On Y List of Movie Reviews
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Year of the Dragon (1985)
Rate:
9
Viewed:
4/07, 4/09, 6/17
4/07:
Year of the Dragon is a violent, hard-hitting, and full-of-attitude picture with a gripping story.
Mickey Rourke and John Lone are fantastic. The latter has more screen time and latitude to showcase his acting skills than
he'll be allocated for The Last Emperor. I wonder why his career never took off
afterwards. An explosive scene occurs when Stanley White was ambushed in his own house. Similarly, the restaurant scene is quite good.
All in all, Year of the Dragon is an entertaining Chinese American neo-noir picture.
4/09:
Dropping my rating from '10' to '4', I found more negatives this time around.
The last time I saw Year of the Dragon, it was gritty and tough with a great Mickey Rourke performance. But now, I don't
feel any of them. Michael Cimino's direction is poor as he lets the story play out in different cycles: Stanley White's
problems, Louis Bukowski getting in his face, and the construction of the Chinese mafia's empire.
In a way, the film reminds me of Scarface which was incidentally penned by Oliver Stone.
Both are violent and have a
lot of focus on the criminal element. Yet what's missing is plot and character development. Honestly, the performances
are fine, but there's not enough impact from Mickey Rourke.
All in all, Year of the Dragon might have been a better film if it was more ably directed.
6/17:
Watching Year of the Dragon again, I've changed my mind and now think of it as an exciting mess, but it's
a solid neo-noir picture nevertheless.
I have to say Mickey Rourke is nearly the best thing; it's his character's crusade attitude that wins me over. He seems
haunted by what happened in Vietnam and how the war was totally unwinnable, not wanting a repeat of it in Chinatown. Better
than Mickey Rourke is the violent, hard-hitting cinematography which reminds me of
Scarface. Surpisingly, most of it
was shot on a soundstage in Wilmington, North Carolina.
What's nice is, after experiencing the extreme length of The Deer Hunter and
Heaven's Gate, each scene is
tautly edited with no superfluousness. Michael Cimino even brought the film on time (well, four days late) and on budget.
Many critics ripped Ariane apart for her performance. Honestly, she's fine; in fact, Ariane is perfect as Tracy Tzu. I
can't really pinpoint the problem if there's any. Her character's apartment, which is supposed to be part of the Clock Tower Building
in New York City, is a kick-ass if I've ever seen one.
The Last Emperor's John Lone is great as well; he's such an
underrated actor. I don't understand why he didn't get much work during the 80's and 90's. The shootout battle on the train
tracks between him and Mickey Rourke underscores how violent the film is.
If there's anything I don't like or get, it's the ending. Stanley White comes charging onto the funeral procession, causing a
big mêlée and threatening to arrest the Chinese people. Trazy Tzu runs after Stanley, and they both have a laugh and embrace each
other. The end. I mean, what the hell was that all about? By the way, why is the film called Year of the Dragon? That's
for 1988 while 1985 is meant to be either Ox or Rat. Yet Wikipedia says the following which may explain Stanley White's enigmatic
personality:
"The first trine consists of the Rat, Dragon and Monkey. These three signs are said to be intense and powerful individuals
capable of great good, who make great leaders but are rather unpredictable. The three are said to be intelligent, magnanimous,
charismatic, charming, authoritative, confident, eloquent and artistic, but can be manipulative, jealous, selfish, aggressive,
vindictive or deceitful."
Perhaps it describes Mickey Rourke in a nutshell. The critics also lambasted Year of the Dragon for its heavy racism.
Once again, I fail to see it; drugs and power play a bigger role. By the way, Raymond Barry and Caroline Kava went on to
appear together as Ron Kovic's parents in Born on the Fourth of July.
All in all, Year of the Dragon is a rare colorful, splashy yet messy Chinese American neo-noir picture.