In 1985, five years after the debacle of Heaven’s Gate, Cimino directed the crime drama, Year of the Dragon, which he and Oliver Stone adapted from Robert Daley’s novel.
Mickey Rourke plays Stanley White, New York’s most decorated police captain and a Vietnam War vet assigned to New York City’s Chinatown. He makes it a personal mission to crack down on Chinese organized crime to the point of obsession with his career, at the expense of his marriage to Connie.
Soon White clashes with Joey Tai (John Lone), a young man who ruthlessly becomes the head of the Chinese triad societies. Ambitious, he creates a high profile for himself and the triads’ activities.
The uneasy truce that has existed between the triads and the police precinct ends, as they conduct a personal war between themselves and the Italian mob and Thai gangsters involved in their heroin supply chain.
The film was sharply criticized for providing offensive stereotypes of Asian-Americans.
Despite negative reviews, the movie scored at the box-office.
End Note:
Year of the Dragon was nominated for five Razzie awards, including Worst Director and Worst Screenplay
