Remember the controversy over Brookyn's Bridge Park Conservancy's upcoming public screening of Breakfast at Tiffany's? Some people are still mad about that. And they've come up a response: a screening of Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story, presented by Filmwax on the same night and time in Park Slope.
Dragon has its share of missteps, but as a whole, I think the Bruce Lee biopic is a pretty entertaining flick. One of the more poignant scenes from the movie features Bruce and his future wife Linda walking out of a screening of Breakfast at Tiffany's because of the Mr. Yunioshi character. Yeah, didactic. But it's actually one of the more memorable moments from Dragon. Here's some more info about the screening:
filmwax special screening of DRAGON THE BRUCE LEE STORYAn informal discussion will follow the screening. Sounds like fun to me. And a great way to throw up a middle finger at the Brooklyn Bridge Park screening. Honestly, watching Dragon way back in the day was the first time I ever learned about Mickey Rooney's racist yellowface depiction of Mr. Yunioshi. More info here. Spread the word.
Thursday, August 11
7:00pm - 9:00pm
The Fifth Estate
506 5th Avenue
(between 12th & 13th Streets in Park Slope)
Brooklyn, NY
In response to the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservatory's SYFY's Movies With a View screening of BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S whose depiction of Mickey Rooney's character Mr. Yunioshi is both insensitive and racist, filmwax is proud to screen DRAGON: THE BRUCE LEE STORY.
I'm still all for the boycott -- that is, actively abstaining from an event that celebrates Breakfast at Tiffany's without proper context. At the very least, calls for the boycott have created sparked and debate around the issue, as well as scrutiny of the film and others like it. Classic, my ass. I think it's okay to rethink our too-sacred notions of "classic."
If you do happen to go to the Brooklyn Bridge Park screening, I hope you lead a large chorus of boos when when Mr. Yunioshi comes on screen.