Year of the Dragon
𝗯𝘆 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗲𝗹 𝗖𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗼 (1985)
Officer White, aided by the brave journalist Tracy, aims to eliminate every trace of crime from New York’s Chinatown district.
Quote
“You know what’s destroying this country? It’s not alcohol, it’s not drugs. It’s TV, it’s the mass media, it’s people like you: vampires.
I hate the way you make a living by sticking microphones in people’s faces. I hate the way you lie every night at six o’clock. I hate the way you kill true feelings.”
The War Never Ends.
Cimino’s hero is a cop engaged in what seems, from the very beginning, like a personal crusade against crime.
A stubborn and contradictory man, who ends up ruining his private and professional life.
A character destroyed by his inner demons, relentlessly and almost fanatically pursuing his personal goal without stopping for anything.
And although the Vietnam War, masterfully told in *The Deer Hunter*, is over, its legacy looms larger than ever, almost like a curse, taking center stage.
The hatred harbored toward Asians continues, as does the lawless and boundless struggle typical of wartime conflict.
And New York’s Chinatown, the protagonist of the film, becomes a modern, vivid transfiguration of Vietnam.
Considerations.
Michael Cimino returns to the scene five years after the infamous commercial flop of *Heaven’s Gate*, which led to the collapse of United Artists.
He does so with a very “metropolitan” film, in which he personally participates in the screenplay along with Oliver Stone, painting a ruthless picture of Chinese organized crime.
But that’s not all: the director also points a finger at the collusion between this reality and major U.S. institutions.
Inspired by Robert Daley’s novel of the same name, he directs a film filled with contrasts.
Elegant and meticulously staged, with its vibrant use of colors and enveloping music. Passionate and “fiery” in the dialogues and interactions between the protagonists.
But also cold and cynical in describing the decay that lurks in the streets and alleys of Chinatown, sprinkled with sudden bursts of violence.
Mickey Rourke helps him in this endeavor, delivering one of the best performances of his career, perfectly at home in the urban hell described.
Year of the Dragon, initially snubbed, has, over time, earned its rightful place and sacred status as a cult classic. Year of the Dragon is a must-watch.
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