Comments on: Could Rain be playing Bruce Lee in Awaken the Dragon?

By: Victor Min

Victor Min — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 13:17:35 +0000

I know that a lot of Chinese people have a sense pride in that Bruce Lee was also of Chinese decent. But lets get one thing straight, there is no reason whatsoever why Rain cannot play a role that Bruce Lee once played. Bruce Lee was also and American citizen by birth and he wasn’t even of full Chinese heritage. Bruce Lee was part German, in fact when other students in his martial arts class found out that he wasn’t fully Chinese they refused to train with him. Ironic isn’t it.

As far as I can tell, Rain is a decent candidate for the role in the remake of Enter the Dragon. If some Chinese people have an issue with that, well that’s their problem.

By: ashin220

ashin220 — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 03:06:12 +0000

One more thing. In the Chinese mini-series going on right now. Isn’t Linda Lee being played by a Russian lady? Not sure, just asking. Chinese roles for Chinese actors only (rolling my Korean, slanted eyes) Then do all Korean, Chinese and Japanese actors have to wait for corresponding characters? Just in case someone is thinking that Bruce is a Chinese national treasure, I must remind everyone that Rain is not playing Bruce Lee. In X-Men, Wolverine is Canadian but Hugh Jackman is Australian. I know none of the characters Charlize Theron played were South African. Weren’t most Korean roles played by Chinese actors until now? It’s not that Rain is the “best” actor to play the role. He’s the best actor to play the role, who can bring in the audience due to his international fan-base.

By: ashin220

ashin220 — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 02:52:42 +0000

I’m sorry but, I have to ask a question to my fellow Asians who don’t think Asians resemble one another. I’m Korean and have been mistaken for Chinese by Chinese, Japanese by Japanese, Vietnamese and Phillipno. Don’t tell me that we don’t resemble each other. That’s like saying Irish and Scottish people don’t look anything alike. As for the whole no one other than Chinese actors can play Chinese roles. Really? I assume that in Chinese movies, every Korean, Japanese and so forth character were never played by Chinese actors. Didn’t China make a live action Initial D movie and casted an all Chinese cast to play the Japanese characters. Bruce is a legend but he is not God. For goodness sake’s, they casted Jason Scott Lee (who looks Hawaiian) to actually play Bruce and he can’t throw a decent kick. If they make a good movie that’s all that matters. If they don’t, we’ll still end up watching it just to say “He ain’t no Bruce Lee.”

By: Grave

Grave — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:18:19 +0000

Just because other films did racial mis casting doesnt make it alright. Im not saying that a Korean cant play the same role a chinese can play. Im saying that if a character is called to be of a certain race then they should get an actor that would suit the character. Bruce Lee himself had the same troubles in his time when roles that were written for a chinese character would be played by white men/women. You cant tell me the director couldnt find the right Japanese or Chinese actor better for the same roles in the films that call for a Japanese and Chinese man. When you compair a chinese man to another, sure they dont look the same. However, they have ethnic similarities that define then by there apperance to be chinese.

By: 420BAND

420BAND — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:20:57 +0000

O.K. O.K.

This Rain guy is not my problem, nor is the cultural dispute. and I know if this gets remade it’s on basis of the story and not Bruce Lee. but still to me it’s like remaking The Godfather and not getting Pacino to play Micheal. Hows that for a remake argument.

and didn’t Charleston Heston play a mexican once in that great Orson Welles picture?

hell even an Italian played a Cuban in Scarface and when he spoke spanish he sounded horribly Italian. so that shit is neither here nor there.

It’s not Rain playin’ Bruce anyway.

But that said this is pretty sad news for Bruce Lee fans.

By: gypsydreams101

gypsydreams101 — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:37:03 +0000

If your last sentence isn’t racist, nothing is…..you’re embalming North and South Koreans in the same body, don’t do that.

By: gypsydreams101

gypsydreams101 — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:21:03 +0000

Dude, Grave, you REALLY need to chill, mate. This is getting a bit outta hand.

Firstly, they COULD NOT get a BLACK ACTOR TO PLAY THE BLACK ACTOR IN TROPIC THUNDER–if you’ve seen the film, they spoofed the concept of METHOD ACTORS, those who go SO DEEP into their roles that beyond a point, they look silly…..when I mentioned it, I assumed you’d get it in one go.

Secondly, and this to Rodney, as well, we don’t even know HOW they’re gonna tweak the story up a bit–how d’you guys know the movie isn’t set in Korea now? And even if it isn’t, how d’you know that the main character hasn’t been written in as a Korean? Can you say FOR SURE that he’s gonna remain Chinese? No, you can’t, you haven’t written the script and I don’t care who your sources are. Accusing someone of racial stereotyping is a HUGE deal–I study in Singapore and I see enough “Oriental looking” people everyday to figure that there’s no way in hell anybody would allow a Korean to play a Chinese guy without paying off nearly all of the 3 billion Orientals who inhabit the Earth.

As for getting a martial artist to play a martial artist, and a black guy to play a black guy, they did that with Kareem Abdul Jaffar and Bruce Lee in Game of Death, I think (can’t remember, saw it way too long ago). That might sound outta context, but think about it, Grave–they fought against and successfully disambiguated the stereotype that only “them Chinese guys” are Kung Fu Kings…..if they managed to that convincingly, and Bruce Lee fans all over the world didn’t rise up in uproar, then I think it’s safe enough to conclude that they have a good enough reason to cast Rain as BRUCE LEE’S CHARACTER AND NOT BRUCE LEE…..

By: Rodney

Rodney — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:18:54 +0000

Really? And Sir Alec Guiness looks like a middle Eastern Prince? No, but he looked enough like one that he passed in a film. Same as the Swiss Russian Yul Brynner who has no asian bone in his body but is commonly mistaken as Asian.

That you want to make some “they look nothing alike” rant doesn’t mean a thing. YOU are the one enforcing that stereotype insisting that there is NO way that a Korean could play a part that a Chinese man plays because he doesn’t look Chinese? Are chinese SO specific looking that every single one of them is identicle? Because if they don’t all look exactly the same, they you have to admit that its possible that any could have traits more common to Koreans, or Japanese, or Thia? It isn’t possible at all? Well then you are the one saying that Asians all look the same.

And while we are at it, there is a reason the broad identification of Asian is still accurate while you might be from Thialand or China or Korea. Its not that “they all look the same” but it is becuase they come from a common genentic group.

You are the one with the problem and racist limitations. I see no issue with a Korean playing a part once played by a Chinese.

By: toshio

toshio — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:45:37 +0000

you are trying to compare Donnie Yen with Liam Neeson? seriously?

By: Grave

Grave — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:19:16 +0000

I feel you as well need to stop and read your own writing. “I am not “enforcing a stereotype” that Asians look the same. I am enforcing that they look ALIKE enough that it doesnt matter that much”. If you think one asian over another looks alike enough you pretty much are enforcing a sterotype. Japanese and Koreans look nothing alike. Their facial features are as diffrent as night and day. They dont look alike enough and if you think they do your biggot. As for Rains rumored role in a Bruce Lee movie say what you will thinking its ok to replace Bruce Lee. You should know that millions around the world wont accept it any more than they did for Game of Death. Lee characters were made for himself. As for the Karate Kid remake? I have no problem with a black kid and more then a hispanic or asian.