BRUCE LEE’S LAST DREAM

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NGUYEN KINH DOANH

On September 28, 2004, CIRCLE OF IRON was released on DVD. It is a 97-minute action/adventure film. The DVD features some new interview footage with David Carradine. The segment is interesting as Carradine looks back on the film with interest and as usual has much to say about his dedicated efforts.

In 1978, the movie was shown all across the United States, then later with the popularity of VHS, it was rented in video stores. Originally, on videocassette, it is one hour and 35 minutes long. Richard Moore directed the movie with casting stars: David Carradine, Jeff Cooper, Christopher Lee, Roddy McDowall, and Eli Wallach.

At first the movie was titled THE SILENT FLUTE. Bruce Lee co-wrote this martial art tale of a young man in search of truth. Together with James Coburn and screenwriter Sterling Silliphant, he created the story. Bruce Lee conceived the idea to introduce his Zen Buddhist philosophy to wide audience, CIRCLE OF IRON was finally filmed years after his untimely death.

A young martial art artist, Cord (Jeff Cooper) has heard legendary stories of a man named Zetan who guards a great book of ancient wisdom purported to have the answers to everything. After going through many trials and fierce combats, Cord has obtained the book of ancient wisdom. The conclusion has surprised all who watched the film to the end.

Many people say had Bruce Lee standout in the film it would probably have turned out better. Ironically, Bruce Lee enrolled at the University of Washington as a Philosophy Academic major.

CIRCLE OF IRON is Bruce Lee’s last dream that has surfaced five years after his death.

Bruce Lee was born on November 27, 1940 at the Chinese Hospital in San Francisco, California to his Chinese father Lee Hoi-Chuen and Chinese-German mother Grace Lee. Lee’s parents were on a one-year U.S. tour with the Cantonese Opera Company.

Bruce Lee was an American-born Chinese martial artist, instructor, actor, founder of the combat philosophy known as Jeet Kune Do and originator of the martial art called Jun Fan Gung Fu. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and famous martial artists of all time.

His pioneering efforts paved the way for future martial artists and martial arts actors such as Jackie Chan, Jet Li, and Chuck Norris, bringing martial arts films and actors to the mainstream.

Bruce Lee starred in a leading role in five feature films, two of which (Enter the Dragon and Game of Death) premiered after his death.

He emphasized what he called “the style of no style”. This consisted of utilizing a non-formalized approach which Lee claimed was not indicative of traditional styles. Because Lee felt the system he called Jun Fan Gung Fu was too restrictive, it was transformed to what he would come to describe as Jeet Kune Do or the Way of the Intercepting Fist, a term he would later regret because Jeet Kun Do implied specific parameters that styles connotate whereas the who lepoint of the system was to exist outside of parameters and limitations.

Some confuse the Jeet Kune Do system with the personal version that Bruce Lee practiced. Jeet Kun Do can be seen as both a process and a product, the latter deriving from the former.

Death by “misadventure”.

Bruce Lee’s death was officially attributed to cerebral edema.

On July 20, 1973, Lee was in Hong Kong, due to have dinner with former James Bond star George Lazenby. According to Lee’s wife Linda, Bruce met producer Raymond Chow at 2 P.M. at home to discuss the making of the movie Game of Death. They worked until 4 P.M. and then drove together to the home of Betty Ting Pei, a Taiwanese actress (claimed by some to be Lee’s mistress) who was to have a leading role in the film. The three went over the script at her home, and then Chow left to attend a dinner meeting.

A short time later, Lee complained of a headache, and Betty gave him a prescription analgesic known as Equagesic.

At around 7:30 P.M., he laid down for a nap. After Lee did not turn up for the dinner, Chow came to the apartment but could not wake Lee up. A doctor was summoned, who spent ten minutes attempting to revive him before sending him by ambulance to Queen Elizabeth Hospital. However, Lee was dead by the time he reached the hospital. There was no visible external injury; however, his brain had swollen considerably, from 1,400 to 1,575 grams (13%). Lee was 32 years old.

The medical staff examining him concluded that the immediate cause of death was Cerebral Edema. Dr. R. Lycette of Queen Elizabeth Hospital determined that the swelling in the brain, and Lee’s untimely death, was the result of an adverse reaction to one of the compounds in the prescription Equagesic tablet.

On October 15, 2005, Chow stated in an interview that Lee was allergic to Equagesic. When the physicians announced Bruce Lee’s death officially, it was pronounced “death by misadventure”.

However, the exact details of Lee’s death were controversial from the moment it was announced. His iconic status and unusual death at a young age led to several conspiracy theories about Lee’s death, such as a murder involving Triads seeking protection money, vengeful rival martial artists, or other enemies like Chinese and American directors and producers – but none of these is supported by any evidence. His sudden death has since passed into the realm of legend, with one legend claiming Lee faked his death, and will return when he has perfected his martial arts. Who knows?

To date, ENTER THE DRAGON has grossed over $100,000,000.

Bruce Lee has two quotes that I like best:

I am not a master. I am a student-master, meaning that I have the knowledge of a master and the expertise of a master, but I am still learning. So I am a student-master. I don’t believe in the word “master.” I consider the master as such when they close the casket.

Use no way as way, use no limitation as limitation.

NGUYEN KINH DOANH

SAIGON DECEMBER 2006

REFERENCE

Wikipedia

News clippings