This is a very unusual film because at first glance it looks like a Japanese silent film, but it was actually made in the United States and starred mostly Japanese-Americans--though one of the leads is actually an American pretending to be Japanese (it became a common practice for non-Asians to play these roles in the 1930s and 40s). I realized it wasn't a Japanese film when I noticed how much rural Japan looked just like Yosemite (which, it turns out, it was). Still, despite really not being made in Japan, the film looked very realistic and quite lovely and most would swear that it's a Japanese film.
The story is very Japanese in style and I am not sure how much most Americans would like the very non-Western plot. The film is about a very wild and rather flaky guy who locals refer to as "the Dragon Painter" (Sessue Hayakawa) because he is obsessed with creating art with dragons. The reason, and here's where it gets weird, is that he believes his fiancé is from the middle ages and was taken away from him and reincarnated in the form of a dragon! So, in tribute to her and this loss, all he cares about is recreating her image. He doesn't care about living indoors, new clothes or any finery--just drawing and painting!
Later, the Dragon Painter is discovered by a surveyor and he introduces the odd artist to an aging famous artist. The old man wants to find a successor and to convince the nutty young artist to stay, he tells the Dragon Painter that he has found the Dragon AND she's now a woman once again. In reality it's the old artist's daughter (played by Hayakawa's real-life wife, Tsuru Aoki.
The two are soon married and everything looks just fine. The old man has a successor and the pair are extremely happy. The problem, though, is that now the Dragon Painter's inspiration to create is gone--the girl of his dreams is always there and there is just no need to make art. So, in order to inspire him to greatness, his young bride makes a very sad and fateful decision.
The film is gorgeously filmed--and by far the best things about the film are this and the set designs. The story, while beautiful, seemed more secondary to me but still quite enjoyable and watchable. An excellent and exceptionally unusual silent film when compared to other films made around the same time period.
The story is very Japanese in style and I am not sure how much most Americans would like the very non-Western plot. The film is about a very wild and rather flaky guy who locals refer to as "the Dragon Painter" (Sessue Hayakawa) because he is obsessed with creating art with dragons. The reason, and here's where it gets weird, is that he believes his fiancé is from the middle ages and was taken away from him and reincarnated in the form of a dragon! So, in tribute to her and this loss, all he cares about is recreating her image. He doesn't care about living indoors, new clothes or any finery--just drawing and painting!
Later, the Dragon Painter is discovered by a surveyor and he introduces the odd artist to an aging famous artist. The old man wants to find a successor and to convince the nutty young artist to stay, he tells the Dragon Painter that he has found the Dragon AND she's now a woman once again. In reality it's the old artist's daughter (played by Hayakawa's real-life wife, Tsuru Aoki.
The two are soon married and everything looks just fine. The old man has a successor and the pair are extremely happy. The problem, though, is that now the Dragon Painter's inspiration to create is gone--the girl of his dreams is always there and there is just no need to make art. So, in order to inspire him to greatness, his young bride makes a very sad and fateful decision.
The film is gorgeously filmed--and by far the best things about the film are this and the set designs. The story, while beautiful, seemed more secondary to me but still quite enjoyable and watchable. An excellent and exceptionally unusual silent film when compared to other films made around the same time period.