The Game of Death
The Game of Death (死亡的遊戲) is an incomplete Hong Kong martial arts film, of 39 minutes (approximately two minutes is missing from the beginning), filmed in 1972, directed, written, produced by and starring Bruce Lee, as Hai Tien, with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, as Mantis, James Tien, Chieh Yuan, Dan Inosanto, Ji Han-jae and Hwang In-shik (only a short footage outdoors). Unfinished because of Bruce Lee's death. Produced by Concord Production Inc.[1] and Golden Harvest. The 1972 original footage was distributed in 2000 by two documentaries, Bruce Lee: A Warrior's Journey[2] and Bruce Lee in G.O.D 死亡的遊戯[3][4] and 2019 by short film Game of Death Redux. The 1972 original script was distributed by short film The Story.
Plot
During a search, it is discovered among the choreography writings, hand-written storyline, 12 pages in length and containing all scene breakdowns and select dialogue passages, the original storyline stands in sharp contrast to the one presented in the film Game of Death (1978 movie). After the discovery of Lee's script notes in 2000, the short film The Story was directed. [5] The movie is the storyline for The Game of Death and the missing part of Bruce Lee's The Game of Death, not played in 1972. Directed in South Korea by John Little, distributed as a special feature in the DVD of the documentary Bruce Lee: A Warrior's Journey.
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Trailer
First trailer in 1973 within the documentary Bruce Lee: the Man and the Legend where some exclusive fragments were shown.
Distribution
Bruce Lee: A Warrior's Journey
Bruce Lee historian John Little released Bruce Lee: A Warrior's Journey, a documentary revealing the original footage of The Game of Death. The documentary also includes a fairly in-depth biography of Lee and leads into the filming of The Game of Death.
Bruce Lee in G.O.D 死亡的遊戯
In 2000, the Japanese film-documentary Bruce Lee in G.O.D 死亡的遊戯 was released on DVD. This film shows the existing footage that was shot for the film before he died, interviews, and historical re-enactments of what went on behind the scenes.
Game of Death Redux
- In 1978 the Golden Harvest released Game of Death[6] (and sequel Game of Death II in 1981). The 1978 version uses portions of the original footage married to an entirely new plot. The revised version of the film uses only 11 minutes and 7 seconds of the footage from the original The Game of Death. But in 2019 producer Alan Canvan edited Game of Death Redux,[6] which uses only footage shot during the original production of The Game of Death. The film was released as a special feature in The Criterion Collection's Blu-ray box set of Bruce Lee films, on July 14, 2020.[7]
Movies
List of the movie The Game of Death (1972) distributions:
| 1972 original footage | Year | Notes | Time 1972 original footage | Distribution | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bruce Lee: the Man and the Legend | 1973 | First appearance | Trailer of 2 minutes | Golden Harvest and Concord Productions Ltd. | British Hong Kong |
| Bruce Lee: A Warrior's Journey | 2000 | Bruce Lee's editing | 36 minutes and 40 seconds | Warner Bros | U.S.A. |
| Bruce Lee in G.O.D 死亡的遊戯 | 2000 | The longer scenes because without Bruce Lee's editing | 39 minutes | ArtPort | Japan |
| Game of Death Redux | 2019 | Last appearance (Special features by Game of Death: 1978 movie) |
34 minutes and 26 seconds (first version) | The Criterion Collection and Golden Harvest | U.S.A. and China |
| 1972 original script | |||||
| The Story | 2000 | Plot + Prequel and sequel of 1972 original footage (Special features by Bruce Lee: A Warrior's Journey) | Only a few seconds of the Guardians in the middle of the film and Hai Tieni in the closing credits | Warner Bros | U.S.A. |
See also
Other websites
References
- ↑ [...] I'm in the midst of preparing my next movie, Enter the Dragon a coproduction between Concord and Warner Bros., plus another Concord production, The Game of Death, which is only halfway done [...] (by Bruce Lee). From: A parting thought – In my own process in Bruce Lee Jeet Kune Do: Bruce Lee's Commentaries on the Martial Way, to: p. 391.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Bruce Lee: A Warrior's Journey on IMDb
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Bruce Lee in G.O.D: Shibōteki Yūgi on IMDb
- ↑ Game Over! by Joe Kenney Cityonfire.com January 1, 2011, JJ Bona
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 The Story on IMDb
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Game of Death Redux on themoviedb.org (TMDb) and (quotes on) imdb.com (IMDb)
- ↑ "Bruce Lee: His Greatest Hits". The Criterion Collection. The Criterion Collection. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
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