Film: How Bruce Lee Changed The World
Release date: 25th October 2010
Certificate: E
Running time: 120 mins
Director: Steve Webb
Starring: Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, John Woo
Genre: Biography/Documentary
Studio: IMC Vision
Format: DVD
Country: USA
This is an English-Language release.
A multitude of celebrities including Sugar Ray Leonard, LL Kool J, Jackie Chan, composer Lalo Schifrin and film directors John Woo and Brett Ratner pay homage to the greatest action superstar that ever lived. Written and directed by Steve Webb, How Bruce Lee Changed the World illustrates the influence and impact Lee has had on a whole generation, and why his greatness continues to be felt today by millions of people from all walks of life.
How Bruce Lee Changed the World looks at the global impact Bruce Lee has made within various fields. It constitutes eight sections, which are:
Philosophy: A look at Lee’s mental attitude and stability and how it has been adopted by Freerunners, athletes and filmmakers.
Breaking Stereotypes: One of Lee’s biggest fights was against racism. Lee’s celebrity fans explain how he fought against the Hollywood system and stereotypes, smashing through racial barriers and single-handily changing the way Asians are portrayed on screen.
Martial Arts: Fellow martial artists explain how Lee’s own concept of the fighting arts, which he called Jeet Kune Do, has developed into what is now known as Freestyle martial arts. Many of his applications are demonstrated by Scottish JKD instructor Tommy Carruthers who was taught by former Lee student Ted Wong.
Physical Fitness: For the first time, Lee’s dedication to fitness and exercise is recognised by bodybuilding experts, who credit his physical work-out methods as being an important part of modern day training.
Attitudes In China: Incredible to believe, but, whilst the rest of the world has embraced Lee for over 35 years, it’s only recently that he has been recognised as an important figure by mainland China. In this section, the filmmakers follow Lee’s daughter Shannon to various significant locations, and report on how some of the buildings associated with Lee and his ancestors are now being preserved as monuments that are imperative to the memory of Lee and his family.
Action Movies: Martial Art films may have become more sophisticated over the years, but it was Lee who set the benchmark. Stunt coordinator Thomas Sinn and action superstar’s Jackie Chan and Donny Yen speak of how Lee’s authenticity has led the way in action cinema, and why he is still regarded as the best.
Music: Lee’s influence stretches over into many spectrums - and has inspired many musicians. Producer and founder member of the hip-hop group The Wu-Tang Clan, RZA, speaks with much love and compassion for Lee, referring to him as a minor prophet. His words and affections reflect the opinions of many of those from ethnic groups who look upon Lee as an important figure and cultural hero.
Branding: Since his death in 1973, Lee has become a very profitable commodity and one of the most recognisable faces in the world. This section highlights the power of Lee’s image within various commercial markets…
How Bruce Lee Changed the World is a fitting accolade to the king of kung fu, and proves that Lee was dedicated at whatever he did. Throughout his short adult life (he died at only 32 years of age), he immerged himself in books and study, and became obsessed with learning all about the physical aspects of the human body through his love of the martial arts. A dedicated filmmaker, he was innovative and set new heights within the genre of action cinema.
This documentary makes a refreshing change from the majority of Bruce Lee documentaries, where the same friends and family members crop up to tell the same old stories which fans have heard time and again. Although no new discoveries are presented here, the focus on the impact Lee has had on the lives of all kinds of people from various backgrounds is rather stimulating.
The interview with Raymond Chow seemed pointless though, appearing for a few minutes but saying very little. Furthermore, when he referred to his friendship with Lee as being “close,” it was somewhat of a deceptive statement since it has become common knowledge among Lee scholars that their relationship was quite turbulent, especially towards the end. It would also have been nice to have seen more of Asian cinema ‘expert’ and film producer Bey Logan’s interview, which was cut from four hours down to a few minutes.
It’s unfortunate that the filmmakers failed to touch upon Lee’s own personal influences, which would have been a valuable aspect in learning how Lee became a charismatic powerhouse. Credit should have been given to the likes of Napoleon Hill and Alan Watts for their influences on his philosophy and thinking, and James Yimm Lee for introducing Lee to the concept of constructing homemade training apparatus, many of which have become standard pieces of training equipment for bodybuilders today.
Bruce Lee means so much to so many people and through this documentary it’s easy to see why; he was a self-made man, a pioneer for self-expression.
On the whole, How Bruce Lee Changed The World is a fresh new look at Lee’s legacy and proof that his influence, through mixed martial arts, modern cinema, video games, commercials and a whole host of merchandise, is still being felt today. Although it may lack any real innovation, the documentary does put into context just how incredibly unique and important this man really was, and still is, and is therefore a well deserved tribute to an important global iconic figure. SLP
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