Ever since the release of Quentin Tarantino’s latest film, “Once Upon A Time in Hollywood,” the internet has been ablaze with backlash in the form of thought pieces and hot takes regarding the depiction of Bruce Lee. Portrayed by Mike Moh, Bruce Lee is a character who appears briefly in the film. Tarantino was criticized heavily online as he wrote Lee to act more like a caricature rather than the man himself. This is a sample selection of the various takes from people which were published shortly after the film’s release.
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Once Upon A Time In Hollywood’s Bruce Lee Actor Responds To Outrage
In this video report by Looper on YouTube, the controversy surrounding Bruce Lee is summarized just like any news article, but with footage of the scene and the director himself. This 3 minute video encapsulates the entire story, including Bruce Lee’s daughter Sharon’s statements, Tarantino’s response, and Mike Moh’s thoughts. -
The Many Controversies Of ‘Once Upon A Time In Hollywood,’ Explained
In an opinion piece by Dani Di Placido on Forbes, he articulates the various controversies that came out of “Once Upon A Time,” specifically highlighting the backlash to Bruce Lee’s depiction. “Tarantino’s comments made in defense of the controversial scene do not acknowledge the ambiguity, the director instead choosing to double down, making the claim that Lee was “kind of an arrogant guy,” and that his scripted boasts were accurate.” - Actor Terry Crews responds to Bruce Lee controversy in a tweet
Through the form of a tweet which soon went viral, actor Terry Crews (@terrycrews) calls out the historically inaccurate representation of Bruce Lee, saying: “Once upon a time… in HOLLYWOOD… pot smoking white boys dreamed of kicking Bruce Lee’s ass… so they wrote it, performed it and filmed it like it actually happened…! But Bruce… we love you and know the truth— God bless your soul.” - How the Bruce Lee scene in ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ fails
In an opinion piece on Medium written by Kyle Kizu, he addresses his own personal grievance as an average audience member with Mike Moh’s performance of Bruce Lee. -
Bruce Lee’s family calls ‘Once Upon a Time’ ‘a mockery.’ Is it insult or homage?
This article by Asian film reporter Jen Yamato of the Los Angeles Times was among the first pieces on the subject to go viral. Her inclusion of several links and quotes makes the piece a convenient way to learn about the story.
