''Be Water'' is a
documentary film that premiered at the
2020 Sundance Film Festival
The 2020 Sundance Film Festival took place from January 23 to February 2, 2020. The first lineup of competition films was announced on December 4, 2019. The opening night film was ''Miss Americana'' directed by Lana Wilson and produced by Morgan ...
and is directed by
Bao Nguyen. It is about
Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee (; born Lee Jun-fan, ; November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973) was a Hong Kong and American martial artist and actor. He was the founder of Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial arts philosophy drawing from different combat disciplines that ...
, a famous
martial artist
Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; and the preserv ...
. It uses significant amounts of
archival footage, and focuses on Lee's two years in
Hong Kong spent filming four feature films. Reviewers think it is a compelling film. It is part of
ESPN's ''
30 for 30
''30 for 30'' is the title for a series of documentary films airing on ESPN, its sister networks, and online highlighting interesting people and events in sports history. This includes three "volumes" of 30 episodes each, a 13-episode series un ...
'' documentary series and the film tackles
racism in America. In a ''
GQ'' interview, Nguyen talks about how this film represents protest and fits the
zeitgeist, with many more Asian-American films being released as contemporaries.
As of February 19, 2021, it is on
Netflix.
It won the Gold List Award in 2021.
Reception
On
Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an aggregate score of 93% based on 28 positive and 2 negative critic reviews. The website’s consensus reads: "If ''Be Water''
's surface level approach doesn't quite match its subject's depth, it still serves as an appropriate introduction to the almighty Bruce Lee."
The Hollywood Reporter praised the film as it serves as a respectful response to Bruce Lee's demeaning portrayal in Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," where he was reduced to a white he-man joke, it falls short of being a comprehensive exploration of the martial arts icon's life and influence. The documentary's strengths lie in its compelling use of historical footage and its thoughtful analysis of the systemic racism that hindered Lee's progress in Hollywood until he established himself as a commercial force in Hong Kong.
References
{{Bruce Lee
30 for 30
2020 films
2020 documentary films
American sports documentary films
Films about Bruce Lee
2020s American films