02:49:03,512
'but a written guide exists
on how to make some sense of it.
2050
02:49:04,180 --> 02:49:07,642
'In the year 2000,
two documentaries are released,
2051
02:49:07,767 --> 02:49:09,393
'each containing different attempts
2052
02:49:09,518 --> 02:49:13,230
'at reassembling and reclaiming
Lee's original vision
2053
02:49:13,356 --> 02:49:15,441
'for "The Game of Death".
2054
02:49:15,566 --> 02:49:20,112
'Now, two decades later,
the other two reels have been found,
2055
02:49:20,237 --> 02:49:23,115
'including the fight between
Chieh Yuan and Dan Inosanto
2056
02:49:23,240 --> 02:49:25,284
'thought lost for 50 years,
2057
02:49:25,409 --> 02:49:28,913
'and with it a new opportunity
to assemble the footage
2058
02:49:29,038 --> 02:49:31,707
'into something resembling
its creators intentions.
2059
02:49:32,416 --> 02:49:35,419
'It would be dishonest to call
any presentation of this footage
2060
02:49:35,544 --> 02:49:39,006
'an accurate representation
of Lee's wishes for "The Game of Death".
2061
02:49:39,131 --> 02:49:42,551
'We can never know what shape the project
would have taken had he not died,
2062
02:49:42,677 --> 02:49:46,222
'or even how much of the film's material
he would have used at all.
2063
02:49:46,347 --> 02:49:49,225
'Too many pieces of the puzzle
are forever missing.
2064
02:49:49,850 --> 02:49:53,521
'However, we now have the raw materials
to present something else,
2065
02:49:53,646 --> 02:49:57,024
'a short film, finished in the style
of Lee's other films,
2066
02:49:57,149 --> 02:50:00,236
'presented as if he had completed it
sometime in the hiatus
2067
02:50:00,361 --> 02:50:03,364
'between "The Way of the Dragon"
and "Enter the Dragon".
2068
02:50:03,489 --> 02:50:07,201
'Using music and sound effects
from the Golden Harvest archives
2069
02:50:07,326 --> 02:50:09,120
'and a newly recorded voice track,
2070
02:50:09,245 --> 02:50:11,914
'sound exists where
there was none before.
2071
02:50:12,039 --> 02:50:15,584
'The illusion of a freshly
uncovered film from 1972
2072
02:50:15,710 --> 02:50:18,796
'is completed with the help
of newly animated opening credits
2073
02:50:18,921 --> 02:50:21,298
'in the style of other films
from the period,
2074
02:50:21,424 --> 02:50:23,509
'as well as some newly filmed material
2075
02:50:23,634 --> 02:50:27,763
'incorporated into a prologue
intended to clarity the plot.
2076
02:50:27,888 --> 02:50:31,058
'What you are about to see is not
Bruce Lee's "The Game of Death".
2077
02:50:31,767 --> 02:50:34,270
'That film is lost forever.
2078
02:50:34,395 --> 02:50:37,523
'Instead, it is an attempt
at harnessing the creativity
2079
02:50:37,648 --> 02:50:42,278
'that fuelled him in the fall of 1972
into a completed form,
2080
02:50:42,403 --> 02:50:46,490
'something that might stand alongside
the four films that made him a legend.
2081
02:50:47,158 --> 02:50:50,494
'Other pieces of the puzzle may reveal
themselves in the years to come.
2082
02:50:51,203 --> 02:50:56,375
'But for now,
this is the final "'Game of Death". '
2083
02:51:54,934 --> 02:51:57,520
(Man) Welcome to Korea, Hai Tien.
2084
02:51:58,646 --> 02:52:00,314
Now, listen up.
2085
02:52:00,439 --> 02:52:02,942
You may not be
a champion fighter anymore,
2086
02:52:03,067 --> 02:52:05,361
but I don't care
if you put that behind you.
2087
02:52:05,903 --> 02:52:08,197
As long as we have your family,
2088
02:52:08,322 --> 02:52:12,117
you're playing my game
and following my rules.
2089
02:52:12,785 --> 02:52:18,082
You win the game,
you, your sister and your brother go free.
2090
02:52:18,624 --> 02:52:21,085
You lose, you die.
2091
02:52:21,210 --> 02:52:22,962
So, listen carefully.
2092
02:52:23,087 --> 02:52:26,173
Tomorrow morning,
you drive out to a hidden compound
2093
02:52:26,298 --> 02:52:28,926
surrounded by 50 miles of forest
in every direction.
2094
02:52:29,760 --> 02:52:33,347
And in the middle of this compound
is an ancient pagoda,
2095
02:52:33,472 --> 02:52:35,474
five floors high.
2096
02:52:35,599 --> 02:52:40,020
On the top floor of this temple
is something I want very badly.
2097
02:52:40,145 --> 02:52:42,565
And you're going to get it for me.
2098
02:52:42,690 --> 02:52:44,900
You don't need to know what it is.
2099
02:52:45,025 --> 02:52:49,071
Just know that if you don't get it,
you lose the game.
2100
02:52:49,196 --> 02:52:52,366
Sound easy enough so far?
Think again.
2101
02:52:53,701 --> 02:52:55,911
Getting into the compound is one thing.
2102
02:52:56,036 --> 02:52:58,706
Getting into the pagoda is another.
2103
02:52:58,831 --> 02:53:04,503
I've sent ten men in there before,
and none of them ever made it out alive.
2104
02:53:04,628 --> 02:53:08,299
We don't know much,
but here's what our spies have told us.
2105
02:53:09,091 --> 02:53:10,634
Once you get to the pagoda,
2106
02:53:10,759 --> 02:53:13,888
you'll have to fight your way
through the deadliest karate fighters
2107
02:53:14,013 --> 02:53:16,265
this part of the world has ever produced.
2108
02:53:16,390 --> 02:53:18,601
Most guys never get inside.
2109
02:53:18,726 --> 02:53:21,061
But I think you'll make
short work of them.
2110
02:53:21,687 --> 02:53:25,900
Once you're inside the temple,
that's where this game really gets going.
2111
02:53:26,567 --> 02:53:28,861
Each floor is guarded by a fighter
2112
02:53:28,986 --> 02:53:31,864
trained in the deadliest skills
known to man.
2113
02:53:31,989 --> 02:53:33,824
And when they're not in training,
2114
02:53:33,949 --> 02:53:37,995
their sole purpose in life is to guard
whatever's at the top of that temple,
2115
02:53:38,120 --> 02:53:41,165
even if it means fighting to the death.
2116
02:53:41,290 --> 02:53:45,377
The fighter on the first floor is said
to be the world's greatest kickboxer.
2117
02:53:45,502 --> 02:53:48,923
(Man) 'His feet are mightier
and faster than your fists,
2118
02:53:49,048 --> 02:53:50,716
'so watch out. '
2119
02:53:54,720 --> 02:53:58,766
Once you get past him,
you reach the Hall of the Tiger.
2120
02:53:58,891 --> 02:54:00,726
The man who guards that floor
2121
02:54:00,851 --> 02:54:03,312
is an eskrima grandmaster
from the Philippines.
2122
02:54:03,437 --> 02:54:07,483
(Man) 'He won't need to kick you.
His sticks will do the job for him. '
2123
02:54:26,335 --> 02:54:29,171
if, by some miracle,
you survive him,
2124
02:54:29,296 --> 02:54:32,007
you'll reach the Hall of the Dragon,
2125
02:54:32,132 --> 02:54:34,635
'where you'll face
the greatest hapkido master
2126
02:54:34,760 --> 02:54:36,804
'this country's ever seen. '
2127
02:54:52,653 --> 02:54:55,447
Should you succeed in making it
to the floor above that...
2128
02:54:56,115 --> 02:55:00,619
Well, they don't call it
the Hall of the Unknown for nothing.
2129
02:55:00,744 --> 02:55:05,457
(Man) 'No one knows who,
or what, is waiting for you up there. '
2130
02:55:06,375 --> 02:55:09,503
Like any good gambler,
I like to hedge my bets,
2131
02:55:09,628 --> 02:55:11,588
so you won't be on your own.
2132
02:55:12,172 --> 02:55:15,342
Four of my men
will be heading out with you.
2133
02:55:15,467 --> 02:55:18,262
Two to wait outside
and guard the pagoda,
2134
02:55:18,387 --> 02:55:20,514
the other two to finish the job
2135
02:55:20,639 --> 02:55:24,852
if it turns out you're not
the champion they all say you are.
2136
02:55:24,977 --> 02:55:28,313
Now, I've got a good feeling
you'll do what it takes to win this
2137
02:55:28,439 --> 02:55:30,274
and keep your family safe.
2138
02:55:30,399 --> 02:55:33,110
But I have to incentivise my people, too.
2139
02:55:33,235 --> 02:55:35,195
Which is why I've already told them
2140
02:55:35,320 --> 02:55:39,700
that whoever gets to the top first
wins fifty grand in cash
2141
02:55:39,825 --> 02:55:42,953
and a seat at the table for life.
2142
02:55:43,078 --> 02:55:45,956
They win, you lose.
2143
02:55:46,081 --> 02:55:49,126
Just in case you thought
about sitting this one out
2144
02:55:49,251 --> 02:55:50,961
or trying to escape.
2145
02:55:51,670 --> 02:55:53,547
Those are the rules of the game.
2146
02:55:54,465 --> 02:55:57,509
You play to win, or you die.
2147
02:55:57,634 --> 02:55:59,053
Your choice.
2148
02:55:59,845 --> 02:56:01,096
Begin!
2149
02:57:25,639 --> 02:57:27,641
(Panting)
2150
02:57:27,766 --> 02:57:29,143
Huh?
2151
02:57:37,317 --> 02:57:38,610
Huh?
2152
02:57:45,117 --> 02:57:48,620
Those red sticks look pretty cute.
2153
02:57:48,745 --> 02:57:52,374
But still, size always wins out.
2154
02:57:53,208 --> 02:57:54,626
Show him.
2155
02:58:17,274 --> 02:58:19,109
(Rhythmic tapping)
2156
02:58:46,803 --> 02:58:47,846
Huh?
2157
02:58:49,181 --> 02:58:51,600
Two little sticks. Ha!
2158
02:59:01,068 --> 02:59:03,278
Don't let him psyche you out.
2159
03:02:22,769 --> 03:02:24,813
Do you speak English?
2160
03:02:26,857 --> 03:02:28,942
Of course I speak English.
2161
03:02:33,697 --> 03:02:37,242
I hope you don't mind us
moving our man,
2162
03:02:37,367 --> 03:02:40,495
so that the two of us
have more room to groove.
2163
03:02:44,833 --> 03:02:51,840
But have your men stay as far away
from that stairway as possible.
2164
03:03:04,436 --> 03:03:06,313
(Groaning)
2165
03:03:06,438 --> 03:03:08,064
Hey, wake up.
2166
03:03:58,657 --> 03:04:00,408
You know, baby...
2167
03:04:02,077 --> 03:04:04,329
...this bamboo is longer...
2168
03:04:06,164 --> 03:04:10,544
...more flexible
and very much alive.
2169
03:04:11,878 --> 03:04:15,215
And when your flashy routine
cannot keep up with the speed
2170
03:04:15,340 --> 03:04:18,301
and elusiveness of this thing here,
2171
03:04:18,426 --> 03:04:22,681
all I can say is that
you'll be in deep trouble.
2172
03:04:23,765 --> 03:04:25,392
(Rhythmic tapping)
2173
03:04:26,935 --> 03:04:29,396
That we will have to find out.
2174
03:05:09,352 --> 03:05:10,937
I'm telling you,
2175
03:05:11,062 --> 03:05:14,899
it's difficult to have
a rehearsed routine to fit in with...
2176
03:05:16,359 --> 03:05:18,194
...broken rhythm.
2177
03:05:28,955 --> 03:05:30,457
You see?
2178
03:05:30,582 --> 03:05:35,128
A rehearsed routine lacks
the flexibility to adapt.
2179
03:05:53,104 --> 03:05:55,148
It's a challenge, isn't it?
2180
03:05:56,066 --> 03:05:59,319
When bamboo strikes, it's hard.
2181
03:06:22,008 --> 03:06:23,051
(Snapping fingers)
2182
03:06:26,680 --> 03:06:28,056
Hmm?
2183
03:06:52,956 --> 03:06:54,582
Surprised?
2184
03:08:53,743 --> 03:08:55,453
How do you like that...?
2185
03:09:02,126 --> 03:09:04,254
How do you like that?
2186
03:09:04,379 --> 03:09:05,922
Uh-uh.
2187
03:11:40,743 --> 03:11:42,453
Hmm. (Scoffs)
2188
03:12:46,517 --> 03:12:51,481
In this red light, the floor before you
becomes an arena of war.
2189
03:12:51,606 --> 03:12:53,733
If you value your lives,
2190
03:12:53,858 --> 03:12:56,402
go down those stairs
and leave this place.
2191
03:12:56,527 --> 03:12:59,113
If you step forward,
you must leave your weapons
2192
03:12:59,238 --> 03:13:01,449
and take your lives into your own hands.
2193
03:13:02,450 --> 03:13:03,868
Hmm.
2194
03:13:03,993 --> 03:13:05,411
Hmm?
2195
03:13:20,927 --> 03:13:22,386
(Chuckling)
2196
03:13:22,512 --> 03:13:24,305
Again.
2197
03:13:28,392 --> 03:13:29,811
(Chuckling)
2198
03:17:13,492 --> 03:17:14,910
My friend,
2199
03:17:15,036 --> 03:17:18,831
now's our chance to get up those stairs
while they're still distracted.
2200
03:17:19,790 --> 03:17:21,542
- Oh...
- You go first.
2201
03:17:22,626 --> 03:17:24,337
Right. Thank you.
2202
03:17:28,549 --> 03:17:29,675
Wait, stop!
2203
03:17:30,217 --> 03:17:31,635
Watch me!
2204
03:17:43,189 --> 03:17:45,149
(Screaming)
2205
03:18:26,399 --> 03:18:27,733
(Chuckling)
2206
03:18:35,574 --> 03:18:36,617
(Snapping fingers)
2207
03:19:47,188 --> 03:19:48,564
Huh?
2208
03:21:42,344 --> 03:21:43,762
(Banging)
2209
03:22:31,018 --> 03:22:32,436
(Coughing)
2210
03:22:51,038 --> 03:22:52,665
(Croaking) Hai Tien...
2211
03:22:54,249 --> 03:22:55,668
Hai Tien...
2212
03:22:57,002 --> 03:22:58,337
Hai Tien!
2213
03:24:01,775 --> 03:24:03,777
(Thudding and screaming)
2214
03:25:08,383 --> 03:25:09,802
(Coughing)
2215
03:26:36,013 --> 03:26:40,142
(Hai Tien) 'His big advantage is that
he gives no thought to life or death,
2216
03:26:40,267 --> 03:26:44,146
'and with no distracted thoughts,
he is therefore free to concentrate
2217
03:26:44,271 --> 03:26:47,190
'on fighting against the attack
from the outside. '
2218
03:27:04,583 --> 03:27:07,836
Little one, you must have given up
all hope of living.
2219
03:27:12,341 --> 03:27:16,678
On the contrary.
I do not let the word "death" bother me.
2220
03:27:20,223 --> 03:27:21,850
Same here, baby.
2221
03:27:23,393 --> 03:27:25,520
Then what are you waiting for?
2222
03:27:54,424 --> 03:27:55,884
(Pottery shattering)
2223
03:29:07,581 --> 03:29:09,166
(Hai Tien) 'With his great size,
2224
03:29:09,291 --> 03:29:13,587
'he is going to find it difficult to keep
getting up each time I knock him down. '
2225
03:29:26,600 --> 03:29:28,560
(Heavy breathing)
2226
03:29:32,481 --> 03:29:36,068
(Hai Tien) 'Look at him.
Give him the fatigue bombing. '
2227
03:30:23,698 --> 03:30:25,200
(Groaning)
2228
03:31:43,528 --> 03:31:45,864
(Hai Tien) 'I'm so tired.
2229
03:31:45,989 --> 03:31:47,866
'No. No, Hai Tien.
2230
03:31:49,451 --> 03:31:51,953
'He must be much more tired than you.
2231
03:31:53,496 --> 03:31:55,707
'Calm down your soul. '
2232
03:31:59,628 --> 03:32:02,088
(Guardian) 'This tough son of a gun
is wearing me out. '
2233
03:32:33,203 --> 03:32:34,955
(Groaning)
2234
03:32:47,801 --> 03:32:50,178
(Heavy breathing)
2235
03:33:40,729 --> 03:33:42,147
Why continue?
2236
03:33:43,023 --> 03:33:44,899
Just let me pass.
2237
03:33:47,027 --> 03:33:48,653
You have forgotten
2238
03:33:48,778 --> 03:33:52,949
that I too am not bothered
by the word "death".
2239
03:35:32,715 --> 03:35:36,302
Come on!
2240
03:35:39,097 --> 03:35:41,182
(Man) Who is that up there?
2241
03:35:43,518 --> 03:35:45,353
Hai Tien!
2242
03:35:46,062 --> 03:35:49,065
(Man) Hai Tien?
Well, get down here right now!
2243
03:36:40,325 --> 03:36:42,785
Help me!
2244
03:37:25,286 --> 03:37:27,997
(Narrator) 'So much of the conversation
around "The Game of Death"
2245
03:37:28,122 --> 03:37:32,460
'revolves around what it was supposed
to be, or what it could have been.
2246
03:37:32,585 --> 03:37:37,423
'So let's take a step back and
ask a simpler question: what is it now?
2247
03:37:37,549 --> 03:37:40,134
'What are we left with?
2248
03:37:40,260 --> 03:37:44,973
'Stripping away any interpretations
or feelings the project may inspire,
2249
03:37:45,098 --> 03:37:49,936
'the inescapable truth is that all we have
is a series of disparate pieces,
2250
03:37:50,061 --> 03:37:55,275
'fragments of a vision forever unrealised,
too many puzzle pieces missing.
2251
03:37:55,900 --> 03:37:59,821
'We have two hours
of filmed material with no sound
2252
03:37:59,946 --> 03:38:03,199
'and no indication
of how much, if any of it,
2253
03:38:03,324 --> 03:38:05,618
'might have made it
into the finished film.
2254
03:38:05,743 --> 03:38:08,788
'Instead, there is a void
where additional scenes,
2255
03:38:08,913 --> 03:38:11,958
'editing and sound design should go,
2256
03:38:12,083 --> 03:38:14,460
'a void that allows
each individual to project
2257
03:38:14,586 --> 03:38:16,462
'the "Game of Death" that they want,
2258
03:38:16,588 --> 03:38:20,258
'the Bruce Lee that they want,
onto what is left.
2259
03:38:20,383 --> 03:38:22,385
'Is it his lost masterpiece?
2260
03:38:22,510 --> 03:38:24,679
'The pinnacle of his achievements
thus far?
2261
03:38:25,346 --> 03:38:27,890
'One could argue
that it cannot quality.
2262
03:38:28,016 --> 03:38:30,518
'Masterpieces have to be finished first.
2263
03:38:30,643 --> 03:38:33,813
'Whatever lofty ambitions
Bruce may have had for the project,
2264
03:38:33,938 --> 03:38:37,734
'and whatever virtues are evident
in the material available to us,
2265
03:38:37,859 --> 03:38:42,196
'ultimately we will always be left
with more questions than answers.
2266
03:38:42,322 --> 03:38:45,700
'So, allowing for that void,
the unknowable truth
2267
03:38:45,825 --> 03:38:49,203
'of how Bruce Lee might have completed
"The Game of Death",
2268
03:38:49,329 --> 03:38:52,081
'there is still so much to celebrate.
2269
03:38:52,206 --> 03:38:56,711
'It is an incomplete project, yes,
but even in its rawest form
2270
03:38:56,836 --> 03:39:00,340
'arguably shows more ambition
and offers more excitement
2271
03:39:00,465 --> 03:39:02,425
'than many finished films.
2272
03:39:02,550 --> 03:39:06,304
'It remains Lee's most straightforward
and earnest cinematic expression
2273
03:39:06,429 --> 03:39:07,972
'of his personal ethos,
2274
03:39:08,097 --> 03:39:13,186
'his next and sadly last
confident stride forward as a filmmaker.
2275
03:39:14,145 --> 03:39:16,105
'Some may argue
that "Enter the Dragon",
2276
03:39:16,230 --> 03:39:18,024
'as his last completed film,
2277
03:39:18,149 --> 03:39:20,610
'shows Bruce Lee
at the peak of his powers,
2278
03:39:20,735 --> 03:39:24,197
'the pinnacle of his physical form
and fighting ability.
2279
03:39:24,322 --> 03:39:27,909
'But if you believe the journey
is as important as the destination,
2280
03:39:28,034 --> 03:39:30,536
'then, as evidenced
by the photos taken on set
2281
03:39:30,662 --> 03:39:32,622
'and the glimpses seen between takes,
2282
03:39:32,747 --> 03:39:36,626
'what survives of "The Game of Death"
may show something greater,
2283
03:39:36,751 --> 03:39:40,963
'a man who has achieved great success
and is still reaching outward,
2284
03:39:41,089 --> 03:39:42,965
'still hopeful for the future,
2285
03:39:43,091 --> 03:39:47,553
'still expounding the boundaries of what
a man in his position might achieve.
2286
03:39:47,679 --> 03:39:49,263
'To watch "The Game of Death"
2287
03:39:49,389 --> 03:39:53,726
'is to see Bruce Lee
at his most assured, his most fulfilled
2288
03:39:53,851 --> 03:39:57,105
'and, arguably, his most happy. '
195604
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