FREE ON CINEGEEK.DE Michael Cimino - Year Of The Dragon 

Sometimes when I watch another lackluster netflix film, I wish the controversial Michael Cimino was back! Remember, he became a Hollywood star with his second film, the Vietnam epic The Deer Hunter in 1978, only to mutate into Hollywood's ultimate pariah with his third film, the late Western Heaven's Gate. Paramount let him have his way during the filming of Heaven's Gate, Cimino enjoyed absolute fool's freedom. The result outraged and angered audiences and critics; from then on, all financial backers kept their distance. Cimino was now more in charge of the most shameful box office flop ever. That was 1980, but of course Heaven's Gate is much grander and more insane than what is cheaply produced on the lackluster streaming services. Cimino made a full seven films and his career resembled one of decline. After all, Heaven's Gate was such a disaster that it was pulled from the schedule after just one week! a $36 million disaster! In the end, the studio itself went under and was bought out by MGM. Heaven's Gate is therefore also considered the end point of the New Hollywood auteur movement, in which the director claimed full control over his work. It wasn't until five years later that Cimino was allowed to make another film. Year Of The Dragon based on a screenplay he wrote with Oliver Stone. Mickey Rourke plays the policeman Stanley White, who has made it his personal mission to break up organized crime in New York's Chinatown. In particular, the organization of the outwardly charming triad leader Joey Tai (John Lone). The conflict escalates and many people die (including White's wife and his mistress, a reporter). Everything they ever owned White and Tai destroy until they turn on each other on a railroad bridge in the finale. Two primordial machos firing MPs at each other. Cimino completed Year Of The Dragon on time and on budget. And yet there were accusations that he was portraying the Asian community in a racist way (an accusation he may also be accused of in The Deer Hunter). It's true; Cimino's Asians seem lifted from age-old reactionary Hollywood films. Although Year Of The Dragon received fairly good reviews, it was shut down and pulled from the schedule because of the accusation. Stupidly, the controversy wasn't enough to draw viewers to the cinema either. Those who see it again today may admire the ingenious balance of action and quiet moments. Some shootouts are so grotesquely exaggerated that you rub your eyes. Other passages showcase life in Chinatown. And Mickey rourke goes so all out in his performance that you can't help but find his villainous character White fascinating nonetheless. Unfortunately, Year Of The Dragon was to be Cimino's last major directorial effort. Works follow, all of which I cannot recommend. Not even on DVD. It can almost be called Cimino's signature to mercilessly overload his films and make them too ornate. He throws all the individual parts up in the air, only to put them back together again illogically. Watch Rourke's hair, which keeps changing color. His White sometimes speaks of Chinese, then again of Vietnamese as if that were interchangeable. A John Wayne statue is enthroned in his room. Year Of The Dragon is as poor in emotion as it is in reason. Instead, everything appears here in a huge extravagant mass-staff! Michael Cimino simply could not make a normal film.