As the son of Bruce Lee (The Big Boss/Fists of Fury 1971. Enter the Dragon 1973), Brandon Lee (Laser Mission 1989. Rapid Fire 1992) had largely been cast in action films of varying quality. Stepping out of his father’s shadow in martial arts was a tall order. However, his acting and on-screen charisma showed the potential to carve out his own niche as a leading man. He just needed the right role to make that break, and 1994’s The Crow offered that chance. It did make him an icon, but with tragic consequences.
The film was based on the graphic novel of the same name, written and drawn by James O’Barr. After his girlfriend was killed by a drunk driver in 1978, O’Barr had tried to move on, but found himself “…still filled with such rage and frustration that I had to get it out before it destroyed me.” So, he started drawing what would ultimately become The Crow, drawing inspiration from Joy Division’s Ian Curtis, Iggy Pop, and the works of Edgar Allan Poe and Kazuo Koike (Lone Wolf & Cub, Futaba, 1970). “I thought it would be cathartic, but as I drew each page, it made me more self-destructive, if anything…I was more messed up by the time I was done with the book.”
O’Barr’s Crow.
The original Crow told the story of Eric, a man recently brought back to life by The Crow, a supernatural spirit that guides Eric towards seeking justice for the deaths of himself of his girlfriend Shelly. The film adaptation tweaked things a bit as, according to screenwriter David J. Schow (Critters 3 1991. The Hills Run Red 2009), producer Caldecot Chubb (Appaloosa 2008) “pointed out that in the comic, Eric kills a bunch of guys, does heroin, plays the guitar, kills a bunch more guys, does some more heroin, and kills still more guys.”
So, when the film is not following Eric Draven (Lee) seeking vengeance, it follows his bond with a young girl called Sarah (Rochelle Davis: Hell House 2009. Grotesque 2016), the investigation into the Crow’s killings by Officer Albrecht (Ernie Hudson: Ghostbusters 1984. The Man in the Silo 2016), and scenes from the villains’ point of view- notably the gang’s leader Top Dollar (Michael Wincott: Talk Radio 1988. Basquiat 1996).
O’Barr had initially hoped Johnny Depp would take the lead role, and (according to Schow) the producers planned to add a “Vietnamese bad guy” from the comics to bring Chow Yun-Fat (Hard Boiled 1992. The Replacement Killers 1998) or Simon Yam (Election 2005. Ip Man 2008) into Hollywood. This changed when Brandon Lee came in, who showed O’Barr how big he was on the original comics, bar the Asian villain the producers set their sights on. Lee felt the character, who intended to steal the Crow’s powers, was too stereotypical.
Bai Ling’s Myca is less a stereotype and more a character by comparison.
Still, the creative process was a cakewalk compared to the shooting. A carpenter burnt himself severely on the first day of shooting. Later, an unhappy sculptor drove his car through the plaster shop, and then a grip truck suddenly caught on fire. This was all before a hurricane destroyed most of the film’s sets in Wilmington, North Carolina. An article in Empire Magazine alleged that most of the crew were taking cocaine, often snorting between shots and working while high. It is said that, when one crew member sneezed loudly on set, Lee quipped that “someone just lost $50.”
Then there was the accident that claimed Lee’s life. Urban legend claimed the gun was accidentally loaded with a real round instead of a blank, but that is not the case exactly. A chunk of a dummy bullet had gotten caught in the gun barrel following a post-scene discharge. The following day, the gun had been loaded with blanks for Lee’s scene with Michael Massee (Lost Highway 1997. The Amazing Spider-Man 2012) without having been checked for any issues. His character Funboy was supposed to shoot Lee’s Eric on sight, and he did. The blank propelled the chunk and it struck Lee. He was rushed to hospital for emergency surgery, but it was to no avail. Brandon Lee was pronounced dead on March 31st, 1993.
The film went on hiatus for 6 weeks as Lee’s family, the production company and legal departments tried to figure out what to do next. With the encouragement of Lee’s mother Linda Lee-Caldwell and his fiancée Eliza Hutton, the producers set up a company solely for buying the film from Paramount and finishing off Lee’s remaining scenes with his stunt double and new digital technology to superimpose Lee’s face over the double.
The Crow gained a largely favourable reception on release, and it is still entertaining today despite (or because of) its really 1990’s grunge-rock aesthetic. However, its sepia colours, rocking soundtrack, and Lee’s engaging performance is overcome by the notoriety of Lee’s end. Rumours abounded that his fatal shooting made it into the final picture, or that the gun was placed as part of a hit organised by a Hong Kong triad. One of the more ridiculous ones claimed it was part of a curse placed on his father Bruce for exposing kung fu secrets. Because that is a thing apparently.
The Crow’s only curse was negligence and bad luck resulting in a freak accident that claimed the life of its leading man. Despite that, the film became a success and went on to have weaker sequels and spin-offs. It leaves one wondering how things might have turned out had Brandon Lee lived. Maybe he would have gone onto bigger things. As they are, Proyas is right when he said “It’s impossible to separate the film from Brandon Lee’s tragic death. The film was finished to honour Brandon’s memories. I believe and still do that it was Brandon’s best work and that it speaks for itself.”
Thinkin' Thinkin' 