Year of the Dragon (1985)

"This is Chinatown, White..."

Michael Cimino said part of the reason he made it Year of the Dragon was to prove that he could come in on time and on budget (which he did) after being fired from Footloose for asking for a very minor increase in the budget (can you blame them after Heaven's Gate?) and seeing The Yellow Jersey and Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (a four hour western with most of the dialog in Sioux? Sure, Mr Cimino, and shall we declare bankruptcy now to save time?) fall through. Tempting fate, Cimino even cast two of the bit players from Heaven's Gate in the leads, Mickey Rourke sporting stylishly grayed hair and Caroline Kava as his ovulating wife.

Yes, the dialogue is highly variable and the epilogue ("He's a good cop but he just won't give up!") is worthy of public ridicule. Yes, the Vietnam parallels are overplayed at every opportunity ("It's just like Vietnam! Nobody wants to win this thing!"). Yes, the plot is pretty much standard-issue. Yes, co-writer Oliver Stone and Cimino show off their research by giving characters big historical speeches about Chinese civilization and the hundred years of discrimination the Chinese suffered in America at every turn. Yes, the motivation is sometimes laughable - they kill Rourke's partners and a family member but it's only when they lay hands on his mistress that he decides that "This time he's gone TOO FAR!" But there's an epic grandeur to the film that's unusual in the cop movie genre. It's not just scenes like the spectacular entry into a drug-dealing Thai general's village either: even the nightclub where Mickey Rourke beats up John Lone (quite excellent here) is large enough to hold an aircraft carrier. Cimino doesn't really do small, and his sense of grandeur gives the film a gravity it doesn't really deserve. And his eye for a good set piece that deserted his subsequent films is still very visible in the restaurant shootout. Overblown it may be, but it's far from being just a guilty pleasure.

The NTSC edition has a trailer and an audio commentary by Cimino.
February 16, 2008

Movie reveals the sickness of America

I love the movie because it shows that the United States has utterly failed to overcome its racial problems. This racism has cause many immigrants and people born in America to go into crime, because they are constantly being denied the opportunity to make a success of themselves through legal means because of the social, economic, politcal, racial, ethnic, and any other background you can think of. Everytime I see the movie, my stomach just churns over and over because of this poison in American life.

I also agreed with D Dunleavy about Stanley White. I have seen too many good people in this country being given an assignment to solve problems such as enforcing civil rights in an organization, enforcing labor laws, rooting out all kinds of corruption, going after corrupt business leaders, turning around a failing business while rewarding the workers for their help etc., and then all of a sudden, they are backstab by the bosses because of pressure by the rich people, corporations, or by the bosses themselves who created the problems in the first place. To me, this is another form of racism. Stanley White was a racist; however, his bosses were racists because they did not care about the people in Chinatown and good people like White, and then they have the audacity to complain that they can not find good people for their organization especially in the higher levels of management. As Michael Douglas said in the movie Black Rain, you want corruption, tried city hall, the mayor's office, police headquarters, the whole system is falling apart, and you're busting my [...]. After Stanley got relieve of his command, I wonder who was going to be stupid, dumb, or ambition enough to be the next commanding officer in Chinatown.

When movies like this shake you up even 20+ years later, then they are superb drama movies. And I have seen some bloody Hong Kong action films with some racism in it, and you don't see protests by Chinese American groups regarding those films. January 30, 2008

A Cinematic Treasure!

The sets of 'Chinatown' were constructed and photographed at Dino de Laurentiis' film studio in North Carolina. I know because I saw them while visiting the set. The real Chinatown has streets so narrow you could not possibly film on them. However, that's where the 'pretend' ends and the gritty reality of life on Canal Street begins.

While this movie was made over 20 years ago, it not only holds up over time, it gets better with age. It's like the best Dim Sum you ever had. You want it again and again. I am delighted it is now out on DVD. I just wish they would re-release 'Year Of The Dragon' in theaters so a new generation of filmgoers could see the genius involved.

John Lone, as always, is quiet elegance. A wonderful actor with one of the best faces in the business. Mickey Rourke was Mickey Rourke. The guy we fell in love with. Not the Mickey Rourke of today who has had so much plastic surgery we can't recognize him anymore. He is brash, crass, electric. A real spitfire of an actor. Ariane, poor soul, was badly miscast. The material was way over her head.

You see small parts in the film played by actors who were just getting started in the business. Eddie Jones, the great character actor who played my daughter's grandfather in a Harry Kondolian play in NYC, is the tough Cop on horseback in the first part of the film. He is still around playing great roles. John Lone and Ariane have long since left the screen. I really miss Lone. A wonderful actor.

The film is not a small film. It's big in grandure and in scope. Lone travels to Thailand, Hong Kong. This film sneaks up on you when you least expect it and makes you think. The writing is superb. Cinematography incredible. Music, acting, you name it. The very best film has to offer.

As someone who photographed Chinatown for many years here in NYC, it is very special to me. I love this film. I just wish millions of people could see it now in DVD and be as thrilled by it. April 3, 2007

Year of the Drinking Game

Okay, line up as many shot glasses as you can find, play the movie, and you drink:
-every time Mickey Rourke's character says something racist
-every time Mickey Rourke's character mentions spare ribs
-every time Ariane has a gratuitous nude scene
Even if all you've got is lite beer, you'll be hammered by the time Capt. Stanley White gets his transfer orders in the third act. October 14, 2006

Did Mickey Rourke write the rest of the reviews here?

What's the difference between this movie and a Schwarzenneger movie? Answer: A Schwarzenneger movie has better dialogues, a better plot, and better acting.
How could the guy who made Deer Hunter come up with this dud? More intriguing still, how can anybody say anything nice about this colossal disappointment. July 25, 2006

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