(1973): Clash of Cultures
Bruce Lee always wanted to make major film as a Hollywood production. He had been friends with Steve McQueen and always felt he could be as successful star like McQueen was. Indeed, this film would make Lee an international superstar.
Ironically, Bruce Lee died before it was released. He did not get to experience the acclaim that he deserved. The Rolls Royce that he had ordered was delivered after his death.
Robert Clouse (1928- 1997) directed the film and wrote an insightful book about the problems the film had when in production. The Hong Kong crew did not understand Robert and did not like the American crew. At one point while filming on top of a building, one of the Hong Kong crew members tried to push Robert Clouse off the building, but other members held him back.
The director learned of this only after the filming ended. Bruce Lee was often challenged by film extras, some of whom were Triad members. He simple tagged them with a punch or kick leaving them with drops of blood from the mouth. This disturbed Robert and such events would never occur on a Hollywood se
Wearing Yellow
Originally Bruce Lee was supposed to wear yellow as do all of the other participants in the tournament. However, Lee refused because yellow in Western culture symbolized being a coward. Robert Clouse told him yellow is gold. Lee refused.
There is a scene where Bolo informs Lee to wear the yellow uniform. Lee remembers how Asian are treated in Hollywood. Indeed, it reminded him of the practice of yellowfacing, were white pretended to be Asian.
Death of Bob Wall (Oharra)
At one point, Bruce Lee lost face because he was injured by Bob Wall with glass bottles (real ones were used in Hong Kong). Thus, he threatened to kill Bob Wall for injuring him with the glass bottles. Robert Clouse quickly came up with a story that saved Bruce Lee from killing Bob. Bruce explained to the crew that Bob Wall had to go stateside to finish filming key scenes. Bruce Lee, the great kung fu master, saved face. Thus, there was as much violence off the screen as on the screen.
The fight scenes were put together quickly. Sometimes the extras were not fast enough or did not let go. An irritated Bruce found himself actually hitting some extras to teach them a lesson. But once he accidentally hit one of the extras a bit hard. He was disturbed that he had lost control of his focus. He continued to apologize that day to the extra. The extra was a tough stunt man who acted as if nothing could hurt him. He appreciated Lee’s apology because that blow was one of the hardest he had even felt. He had a new respect for Lee. The extra’s name was Jackie Chan.
Enter and Exit the Writer, Michael Allin
Bruce Lee had problems with the writer of the film, Michael Allin, and demanded rewrites. Lee at first welcomed working with the writer. Later he finally told the writer to get out of his sight and wrote some scenes himself, adding martial arts philosophy.
Michael didn’t seem to respect Lee and even talked back to him. Lee didn’t want Michael around. So he was sent back home to the states. The director thought it would be okay for Michael to see a little of Hong Hong before he left. Unfortunately, Lee accidentally sees Michael still in Hong Hong and this make Lee mad because the director had promised he was leaving. So Lee thought the director was lying to him.
Lee also had problems with the stereotypes in the film. Michael Allin would help write another film, Flash Gordon (1980) which contained another Asian stereotype character: Emperor Ming.
In the 25th anniversary version, one of the scenes Bruce Lee wrote was restored. Still if Lee had lived, he would have made a film for the American audience exactly the way he wanted. The great success
of Enter the Dragon would finally have allowed him the power to produce a film with Asians without the stereotypical trappings of the West.
For example, watch the grand entrance of Emperor Ming in Flash Gordon (1980).
The Inscrutable Han and British Intelligence
Han, the villain, played by Shih Kien (1913- 2009), is described as the “Inscrutable Han” in a preview trailer of the film released to American audiences. The adjective “inscrutable” is historically associated with Fu Manchu and with Asians in general. Asian Americans are sensitive to that adjective. Bruce Lee wanted to deconstruct how Americans viewed Asians. He wanted America to see Asians for what they are. Did Enter the Dragon do that or did it help to perpetuate stereotypes? Han seem to be a remake of Dr No. character as originally played by Joseph Wiseman (1918-2009) from the 1962 James Bond film. Both Dr. No and Han have artificial hands, prostheses.
Furthermore, both evil characters have a similar haircut and even similar jacket. For Hong Kong audiences, Enter the Dragon was not Lee’s best film. They preferred Way of the Dragon (1972) where Lee kills Chuck Norris (Colt) in the end. In Enter the Dragon you have Lee as a spy for the British government killing another Chinese. At this time, Hong Kong was still a colony under British rule.
Interestingly, Dr No is part German and Chinese. Bruce Lee is also part German. His grandmother as part German. Dr. No in the animated James Bond Jr. versions (1991-1992) appears like a Fu Manchu reject.
The Evening Banquet
Enter the Dragon is considered a classic of the genre. Interestingly, Robert Clouse never made a film that would even come close to the energy and artistic achievement of this film. However, to the Hong Kong
audience, this is the least liked Bruce Lee film. Its colonial flavor did not do well for Chinese audiences. The most expensive scene of the film with the sumo wrestlers and exotic bird cages seems stereotypical of how the West views the East. This scene has been criticized by Asians for being disturbing with its Oriental, stereotypical exotic backdrop. That is not how Asians ever celebrate anything.
However, this is how Hollywood perceives Asians to act. Watch parodies of Enter the Dragon, like Balls of Fury (2007). Christopher Walken portrays Feng, a Han or Fu Manchu like evil villain stereotype.