Be Water – A Celebration of Bruce Lee (Early Review)

Martial arts icon Bruce Lee has seen a resurgence after a controversial depiction in the recent Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Meanwhile, racial tensions have hit a boiling point making now as good of a time as any to release Be Water, the latest ESPN 30 for 30 documentary about Lee and his lifelong battle to champion Chinese culture and transcend casually racist misconceptions and stereotypes (juxtaposed with that experienced by African Americans) while bridging the gap between the East and the West. Featuring interviews with Lee and his family (a rarity) as well as the people he’s worked with (all adding a sense of authenticity), some of Lee’s many writings (read by his daughter Shannon), and rare archival footage, the film is an incredibly engaging and inspiring watch that is sure to make new fans out of many viewers (assuming they weren’t already). While not so much about his life’s story (there are plenty of other documentaries covering that such as 2012’s I Am Bruce Lee), the film focuses mostly on the surprisingly deep martial arts superstar’s efforts to advance Chinese representation and his impact over the 1960s and 1970s.

Over the course of Be Water, it was easy to see how much of a humble man Lee was, from his beginnings as a baby born in San Francisco before going back to Hong Kong to become a child star followed by returning to San Francisco at the age of 18 to open martial arts schools while also trying to break through in Hollywood to attempt a movie career. Suffice it to say that it was a struggle to become a fixture in an industry and a society incapable of seeing an Asian man in a leading role as Asian characters were depicted as stereotyped caricatures (i.e. Mickey Rooney in Breakfast at Tiffany’s or John Wayne in The Conqueror). Finding some success with a series of minor roles, one of his first breakout roles was of Kato on the short-lived Green Hornet television series. Hitting a wall trying for more substantive roles, Lee was forced back to Hong Kong once again, finding true breakout success over a 4 film span, including The Big Boss, Fist of Fury, and The Way of the Dragon which finally afforded him the recognition he deserved from Hollywood, leading to perhaps his crowning achievement, Enter the Dragon. Unfortunately, Lee would not get to experience that success after his untimely death in 1973 at the ripe young age of 32, just before the film’s release.

However, it could be argued that Be Water places Lee on too much of a pedestal as a means to provide fans of Lee a sort of fan service maybe as a response to his aforementioned depiction in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. While he was not a perfect man by any means, the story makes him a little too infallible. Meanwhile, the film touches many issues but may lack enough depth for some, moving on quickly which could be perceived as a dismissive fashion. Though many viewers will surely enjoy watching clips of Lee kicking plenty of ass on screen, the film truly shined with its compelling anecdotes from he and others about their many experiences with or about him in Hong Kong and the United States which are things that some viewers may be less aware of. Forgoing the usual talking head approach to documentaries, these voices provide narration over the course of the film before appearing during the end credits. Although most offer great insights, it’s sometimes easy to forget who is talking (maybe that’s just a personal thing).

At the end of the day, Be Water makes the most out of its short running time though it’s hard to not want more. As it stands, the film is a beautiful documentary serving as a celebration of the life and career of Bruce Lee and is everything fans of Lee could ever want.

*still courtesy of ESPN*

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.