"The Accident"
Filming was taking place in the loft set (Eric and Shelley's apartment). The scene in question is near the beginning of the film, when T-Bird, Funboy and the others 'pay Eric & Shelley a visit' and kill Eric. Funboy (Michael Massee) points a gun at Eric and fires. The shot injures Brandon Lee who later died of his injuries. The camera is on Funboy throughout the gunshot. It's possible that Funboy taking the shot was re-filmed, but the shot that was seen to be fired in the film is probably the one that killed Brandon. There was also a camera behind Funboy, filming Brandon. The film shot by this camera (and any others that could see Brandon) was destroyed without being developed. There were eight days of filming left to complete when Brandon was killed, mostly involving the loft set. The majority of this was completed using digital effects.
Martial Arts Illustrated' (Feb '95) describes the incident thus:
"A few minutes before the fatal scene where Brandon Lee was shot, the actor Michael Massee (who played Funboy) pointed the actual .44 Magnum at Lee in order to save time. After these trial scenes, the man in charge of accessories (the 'propsmaster'), 'Mr. X', filled the Magnum with blanks, but forgot to check the barrel. (Apparently, the armsmaster whose job this was, was away from the set for the day).
Now, a few days earlier, not having any such blanks, a DIY guy had emptied out real bullets to use in their place. When fired, a light detonation, due to the remainder of powder, forced a piece of cartridge into the barrel, henceforth it blocked. As nobody took the trouble to check and clean the gun, it was in this state that the .44 Magnum came to be used in the scene.
The cameras started rolling: Michael Massee takes up his position a short distance away from Brandon; too short, as all the professionals will tell you, as a blank fired at a few metres can cause serious damage. Added to this, Michael Massee, off balance, fired right at Brandon instead of aiming just above his shoulders. When the shot was fired, the sound was deafening, the powder from the blanks violently thrust the cartridge in Brandon Lee's direction. As planned, the star pushed at that instant, the button on the detonator releasing the blood sacks he was wearing. Seriously injured as the scene dictated, Brandon Lee/Eric Draven drags himself along the floor whilst the actor David Patrick Kelly (T-Bird) hurls abuse at him. As a result of the tension created by the scene, nobody yet suspected the accident. There was a general feeling that if Brandon Lee wasn't following the plan precisely it was due to the fact that he was a great actor, that he improvised. Less than a minute later everyone became aware of the 'hitch' without realising, as yet, just how serious it was."
For the record, the actor Michael Massee was deemed not responsible for Brandon Lee's death and no criminal charges were ever brought against him.
Other reports on the death of Brandon Lee exist, including one that says that the bullet in the gun was simply a live one, instead of a blank... whatever happened, his death will probably always be shrouded in mystery. |
