For
fans who haven't seen the special edition
DVD version, here are a few of the 'behind the scenes' tidbits mentioned in
Linda Lee Cadwell's interview.
During the filming of the
Lee vs O'hara fight scene,
Bruce Lee was severly cut by a broken bottle Robert Wall was wielding. Filming was stopped for several days so
Bruce's hand could heal. To get back at Wall,
Bruce didn't
pull the kick that sends Wall flying backwards near the end of their match.
At another point during filming, one of the extras was constantly taunting
Bruce between takes. The extra was calling him a '
paper tiger' and saying he was not a real
martial artist.
Bruce called him down from where he was sitting and told him to throw a
kick. Within 30 seconds, that particular extra was a
true believer in
Bruce's martial arts.
Between
Bruce's death in July 1973 and Enter the Dragon's theatrical release in August 1973, several sections of
dialogue were cut. Below is a section of dialogue from the beginning of the special edition that IIRC was cut for the US theatrical release. I'm including it here because it's my favorite piece of dialogue from the movie.
Teacher: What is the highest technique you hope to acheive?
Lee: To have no technique.
Teacher: Very good. What are your thoughts when facing an opponent?
Lee: There is no opponent.
Teacher: And why is that?
Lee: Because the word 'I' does not exist.
Teacher: So...continue.
Lee: A good fight should be like a small play...played seriously. A good martial artist does not become tense, but ready. Not thinking, yet not dreaming...ready for whatever may come. When the opponent expands, I contract. When he contracts, I expand. And when there is an opportunity, I do not hit. It hits all by itself.