Controversy Around Bruce Lee's Portrayal in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Table of Contents

• Background on Bruce Lee's Reputation Among Stuntmen
• Depiction of Bruce Lee Fighting Cliff Booth
• Quentin Tarantino's Perspective and Intent
• Shannon Lee's Response to her Father's Portrayal
• Final Thoughts and Takeaways

Background on Bruce Lee's Reputation Among Stuntmen

In the YouTube video, Joe Rogan discusses the controversial portrayal of Bruce Lee in Quentin Tarantino's film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Specifically, Rogan brings up that Lee had a reputation for disrespecting and mistreating stuntmen on the set of the TV show The Green Hornet in the 1960s.

Rogan mentions that this information comes from Matthew Polly's 2018 biography on Lee. According to Polly's research, Lee was known for 'tagging' the stuntmen, meaning he would hit them for real with his fists and feet during fight scenes, even though this was seen as unprofessional.

The stuntmen grew to resent Lee so much that they refused to work with him. Veteran stunt coordinator Gene LeBell was eventually brought in to teach Lee respect and restrain his actions on set.

Bruce Lee's Disrespect and Mistreatment of Stuntmen

As Rogan highlights, Lee's mistreatment of stuntmen stemmed from his desire to make the fight scenes look more realistic by actually striking the stunt performers, rather than pulling his punches as was customary. However, this 'tagging' was seen as dangerous and unprofessional by the stunt community at the time. Lee's background was in martial arts tournaments and demonstrations, not hardcore film stunt work.

Parallels to Robert Conrad's Reputation

Interestingly, Rogan draws a comparison between Lee and actor Robert Conrad, who was known for doing many of his own stunts in the 1960s TV show The Wild Wild West. Like Lee, Conrad also had a reputation for being rough with stuntmen and not following safety protocols on set. Stunt performers gave him the nickname 'Robert Never Met a Stuntman He Couldn't Blame Conrad' due to his treatment of them.

Depiction of Bruce Lee Fighting Cliff Booth

In Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, there is a scene depicting Lee (played by Mike Moh) battling Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) on the set of The Green Hornet. Their fight is actually a best 2-out-of-3 match.

As Rogan explains, Booth wins by allowing Lee to easily knock him down on the first round. This lets Booth study Lee's technique. When they fight again, Booth is ready and able to counter Lee's move, catching him off guard and forcing a decisive third round.

Quentin Tarantino's Perspective and Intent

Rogan provides context around Tarantino's intent with the controversial Lee scenes. He suggests Tarantino may have been drawing from the real-life accounts of Lee disrespecting stuntmen to shape the arrogant, hotheaded portrayal of Lee in the film.

The point was also to establish Booth as a formidable brawler himself, having survival skills from his military background that would enable him to best Lee in a 'street fight' situation outside of a controlled tournament.

Shannon Lee's Response to her Father's Portrayal

Understandably, Bruce Lee's daughter Shannon Lee took issue with the portrayal of her father in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Rogan acknowledges he can empathize with a child protecting their parent's legacy.

However, Rogan argues that outside of Shannon's personal perspective, the depiction is justified based on historical accounts of Lee's on-set behavior and the contextual purpose it serves in the film's narrative.

Final Thoughts and Takeaways

The controversy over Bruce Lee's portrayal speaks to the complexity of balancing historical accuracy versus heroic legacy with a public figure. While the negative depiction upset Lee's family and some fans, it was likely grounded in real accounts.

Ultimately, fictionalized portrayals require separating someone's public persona from their inner struggles. The Lee in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood represents the arrogant, reckless side that stuntmen themselves witnessed behind the scenes.

FAQ

Q: Why was Bruce Lee portrayed negatively in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood?
A: Quentin Tarantino stated he aimed to depict Bruce Lee as arrogant and disrespectful towards stuntmen based on accounts of his behavior on set documented in Matthew Polly's book.

Q: Did Bruce Lee really fight stuntman Cliff Booth?
A: No, the fight scene between Bruce Lee and Cliff Booth is fictionalized for the movie.

Q: What was Bruce Lee's daughter's response?
A: Shannon Lee stated she understood Tarantino's creative freedom but felt the portrayal was inaccurate and insensitive.