![]() ![]() ![]() This specific arc is reflected in the pagoda sequence of Game of Death. In comparative mythology, ego death is the second phase of Campbell’s description of “The Hero’s Journey”, where the hero returns to enrich the world with his revelations.įrom Bruce Lee’s notes for Game of Death. He referred to this process as the return of the ego to the unconscious, a momentary death, with a subsequent re-emergence or rebirth. Mythology, at its core, attempts to examine nature’s cyclical process with stories that often convey the death-rebirth archetype through symbols, and what takes place may not necessarily be happening in the actual world but in the inner world of the mind. These tales often involve death and rebirth. JC: I’m sure a book could be written on this subject, but in brief, how does mythology relate to a martial arts film like Game of Death ?ĪC: Carl Jung, a progenitor of the way in which symbols and common myths pervade our thinking, stressed the idea that certain story devices are embedded in the brain - hence, mythologies from different cultures all over the world sharing a common language. Suffice it to say that, either way, Game of Death is all the richer with his music as the driving force of the story. Barry creates a work of intimate beauty that is equally classical, ominous, melancholy and heroic.īecause of this, I’ve often wondered if he had access to the full footage when creating the compositions (as opposed to the 11 minute edit we got in the 1978 film). Going back to the concept of storytelling, what I find particularly remarkable in his compositions is how they seem to sonically narrate the story. I also need to cite composer John Barry’s incredible score as a crucial component to the Game of Death jigsaw, and I wouldn’t have considered doing Redux without it. After seeing Redux, Curtis was impressed enough to ask me if he could include it as an extra feature on the Game of Death blu-ray disc. In the interim, Criterion approached Matthew to do film commentary for their then upcoming Bruce Lee box set, and producer Curtis Tsui learned about my edit. The feedback was extremely positive, but I continued to play with the footage until December of that year. My good friend Matthew Polly, (author of the outstanding biography Bruce Lee: A Life), joined me for the post panel discussion, and we chatted about various thematic elements within the story. This garnered the attention of Antony Wong of the Asian American/Asian Research Institute in New York, and resulted in a film screening at AAARI in July, 2019. In the Winter of 2018 I fully committed to the project, and meticulously examined and refined the Game of Death sculpture for a period of 6 months. In truth, although those renditions have their merits, I felt that much of the symbolism and dramatic narrative associated with Lee’s work was lost in translation. Over the years, like many fans, I attempted to decipher the rumors and evidence of existing footage that told more to the story than what we got in the 1978 film.įollowing the release of the full footage in 2000, I began reflecting on the different presentations in relation to the source material. James Curcio: How did you get involved in the Criterion edition of Game of Death?Īlan Canvan: Game of Death has been on my periphery since first viewing it in 1979. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |