Bruce Lee isn’t an obvious fit for ESPN, beyond the fact lots of people enjoyed his action movies. Yet “Be Water” proves an excellent addition to the network’s lineup of documentaries to fill the sports void, examining the martial-arts star’s legacy.
Lee had actually been a child actor, and he found an avid audience in a quartet of action movies — including “The Big Boss” and “Fists of Fury” — that paved the way for the elusive victory that came with conquering America.
The fact that he didn’t live to relish that moment is itself a tragedy, with the actor suffering a brain hemorrhage after taking medication for migraine headaches.
The thrust of Lee’s story, however, assumes a timelier aspect at the present moment, highlighting his quest to break through a Hollywood system with an ignominious “yellowface” history — casting white actors as Asian characters — prompting him to fret that he “cannot possibly become an idol for Caucasians.”
Those barriers are underscored by recollections from contemporaries such as actress Nancy Kwan, and clips from movies like “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” with Mickey Rooney as the stereotyped neighbor.
