Re-entering The Dragon

You probably think you know Enter the Dragon the classic 1973 film; Bruce Lee's last appearances on screen (in fact the film was released just days after his death).

But tonight in Wellington the film is being screened with an all-new live soundtrack.

Karsh Kale and MIDIval Punditz will be responsible for the soundtrack. The musicians play in front of the film, reacting to the film, adding their musical ideas and accompaniment.

"We are not the stars of the show; the film is," Kale tells me down the phone from Mumbai, where he is working on a new film soundtrack.

Kale was born in London and raised in New York but says "Indian music is in my blood - most obviously - and so I am most closely associated with Indian classical music". But Kale has, in recent years, combined his abilities as a Tabla player with electronic textures and world music ideas.

The idea for the Enter the Dragon show, of recomposing the soundtrack, came from the Celebrate Brooklyn Festival. Kale explains that "each year they ask two composers to prepare works, people like Philip Glass and Kronos Quartet. It's an honour, definitely, and when we were asked - about two years ago - they had a Far East theme, which is how Enter the Dragon came in to it."

Kale says they are all fans of the film and that includes the original score by Lalo Schifrin.

"One of the important things for us was to leave the original score as it was and to create a new version - not a copy of the soundtrack but our version, re-scoring the film. The opening credits have a more dramatic feel - more epic - the 1973 version was introducing Bruce Lee to the wider world. We are introducing the Legend of Bruce Lee; naturally there are cheers as he bursts on to the screen this time around."

Kale says that Schifrin's music felt like a gritty cop drama (among his many scores, Schifrin also composed the music for Dirty Harry); it felt like "a very typical 1970s film: wah-wah funk guitars, that sort of thing" - so the goal with the new score was to take the film elsewhere. To see what impact on the action - and on the viewer's interpretation of the film - a new set of music might have.

They have performed this show "about six times or so" and Kale says "the mix of pre-composed score mixed with live keyboards and tablas allows for some improvisation; certainly it is different every night". But one thing is clear: "we are careful to not step in front of the film. That was my goal when writing the score and now when performing it. We have tried to make a score that suits the flow of the film - as classic as the movie is, there are parts that have dated. The first half is very slow in parts whereas the second half is all action - so the score reflects that. There are moments when we are not playing at all and the audience is watching Bruce Lee in all his glory. Then there are moments where the music feels like it is taking the film in a new direction."

Kale says the project "took a month to prepare". In that time he wrote a new score and worked on sound design.

The visit to New Zealand will be fleeting, with Kale back to work on a Bollywood film score. But he says the show will appeal to people who love Enter the Dragon and to those who have never seen it. "We find different audiences take different things from it. Some are there because they love the film, some are more intrigued by the concept. Some people know my music - or the music of Punditz. And if you turn up, you get to see it all."

Enter the Dragon with Karsh Kale and MIDIval Punditz: Tonight, 8pm, Pacific Blue Festival Club.

If you want to see the original trailer for the film click here.

And to catch a sample of the reworked soundtrack click here.

Now - if you have read this far and are not at all interested in this idea, perhaps you can apply it to a film you like and/or a musician you think would do a job of re-scoring it. So, with that in mind - what film would you want to see with an all new live soundtrack? And who would you have performing the soundtrack?

And is there anyone out there reading that is heading along to Enter the Dragon with Karsh Kale and MIDIval Punditz tonight? Or wishes that they were?

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Simon Sweetman   #1   10:40 am Mar 16 2010

My apologies for not mentioning there is also a late show, tomorrow: Wednesday, March 17, 10.15pm, Pacific Blue Festival Club.

If you follow the links already posted you'll find that information also.

Should be a great show.

Shay   #2   11:30 am Mar 16 2010

Could they please sod off and ruin a different film rather than mess with the one film Bruce Lee actually wanted to tell and got to tell the way he wanted it? (Well close too, watch the anniversary edition dvd release for his edit).

Mark Cubey   #3   11:46 am Mar 16 2010

There's also a (free) Festival Art Talk from 12.30pm at City Gallery tomorrow, Wed 17 March, which I'm chairing.

I'll be talking with Karsh Kale and his collaborators, Gaurav Raina and Tapan Raj, and leaving plenty of time for audience questions.

Darryl   #4   11:55 am Mar 16 2010

How about Lady Gaga re-soundtracking Beyond The Valley of The Dolls? She might need a boob job to really get into the... erm, swing of things.

x   #5   01:09 pm Mar 16 2010

Neil Young's effort on the Jarmusch film "Dead Man" is fantastic.

I can just imaging him sitting alone in a dark movie theatre with a deluxe reverb and a beaten up les paul...

paul   #6   02:15 pm Mar 16 2010

This would be such a cool thing to see. Is it appearing anywhere else in this godsforsaken country??

Tommy   #7   10:40 am Mar 17 2010

I'm looking forward to AC/DC powering up the soundtrack for Iron Man 2.

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