Michael Cimino is a whisper on the lips of the film industry. The infamous Heaven’s Gate besmirched his success with The Deer Hunter, bankrupted his studio and all but lead to him being blacklisted from high profile movies. Year of The Dragon was his last real chance at a comeback. Mixed reviews and an unsatisfactory box office return spelt the end of Cimino, a talented albeit obsessively autocratic director. Year of The Dragon is a mostly forgotten movie but does it hold up in any respects? Yes and no.

Mickey Rourke plays Stanley White, a Vietnam veteran and racist cop determined to bring an end to the new Triad leadership under Joey Tai (John Lone), an ambitious but brutal young gangster. A vicious struggle ensues between the two men which threatens both their professional and personal lives, culminating to the point where all they have is each other, and nothing left to lose.

The acting is both the film’s strongest and weakest points. Mickey Rourke is at the peak of his acting talent. White as a character is not particularly likeable but is still sympathetic despite risking everything through his rashness. However his character is supposed to be much older than Rourke and seeing him with his middle aged wife and dyed hair is off putting and awkward. John Lone is particularly good as Tai, a charismatic Triad who must circumvent his way to the top of the pecking order. He’s not above bring a rival’s head to a meeting to prove his power. The two actors perfectly compliment each other – completely different aside from their uncompromising personalities. Neither are going to settle for second best. White’s love interest, a reporter played by Ariane is, to be blunt, simply bad. She is wooden and unconvincing and many of her scenes are overly dramatic which brings down the grittiness of the main conflict.

That’s another issue which punctuates the either film, it’s a film of two halves. The main theme music is fitting and daunting, the dramatic music is sappy. Well plotted, well placed scenes are sullied by over indulence of politics as regards stereotypes. The screenplay, written by Oliver Stone, keeps the action moving and involved, but is let down by a lack of sharpness seen in Stone’s treatment of Scarface. Characters are also introduced and then forgotten about for a long time; a corrupt cop doesn’t have any payoff since on first viewing, I didn’t even know he was part of the plot. Michael Cimino, a perfectionist, should have used a few more takes in certain scenes, including an obvious dummy for a body being dragged. When he has scope though, he shines. His moving camera work, such as when Tai interrogates two hitmen, gives the film a briskness and grittiness, perfectly highlighting the world of the Chinese Mafia. The sweeping vistas of Thailand is a striking scene and punctuates that Cimino can create art when he has scope. The climax is genuine breathtaking with the wide shots and lighting creating a tense showdown which is really unforgettable.

Ultimately this is movie which doesn’t get its due credit. It’s not perfect by any stretch but I prefer to it’s more popular peers such as To Live and Die in LA or Black Rain. Unfortunately, the film did little to help Cimino’s career. It was made on schedule and budget so Cimino could clearly work well when given restraint. It’s a pity he never made a film as successful as The Deer Hunter.