Bruce Lee’s Fight Scene in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Became the Film’s Most Controversial Moment ( Photo Credit – YouTube )
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In the summer of 2019, Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood made waves, raking in his best opening weekend box office, even as it battled with Disney’s The Lion King remake. But it wasn’t just the ticket sales that sparked conversation—one particular scene ignited a fiery debate that continues to simmer. With Tarantino recently revisiting the topic on The Joe Rogan Experience, the spotlight on the fight between Brad Pitt’s Cliff Booth and Bruce Lee, portrayed by Mike Moh, has flared up again.
The controversial showdown unfolded as Booth had a flashback while fixing a TV antenna for his boss, Leonardo DiCaprio‘s fictional western star Rick Dalton. On the roof, Booth remembered a moment from the Green Hornet set, where Lee, the iconic martial artist, held court among the crew. Moh’s Lee boasted that he could “cripple” Cassius Clay, earning a chuckle from Pitt’s character, who dismissed Lee as “a little man with a big mouth.” A three-round fight followed where Lee initially floors Booth with a swift kick, only for Booth to turn the tables, hurling Lee into a car before their brawl could reach its conclusion.
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However, as biographer Matthew Polly pointed out, this portrayal missed the mark. Bruce Lee, revered as a martial artist, was anything but a “disrespectful blowhard.” According to Polly, Lee admired Muhammad Ali and never instigated fights. He was known for his kindness on set, often treating crew members to meals or offering support. The film, however, transformed Lee into a caricature, undermining the respect he earned throughout his career.
In a cinematic world where Tarantino reimagined history, Lee’s legacy deserved better. Unlike the other real-life figures—like Sharon Tate and Steve McQueen—whose portrayals were handled with care, Lee was made the punchline, his martial prowess reduced to a joke. Film scholar Nancy Wang Yuen emphasized this disservice, noting that Lee’s kung fu became laughable, transforming an influential figure into a “butt of the joke.”
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The backlash intensified when Shannon Lee, Bruce’s daughter, voiced her discomfort. She expressed her frustration at the portrayal, feeling it tarnished her father’s legacy. “It was really uncomfortable to sit in the theater and listen to people laugh at my father,” she remarked. “All of that was flushed down the toilet in this portrayal.”
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Interestingly, early drafts of the script indicated that Lee would face an even harsher humiliation, losing the fight outright. Stunt coordinator Alonzo expressed concerns about the depiction, noting that even Brad Pitt felt uneasy about it. “It’s Bruce Lee, man!” he reportedly said.
Despite the criticism, some defenders of the film claimed Tarantino’s intent was not malicious. Critics like Walter Chaw found Lee’s depiction as humanizing. Tarantino’s take, they argued, stripped away the “constructed mystique” around Lee, offering a new perspective on Asian-American representation.
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But why did Tarantino choose to write the scene that way? Polly speculated it was a reflection of Hollywood’s past, where the dominance of white male stars overshadowed Asian-American icons. The film’s nostalgic lens romanticized fading Western heroes while sidelining the cultural contributions of others. As filmmaker Joseph Kahn tweeted, it felt ironic that Bruce Lee was depicted as a fraud in a movie where history is rewritten for entertainment.
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Tarantino stood firm on his creative choices in a July 2021 discussion on The Joe Rogan Experience. He acknowledged the emotional weight for Lee’s family but dismissed critiques from those outside. He asserted that while Booth could outkill Lee, the martial artist would win in a fair fight.
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As the debate over Lee’s portrayal continues, it serves as a poignant reminder of the complexities of representation in Hollywood—a clash of artistry, history, and the legacies we choose to honor.
