Year of the Dragon (1985)

Director:

Michael Cimino

Writers:

Robert Daley (novel)
Oliver Stone (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

16 August 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama

Tagline:

It isn't the Bronx or Brooklyn. It isn't even New York. It's Chinatown...and it's about to explode.

Plot:

Using unprecedented degrees of violence, young Joey Tai becomes the head of Chinese mafia in New York and undisputed leader of the Chinese community...

Plot Keywords:

New York | Violence | Vietnam | Chinese Mafia | Disability

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 1 win & 7 nominations

Cast

Mickey Rourke	...	Capt. Stanley White
John Lone	...	Joey Tai
Ariane	...	Tracy Tzu
Leonard Termo	...	Angelo Rizzo
Raymond J. Barry	...	Louis Bukowski (as Ray Barry)
Caroline Kava	...	Connie White
Eddie Jones	...	William McKenna
Joey Chin	...	Ronnie Chang
Victor Wong	...	Harry Yung
K. Dock Yip	...	Milton Bin
Hon Lam Bau	...	Fred Hung (as Pao Han Lin)
Way Dong Woo	...	Elder
Jimmy Sun	...	Elder
Daniel Davin	...	Francis Kearney
Mark Hammer	...	Commissioner Brendon S. Sullivan

Runtime:

134 min

Country:

USA

Language:

Mandarin | English | Cantonese | Vietnamese | Polish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Canada:R (Nova Scotia) | Singapore:M18 | Iceland:16 | Brazil:16 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Norway:18 | Peru:14 | South Korea:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Bangkok, Thailand

Company:

De Laurentiis Entertainment Group (DEG)

Trivia:

Director Michael Cimino and co-screenwriter Oliver Stone envisioned either Nick Nolte or Jeff Bridges in the lead role. After seeing Rourke in The Pope of Greenwich Village (1984) and working with him on Heaven's Gate (1980), Cimino decided on him.

Goofs:

Continuity: The first time Stanley is shown on screen his hair is gray and white all over. The next time Stanley is shown in the police station his hair is brown with gray only visible on his temples. In other scenes of the film his hair changes color from gray/white to brown with graying at the temples.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Tracy Tzu: Captain McKenna, any leads in the murder of Jackie Wong?
William McKenna: Nothing at this time.
Tracy Tzu: Do you think this killing means there's some kind of war going on in the Chinatown Tongs?
William McKenna: No, I don't. This is basically a situation where the youth gangs are lashing out at the establishment. The community is cooperating. The situation's under control.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)

Soundtrack:

Dream Dance (Tian Mi Mi)

When Mickey Rourke dominated Hollywood

In the mid eighties Mickey Rourke was considered a cult figure in Hollywood (he still is, only at that time we was a promising one). This movie truly reflects all of his talent in the role of a police officer and Vietnam veteran, who tries to clean up China Town. It's easy to realize that Oliver Stone wrote the script, and it's probably Stone's personal opinions that come out of Rourke's mouth.

It's still good after all these years and although it's no masterpiece, it's quite entertaining.