Year of the Dragon

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.