After reading Kato I was on the look out for several things while watching Enter The Dragon. What immediately disarmed me was Bruce Lee’s acting. He has a quiet anger and intensity about him. I wonder if this is true of his general persona, or if it was due to the specifics of the issues encountered in this film. Kato is very explicit about Lee and the other workers being exploited by the transnationalization process, “they were together in an antagonistic relationship with the transnational production crew” (Kato 119). The pent up anger explodes during the fight scene with O’Hara, where the discontent of the factory workers is turned against the colonial power when Lee actually hurts O’Hara. I was on the look out of the reaction of the extras throughout my viewing, and it was interesting to see their “unscripted” reactions. Kato describes this as “the sphere of the real” entering a production. Lee’s unchecked anger is also a piece of “reality” inserted into the film, a space unmediated by the imperial power. When Lee strikes O’Hara, his expression becomes distorted by raw emotion, creating a direct channel to the reality of imperialism/colonialism.
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Kato and Enter the Dragon
Probably one of my favorite scenes in Enter the Dragon was the scene where Lee is on the boat with the other fighters going to Mr. Han’s island. More specifically I really enjoy it when Lee explains that his fighting style is “fighting with no fighting.” I think I found it more enjoyable because of how Kato describes it as a way to be in solidarity with the other Chinese workers on the ship. Also I believe “fighting with no fighting” is something that should be incorporated in our day to day lives at times. It’s kind of like saying that actions speak louder than words and by Lee putting Parsons on a small boat and threatening to let go of the rope shows to me a higher class way of being the boss. Fighting with no fighting represents cleverness. Checkmate.
“…”Lee,” however, maintains the transcendental state of calmness, as if ego has been liquidated from the outset of the combat.” (128) While I agree with Lee’s calmness during his fight with Ohara, in some ways, I was able to see at times his passion and his anger he was holding inside as he was fighting him. It wasn’t until the end that Lee produces this face (pictured below) where he looks as though he is going to cry. As if this isn’t the way Kungfu should be fought.
From Kung Fu to Hip Hop, pgs. 171-207
The connections between hip hop and martial arts really came into full focus through our class discussions and reading. I like the similarity between Jeet Kune Do and Hip Hop, specifically looking at the concept of sampling and how different elements can be brought together to make something new. We deal with this concept a lot in class in terms of “hermit crabbing”, as putting yourself in the mindset of another time period allows you to learn from the past in order to better understand the subject at hand. With Jeet Kune Do, Bruce Lee placed enormous importance on the “flow”, stating that a martial artist cannot predict combat and instead must be fluid “like water”. The unpredictability of Jeet Kune Do gave the “style without style” an edge over the opponent, favoring quick footwork (like Muhammad Ali) and a strong offense over a calculated martial arts style. Hip Hop, and sampling in general, utilizes the method of bringing all kinds of sounds to the mix and creating something new as its foundation.
Looking at a more recent example, in Kanye West’s work we find a huge selection of sampling that pulled from different bands and genres to create something new. Back in 2007 when Kanye West released “Stronger“, he used Daft Punk’s hit “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” as its foundation and through that created something different. The music video could also be seen as a form of “sampling” or perhaps “hermit crabbing”, as it’s massively influenced by the seminal anime film Akira. Another example is from his 2010 album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, in which he sampled King Crimson’s “21st Century Schizoid Man” for the song “Power” and made it work in a way that was completely different than before. I don’t think it’s very often that rappers or hip hop artists sample 1970s prog bands, but it’s the union of two different eras and styles that makes for a pretty interesting song. It is these influences that made Kanye feel a bit fresh compared to the “bitches n’ hoes” attitude that invaded much of hip hop through the early 21st Century – although I have to say Kanye West can definitely be guilty of that as well. All to all, I wasn’t a huge fan of this book but it did get me to reexamine and acknowledge icons in our pup culture who are closely related in ways I never realized, and the similarities in approaches (such as sampling) are undeniable. There is a spirit of resistance found within these methods which help cross barriers and allow people of different backgrounds, gender and ethnicity to tap that same power and utilize it for themselves.
Week 7, Tuesday: Kato’s Chpt 4 up against Enter the Dragon
Book-inspired scenes to watch for prior to film: page 199– cannot be neutral. “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.” – Desmond Tutu Click here to view the embedded video.
Why I’m watching for it: To identify the difference between neutrality (doing nothing) and reservation (doing something in what would be seen as an irregular way/reaction).
Post film thoughts on the scene (The review):
While Roper (John Saxon) demonstrates neutrality (and it is true that with neutrality he isn’t actively doing anything bad, but the amount of good he is doing is equal to the amount of good Parsons is doing) , “Lee” demonstrates how to demonstrate defense in a way that involves no physical contact. I think this is important because physical contact, violence, and usual forms of defense are not always possible or safe; it allows for an alternative way to manipulate the dynamic of control.
Book-inspired scenes to watch for prior to film: page 123– yellow/white uniforms- Lee vs. Ohara (with special attention to the “spectator clapping” which shows us the reality of the cast dynamics) page 152- lack of acceptance for of yellow gi by Lee.
Why I’m watching for it: The context for “Lee’s” refusal with the uniform and to see the reactions during the fight. Also, to better understand Ohara as symbol (“personifies”) of imperialism (page 133).
Post film thoughts on the scene (The review): In this scene, there is a guard of Han’s that comes into “Lee’s” room and uses definitive words when referring to the (yellow) uniform: “you must attend the morning ritual in uniform.” With must, there is an “or else” attached to the end of it, even if it’s not spoken. With the yellow gi, “Lee” is refusing to be identified in a way that he has not chosen for himself. The book also mentions this theme among Lee’s real life actions in his resistance while making films and how he did not accept the traditional “Orientalist” themes. Likewise, the book explains how the reactions of those who were watching and clapping during the “Lee”/Ohara fight were real. Because of the tensions and discrimination that they [reactors] faced, the ways Lee had stood up for them, and especially the original scene with the glass bottle where Robert Wall actually cut Lee’s hand the fight scene between the two men symbolized more than just a dramatic fight scene in the movie.
Book-inspired scenes to watch for prior to film: page 126– Sin-Lu (Angela Mao Ying) and her “battle against patriarchy”
Why I’m watching for it: From what we’ve read, kung fu movies were not made with female roles as the main protagonist, so to have a woman in the film (which was made in the 1970s) fighting for herself and standing for so much– of course I was excited to see this scene.
Post film thoughts on the scene (The review): My initial reaction after seeing this was “seppuku? But the character is Chinese…?”. I thought this was important because of the constant use of “Asian” as an all-inclusive culture and to have a Chinese character imitate an exclusive Japanese ritual did not seem to combat that idea. However, this is not a traditional seppuku and the important details on how it is done are missing. But the choice to have her stab herself in the belly instead of hypothetically slash her neck seems to be symbolic of dying honorably by her own hands. Sin-Lu’s screen time was completely spent on her fighting off the advances of the men and also running from them. While she was defending herself completely and competently, she came to a point where she was surrounded and immensely vulnerable. The only option for her that was still her own was to kill herself. So while I have mixed feelings about the details in the way she killed herself, I do think that the scene made a powerful statement.
Other notes!!
Page 146 mentions some writers who used “Oriental” themes in their stories, one of which being Arthur Conan Doyle of the Sherlock Holmes series. While I do not watch the show myself, I immediately thought of the modern television show Elementary where Lucy Liu plays Joan Watson.
My last note is very brief; merely pointing out the use of opium in Enter the Dragon and the way that stereotype continued into the 1970s.
Containment
con·tain·ment
noun \kən-ˈtān-mənt\
: the policy, process, or result of preventing the expansion of a hostile power or ideology
Jimi Hendrix and Bruce Lee experienced the corporate mediation of their image. Kung Fu films and Hendrix’s music have revolutionary potential that was “contained” by Hollywood’s repackaging and production. The rebelliousness inherent to youth culture was endorsed only on a symbolic level within a contained framework. Similarly, the idealogical threat of Third World resistance present in Kung Fu films was contained by processing the films with Hollywood Orientalism, essentially producing a simulacrum of actual liberatory media.
The “containment” model that Kato references is not limited to the sphere of Hollywood. ”Containment” is also the term used to describe the strategic foreign policy the United States adopted during the 1950s-60s to stop the perceived spread of communism. The communist threat of USSR was to be contained and isolated, lest it spread to neighboring nations. The containment policy eventually lead to the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. The foreign policy version of containment sounds eerily similar to Kato’s model presented in From Kung Fu To Hip Hop.
From Kung Fu to Hip Hop, pg. 71-112 – examining the connections
Bruce Lee and Jimi Hendrix.
Two titans. Two legends. And never the two shall meet. Or so I thought.
The legacies of these two ground-breaking artists live within American culture like plump fruit born from a withering tree. Their names are immortal, their faces undeniable – these are people who “changed the game” so to speak. They challenged conventions of Hollywood and the music industry, and created defining works that people still look back to analyze, study and respect. Both Enter the Dragon and Electric Ladyland are considered staples or watershed moments, and those who understand still feel the weight of those respected works today. Throughout my life I never really thought to connect the two men, but after the reading I felt a very strong bond between the two. It’s an overstatement to say that these two artists were “gifted”, but I think what they represented meant so much more. Bruce and Jimi were both born on November 27th (two years apart) in America, and grew up through the 40s and 50s. As such, they lived through the defining moments of the 20th century, and being “non-white” meant dealing with the strong racist sentiment of the time. Both Bruce and Jimi are “mixed plates” in terms of heritage, as Bruce’s mother is half-Caucasian and Jimi is mixed Cherokee and African American.
What I find interesting about the journeys of these men is the fact that they had to go “outside the system” in order to achieve success. Bruce tried to make it Hollywood, but like George Takei, found himself confined to roles that weren’t fulfilling and were stereotypical. Instead, Bruce had to go to Asia in order to find that success and through the Hong Kong system helped cement the legacy he has today. Jimi also had to step outside America in order to find his success, as his early triumphs came from playing shows in the UK before releasing his first LP Are You Experienced?. I enjoyed reading about Bruce Lee’s attitude on set and how he always tried to be on the level with the “average people”. He ate with the crew, argued on their behalf and constantly butted heads with the director – Bruce Lee was truly a unique being. You could tell that this is a man who lives by his art and understood the world in a way most didn’t. Because of this and his films, I find that he has been elevated to an almost “folk hero”-like interpretation. The fact that these men died so young only helps to strengthen that legacy or myth, and the idea of what they could have accomplished had they lived on makes it all the more tragic but also further enhances the legend. Because of these similarities, Jimi Hendrix and Bruce Lee are tied together much more than I thought – hell, they’re both buried in Washington. Maybe I shouldn’t mistake fate for coincidence…
Kato
Bruce Lee’s low-key political statements throughout his career were genius. You would not know that his anti-imperialistic, anti-globalization politics were present in kung-fu films unless …