MovieChat Forums > Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (1993) Discussion > Did Bruce Lee really do that?

Did Bruce Lee really do that?

posted 14 years ago by MisterBabadook
17 replies | jump to latest

Im talking about the scene where he's filming that movie the big boss i think thats the name and he fights that big guy and breaks the blocks of ice then after the fight he tears the film outta the camera and walks out. Did Bruce Lee really do that? cause ive heard this movie had alota things in it Bruce did'nt do i was just wondering if this was one of them.

I could have killed every last one of them within minutes and what would that have proven.
Godric-

[–] chips76309 14 years ago

There is no mention of such an episode in any of the biographies I have read.

I am guessing, from the timing of your post, that you may have just watched this movie on AMC? I have never seen it and only happened to catch the last 30 minutes myself just now. If that half-hour was a fair sample, this movie is pretty inaccurate.

[–] MisterBabadook 14 years ago

I just looked on his IMDB page and the movie was in his listing as Tang shan da xiong aka the Big Boss english title so apparently he did the movie.

I could have killed every last one of them within minutes and what would that have proven.
Godric-

[–] dbztyler 14 years ago

Watch the director's commentary... Rob said he just threw it in because it was cool... he put C4 charges in the ice for the movie. He said there is no record of Bruce doing it in real life.

[–] arnebarnard 10 years ago

If you do a frame by frame where the first ice block is hurled, when the camera switches to Bruce you can see a brief flash from inside the iceblock just before it goes ka-plooie!
Jason Scott Lee needed protection from this blast, so the set was darked down and a sheet of plexiglass was placed in front of the actor. The way the camera angle is set up, it looks like JSL IS punching a 200 pound iceblock into sno-cones! Remember the plexiglass is right in front of him, so he can't punch it, lest the practical effect get's "exposed", but his timing has to be perfect so everything is in sync.

[–] megafauna005 10 years ago

The problem is Brucey was challenged by a bunch a wimpy Thais & chinamen. How would he fare against a 6'4" strongman? I bet he'd get his ass kicked! At least by some of them.

Jesus NEVER existed! He is Judeo Christian MYTH!

[–] Akira-Takahashi 9 years ago

Do you troll Bruce Lee boards to spout your racist and inaccurate points about how strength and size are the only things that matter in a fight? You must have some personal issues you need to work out before you assume that strongmen are the only real fighters in the world. http://wannabebig.com/forums/threads/140086-Powerlifting-Guy-vs-Karate-Guy?s=23cad61849dbdc638d39541decb9d02f

It's good to take things on a case-by-case basis. Size and strength aren't the only deciding factors in fighting, whether that's street fighting, wrestling, boxing, or MMA. A lot depends on the individual fighter, such as their skill set, speed, strength, willingness to actually fight, and adaptability to different opponents and circumstances.

Bruce Lee wasn't invincible. No one is. And to say that he wasn't a real fighter unless he took out strongmen, who weren't in the martial arts scene at the time, instead of just wimpy Asians (which is very racist and a generalized statement) is unfair judgement.

[–] ScentOfAWomanLover 14 years ago

It appears that in reality Bruce was challenged by a Muy Thai Fighter on the set of that film, and a fight indeed took place. But not as is seen in the movie, as in trying to kill each other and breaking iceblocks.

[–] mrhan1 14 years ago

Not a damn thing in this movie is factual except for the fact he came back to the U.S. got his first acting job and then went back to HK and became famous. That's it. Everything else is BS.

[–] superman1 12 years ago

Normally susbstituting fiction for fact really bothers me. As when they change a book for a movie but is always weaker.
But in this film, for some reason, it didn't.... Why?

Because this film did it so well, and stylishly, and creatively. They didn't weaken the facts, but strengthened, magnified them.
It was all in the spirit of Bruce Lee's character, I reckon, and they knew that.
I still view the film as honest. I always had the feeling they knew what they were doing. And they paid him full respect at all times. They never lied.
A brilliant achievement in film making, in my opinion.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Be like water... and you will never go thirsty."

[–] eyeforaneye2002 12 years ago

I think on the DVD commentary, the director mentioned that it never happened. But that Bruce was always being challenged to a fight on sets anyway.

[–] cyberdynesystems101 12 years ago

A lot of the stuff in the film twists the facts for the sake of entertainment, which is one reason I don't really like this film. If you're going to tell his story, tell it right. His life was intresting enough. Bruce was challanged a lot (but that was mainly after he made his first film and got famous in Hong Kong.)

I an't afraid of no ghosts!

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] MovieBuffMarine 8 years ago

His life was intresting enough.

It was. . .but it don't mean the movie would do well if there was no artistic license taken.

People assume that because his life was "interesting" that a movie following it 100% would come out better than what was shown. That's far from the truth.

[–] liquidchaoss 10 years ago

The block breaking was special effects thing, however here is another fun thing to watch. Watch closely while they are fighting and twice you will see a wire connected to Jason Scott Lee.

[–] huzdaman 9 years ago

That specific challenge and fight is not factual. However, according to Lee historian John Little, as well as many who actually knew him, he would be challenged on the set from time to time. In Asia, it was common for a thug to try to take out "the master", only to be quickly taken out by Lee, who never tried to kill anyone, but would make a quick example of them. In that respect, the movie was accurate.

It's like this: the film took real elements of his life, and dressed them up so they would make a good dramatic movie. Linda didn't really run out of her home in a rainstorm and jump on a motorcycle with Bruce to run off and get married, but they really did face racism from their families regarding the marriage, and it plays out better onscreen the way it is shown. Dramatic license.

[–] liquidchaoss 9 years ago

Uhm... Ok? There are still wires connected to the actor during the scene I mentioned :)

[–] huzdaman 9 years ago

sorry liquidchaoss I was replying to the thread in general, not to what you said.
Cheers