Commemorating Bruce Lee's 30th Death Anniversary
 

Shenyang Today 20 July 2003
Tang Xiao Shi
 

Jackie Chan said: Bruce Lee was like a seed of greatness, given time, he would become as great as virtuoso Charlie Chaplin. Alas, he passed away at an early age, like a seedling that was plucked before it could fully mature. Great people will always be remembered, always living in the hearts of the younger people, and those with wisdom would draw inspiration and strength from them.
 

Stanley Tong: Bruce Lee Exhibited the Willpower of Chinese

Stanley Tong, who will be working with Jackie Chan in Time Breaker, shares an unusual relationship with the Bruce Lee family. Yesterday, when his reporter interviewed him, Stanley Tong's first phrase was Bruce Lee was his idol, "I am well acquainted with Bruce Lee's wife and daughter. I met Bruce Lee once when I was very young. When his son Brandon Lee was shooting in Hong Kong, I was his stunt-double. Later, when I pursued my career in US, Bruce Lee's daughter Shannon Lee guest-starred in my directorial movie. Bruce Lee's daughter and wife also invited me to attend Bruce Lee's 30th anniversary of his death. Seeing his movie reminds me of what I was doing in those years. In the hearts of American Chinese, Bruce Lee is a representation of loyalty, he demonstrated the the courage and strength of the Chinese, that the Chinese have backbone. The Chinese who are living in foreign countries are often looked down, and at that time, it's easy to be infected by Bruce Lee's loyalty to China."

Stanley Tong said, "Actually, in certain aspects, Jackie Chan has already surpassed Bruce Lee, and he is without any limits. He is famous for 30 years, and has gained a successful foothold in Hollywood. Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan are those whom I respect very much."
 

Wu Jing: Pristine Wushu Movies Belonged to Bruce Lee

Wu Jing, who is soon going to work with Tsui Hark in Seven Swords of Mt Tian, is currently having a respite at home. Perhaps, owing to great gap between their times, when asked about his feelings, Wu Jing's response came as somewhat unexpected to this reporter, "Bruce Lee's kung fu was very real, unfortunately, I was not born when he was alive. I am pretty familiar with his movies, he is not an actor but a martial artist. His tenacity was admirable."

On the future of action movies, Wu Jing said, "When I was young, my father compelled me to learn wushu, I didn't fully realise the essence of wushu. Now that I am busy with filming schedules, I am drifting further away from pure wushu. Bruce Lee did movies as a martial arts practitioner, but I am an actor, many of my works are enhanced with special effects, in order to meet the demands of the market. Some says that unblemished Chinese kungfu movies have plunged into an irrevocable abyss, unadulterated wushu movies have reached an inviolable apex under the hands of Bruce Lee. Only with innovations would action movies find favour with the market again."
 

Tsui Hark: Bruce Lee was Truly a Man of the Pugilistic Circle

Tsui Hark is a forthcoming person. Today is the 30 death anniversary of Bruce Lee, as Tsui Hark has produced countless kungfu movies, this reporter enquired about his views on Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan. His reply was very thorough, "Bruce Lee is an idol, his kungfu was symbolic. He was a real pugilist. Jackie Chan is but a good actor, no matter how good his kungfu is, he is still an artiste whose forte lies in action. Actually, Bruce Lee was an extremely outstanding director. His directorial movies were of very high standards. My new movie, Xanda, is also of Bruce Lee style."

Perhaps, there would appear a new genius like Bruce Lee, bringing Chinese kungfu to the next apogee that we could hardly imagine. Now, we could only anticipate.

Photo: Sina

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