It might be light on high kicking antics, but this new biopic based on younger brother Robert Lee’s experiences is a tender depiction of Bruce Lee the man…

PromoFor a man who passed away nearly 40 (yes, 40!) years ago, Bruce Lee still holds a strong fascination in popular culture way beyond martial art and movie fans. That famous, iconic appearance still graces many a wall, just a few years ago a new statue was unveiled to overlook Hong Kong harbour to celebrate what would have been his 65th birthday (at the same time as another was unveiled in, of all places Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina).

It’s an image we all know, the bare chest, loose fitting black trousers, the attitude. It is, of course, taken from his appearance in a handful of movies he made back in Hong Kong shortly before his death. Films like Way Of The Dragon, Fist Of Fury and Enter The Dragon. Yet Lee wasn’t like other iconic figures with barely a handful of films to prove their worth. He’d enjoyed success as a child star long before he left for (or indeed returned to) America in his late teens.

You might almost say his destiny in film was more certain than in martial arts, born in San Francisco he even appeared in a film shot there by a Hong Kong filmmaker barely a few months old. You could say it was in his blood, his father was a leading Cantonese opera star and actor. And this film is much more about Bruce the man (or at least boy) than it is Bruce the martial arts legend. At its heart is the book that inspired the film, and it’s alternative title, Bruce Lee, My Brother, by lee’s own brother Robert.

Directors Manfred Wong and Raymond Yip lay out much of the background detail so often left behind by documentaries and other biopics – namely Rob Cohen’s Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story, which pretty much omitted any reference to his childhood stardom. Starting from his birth and first appearance in film, it shows him growing up back in Hong Kong surrounded by a strong and loving family unit, his father and mother played by Tony Leung Ka-fai and Christy Cheung (making a very welcome return to the big screen).

It swiftly moves on to a teenage, cha cha dancing version of Lee, played by Aarif Rahman, Cantopop singer and star of Echoes Of The Rainbow). Wong and Yip gloriously bring the 50s back to life with what seems to be a keen eye for detail. (Though not that keen, as some pundits on IMDb are eager point out.) The overall effect is convincing, following a real tread in Hong Kong cinema at the moment to work really hard in terms of production to recreate these periods, think Ip Man 2 or Bodyguards & Assassins.

It’s lush and beautifully shot. It’s a tender recollection of both youth and what could be considered a bygone age. In particular, the directors seem to delight in reminiscing on the filmmaking of the period, showing sets where primitive, but somehow still exciting, movies are being shot, including appearances by Cheung Siu-Fai (Breaking News, Murderer, Connected) and Alex Man (Rouge, As Tears Go By) as actors Cho Tat-wah and Ng Cho-Fan respectively. You wonder who is more fascinated, Lee or Wong and Yip. (I think we all know the answer to that…)

And yet towards the end the film turns to more common thematic elements: despite taking little interest in Lee’s training by Yip Man in Wing Chun (perhaps they’re leaving that to an Ip Man sequel) we find him at the centre of a fighting tournament. And once again, like Ip Man 2, True Legend and various other flicks, his opponent is a Westerner. (Sorry, should we be reading anything into this?) In this case played by Alex Yen.

This topples an unfortunate balance in the narrative, having sought so hard to present Lee as a living, breathing human, not a legendary martial arts fighter or superstar, suddenly we are thrown into devices almost as hackneyed as Rob Cohen’s sensationalism. Okay, not quite, but it still feels ‘off’. It’s almost as if the filmmakers lost faith in their vision and realised that most fans would, perhaps quite rightly, want to see Lee in a fight?

Indeed, at certain points the filmmakers seem to turn their back on other opportunities where before they were overly exploited. Lee’s days as a street fighter are deliberately played down to what seems like an fairly light and innocent rough and tumble, when in face they were far more serious, creating a need to invent (or at least augment) a plot device in order to facilitate Lee’s father’s decision to send him to America.

Aarif gives a sound performance at the films core, but when on screen with season professionals like Tony Leung he really doesn’t stand a chance. The real question is does he capture Bruce? As Aarif would say, he’s not portraying the Bruce we all know, but in some ways I feel he also doesn’t get the chance to.

The narrative condenses much of Bruce’s teenage years into what at least feels like a few months. Without showing us the arrogant, rough housing Bruce who picked fights to prove his worth, in spite of his local fame, we’re presented with a well-adjusted young man with nothing to prove. And robbed of any true realisation of a typical teen finding his way, despite of his loving family, and finally growing up.

Notably the film opens with a statement distancing the depiction of Bruce from the Bruce Lee estate, namely his wife and own surviving family.

Best known now for co-directing The Warlords with Peter Chan, Raymond Yip and Manfred Wong have a long history of collaborations dating back to the late 90s with films like Portland Street Blues, Those Were The Days, For Bad Boys Only and Loving Him. Writer/actor Wong successfully striking a chord with the Young And Dangerous series with Andrew Lau, before adapting another comic with Lau, The Storm Riders.

Ironically for a film starring a pop star, the soundtrack rather grates. Faux soft cover versions of 50s rock’n’roll songs do not go over well, even though the directors intent has merit: for the 50s, 60s and even 70s most music was enjoyed on transistor radios, not booming ghetto blasters or subwoofer home entertainment systems.

Definitely an improvement in what’s come before (i.e. Dragon), Young Bruce Lee may not please everyone, but for those who want to learn a little more about Bruce Lee the man it’s pretty much a must…

Young Bruce Lee is released on Monday 30 May on 2-disc DVD and Blu-ray by Cine-Asia.

DVD details

Distributor: Cine-Asia (UK)

Unsurprisingly another solid release from Cine-Asia, available on two-disc DVD and Blu-Ray. A great transfer of the film and audio, backed with plenty of extras to keep you going. There's a commentary from Bey Logan, loads of deleted and extended scenes, including some sub-plots and characters cut from the final film, and an exhaustive selection of production featurettes.

There's also a world exclusive featurette, Memories Of The Master, with recollections from friends and colleagues of the real Bruce Lee.

Once again a top release from Cine-Asia – we're gonna start taking it for granted, but who else releases 'em like this?

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This entry was published by Andy H on Monday, May 23rd, 2011 at 10:00 am and is filed under Drama, Films, Hong Kong, Martial arts, Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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