THE PUZZLE OF THE ‘GAME OF DEATH’ Like how the director has hinted with ‘Little Dragon’ on episode 1 of the series, the mystery of not going up that final flight of stairs after beating the giant guardian can be answered.
One can visually see clearly that Bruce Lee’s character appears lethargic and at the end of his bodily life while descending down the staircase. He is also at the same time answering a call from outside the pagoda.
Bruce Lee screams through the paper wall, “The game is over!”
A voice outside answered, “The game is not over yet. You still have to fight outside!”
...Which Bruce Lee’s answered, “I can’t”
His body might have met its limit. But his spirit has not. The final flight of stairs is for his soul to ascend higher.
THE BIRTH OF A DRAGON It is quite clear from the final few episodes of the series that Bruce Lee’s character has been shown to be not as motivated as in his early life.
First, it was the loss of his father. And then the loss of his Master (which was prophesized on-screen in Fist of Fury). These losses have changed Bruce Lee almost as if he already knows that his time is going to be up.
Hence his writing and the title for the ‘Game of Death’. As if he knows that he will never finish it. His bodily descend down that flight of staircase is an allegory of his bodily death.
But like a miracle, upon his bodily death on July 20th, 1972, came the worldwide release of ‘Enter the Dragon’. His spirit has indeed ascended that final flight of stairs in that pagoda in ‘Game of Death’ and reborn as a screen deity.
A dragon.
In ‘Enter the Dragon’ itself says a lot, especially in the final iconic mirror hall fight. The mirror is a sign that a character has a psychological dilemma. In an episode in the series, it was shown Bruce Lee collapsed after shooting that mirror scene.
Also, the one-handed villain is the representation of a fight Bruce Lee had in one episode of a one-handed martial artist which remains a mystery until the end. Bruce Lee couldn’t beat him in real life so he beats him on screen.
Joseph Campbell says the ‘dragon’ is yourself. All the myths of warriors fighting dragons are the hero’s journey in beating his own fear.
And in a shot of ‘Game of Death’, a close-up of Kareem Abdul Jabaar's eyes shows he got reptilian eyes. Kareem might just be Bruce Lee’s metaphor of his dragon, and he has beaten it!
This is a basic Buddhism journey towards Nirvana. In the 1994’s film ‘Little Buddha’, Keanu is facing his final battle with Lord Mara, his ‘dragon’, in a form of himself. He beats it and transcends into enlightenment.
“You are a pure illusion, you do not exist. The earth is my witness.” - Siddhartha to Lord Mara.
Even in 1993’s ‘Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story’, Jason Scott Lee is fighting his inner demon, in which he beat in the end and transcends spiritually with the ending scene of him standing with the big sun in his background.
Stay tuned for the last part! https://peakd.com/hive-166847/@nazirullsafry/the-legend-of-bruce-lee-netflix-part-3-of-3