A silent film from 1919, this is a story about Tatsu, the Dragon Painter, played by Sessue Hayakawa, who was quite a big star in American silent film ( he won an Oscar for his work decades later in "Bridge Over The River Kwai"). He is seeking an enchanted princess whom the gods took from him. He paints pictures of dragons because of this. An older artist named Indara, seeking to find an heir to his artistry, hears about Tatsu and summons him. He realizes Tatsu is the real thing and lures him by using his daughter Ume-Ko (played by Hayakawa's real life wife, Tsuru Aoki)to act as the princess Tatsu seeks. This film is great. It is a simple story told perfectly, in less than an hour. It was part of a TCM network retrospective on Asian images in cinema. The film is beautifully restored and even has great music, played on instruments from Japan. This is a silent film that you should enjoy, it tells the tale wonderfully. I recommend it.
Review of The Dragon Painter
