Year of the Dragon (1985)

6.8R129 minDirector: Michael Cimino

1985 film by Michael Cimino

Year of the Dragon is a 1985 American crime thriller film co-written and directed by Michael Cimino, and starring Mickey Rourke, John Lone, and Ariane Koizumi. The film follows tough New York City police captain Stanley White (Rourke) battling ruthless Chinese-American Triad boss Joey Tai (Lone). The screenplay, written by Cimino and Oliver Stone, is based on a 1981 novel of the same title by Robert Daley.

Cimino's first film after the box office failure of Heaven's Gate (1980), Year of the Dragon is a New York crime drama and an exploration of gangs, the illegal drug trade, ethnicity, racism, and stereotypes.

Released by MGM/UA Entertainment on August 16, 1985, the film received mixed reviews and did not perform well at the US box office, though it did receive two Golden Globe Award nominations: Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture for John Lone and Best Original Score for David Mansfield. It has gained a cult following in the years since its release.

Plot summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

FAQ

What is Year of the Dragon about?
Year of the Dragon (1985) — Chinatown, New York City. There has long been an unofficial agreement that the NYPD will leave the traditionally run Chinese triad alone to manage the crime issue in the neighborhood, the triad who is the face of organized crime of Chinatown. The triad also has an unofficial agre
Is Year of the Dragon based on a true story?
See the production background and source material details on the official Wikipedia article.
Is Year of the Dragon scary?
Content rating: R. See the reviews tab for parental guidance and tone notes.