A war is brewing in Manhattan’s Chinatown. After a string of high-profile attacks in the once harmonious neighbourhood, newly-assigned police captain Stanley White (Mickey Rourke) is determined to clamp down on the web of criminal activity in the area. The self-righteous and racist White does not care for the implicit arrangement between the police and the Chinese leaders that keep Chinatown peaceful and orderly for the most part. His hardline and twisted sense of justice is about to bulldoze everyone in the way, including those who are close to him. His main adversary is Joey Tai (John Lone), a young upstart in a Chinese gang who is ready to take the reigns of power from the elders.

Upon its initial release, the film was heavily criticized for its unsavory portrayal of Chinatown, use of racial slurs, and exoticization of Asian women. While critical opinion may have been polarized, most agreed that John Lone was a breakout star. Lone’s Joey Tai exudes confidence and charisma even when he is on the verge of losing control. His complex performance and screen presence led Bernardo Bertolucci to cast him in the titular role in The Last Emperor (1987). Lone’s real-life journey is as intriguing as his character Joey Tai: An orphan who was raised by his adopted mother in Hong Kong, Lone was trained in Chinese theatrical arts before moving to the United States. Despite all the controversy surrounding the film, the scenes involving Lone and the gang elders (played by Victor Wong. K. Dock Yip, Bau Hon-Lam) speaking a mix of Cantonese, English, and other Chinese dialects is as authentic as any American film can aspire to be.

Michael Cimino (1939–2016, United States) was a film director, writer, and producer. With a background in painting and architecture, Cimino began his career as a commercial director in New York. He later moved to Los Angeles and made his directorial debut with Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974). He received further acclaim for The Deer Hunter (1978), which won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. The troubled production of Heaven’s Gate (1980) made it one of the biggest financial failures in film history, but the film’s reputation has grown considerably since then. A few years after, he directed Year of the Dragon (1985), which was selected by Cahiers du Cinema as one of the top 10 films in 1985.