Year of the Dragon (1985) - full transcript

Chinatown, New York City. There has long been an unofficial agreement that the NYPD will leave the traditionally run Chinese triad alone to manage the crime issue in the neighborhood, the triad who is the face of organized crime of Chinatown. The triad also has an unofficial agreement with the Italian mafia, still seen as the major player in organized crime in the city, to be cooperative in a win-win situation in their illegal activities. However, the Chinese youth gangs are disregarding these unofficial agreements, being another violent player in the crime scene in Chinatown, they who take a stand by killing Jackie Wong, the head of the triad. To deal with the matter, the NYPD reassign Captain Stanley White from Brooklyn to Chinatown. Stanley, of Polish heritage, is not averse to slinging slurs toward his adversaries, most of those of a racial nature. This reassignment will not help the already deteriorating marriage he has to his long suffering wife, Connie. While Stanley is supposed to target his efforts against the youth gangs, he instead decides to target his efforts against Joey Tai, Jackie's son-in-law who has taken over the triad. Stanley's actions do not sit well with his superiors who want to honor their long held tradition of leaving the triad alone. Although Joey convinced the triad elders that they needed a more vigorous leadership which he could accomplish, Joey, in reality, may have more to do with the increased violence in Chinatown than they realize, including Jackie's murder. In achieving his goal, Stanley co-opts the assistance of Herbert Kwong, a neophyte NYPD officer to go undercover to infiltrate Joey's organization, a job for which his training may make him ill-prepared. Also to further his goals, Stanley begins a love-hate relationship with Tracy Tzu, an American born ethnic Chinese reporter who works the Chinatown beat for an English language network. As Joey goes about his business and Stanley tries to bring him down, the battle between the two becomes personal, which places those around them in danger. The question becomes whether each will survive the battle, not only against each other but by their respective organizations who may not see what they're doing as maintaining what was the on the surface peace that existed in Chinatown before the current problems.

Back up. Move back
a little bit. Stay back.

Come on, let the funeral
through, huh? Stay back.

Get Laura. That's the daughter.
Get a close-up.

- Excuse me...
- Hey! Don't touch the camera.

Miss, please don't
cause any problems.

We're not causing any problems.

John, let's get McKenna.

Captain McKenna?

Captain McKenna, any leads
in the murder of Jackie Wong?

Nothing.

Do you think this killing means there is
a war going on in the Chinatown tongs?



No, l don't. This is basically
a situation where the youth gangs

are lashing out at the Establishment.

The community's cooperating.
The situation's under control.

Hey, kid! What's going on?

- We got to talk, Lenny. Privately.
- Sure. Some funeral, huh?

So, what's new, kid?
Listen, no news this week.

But l got some pretty good uptown you
should try. Give you a taste for nothing.

- Greaseball don't listen so good, Lenny.
- What?

You want to play games?

lt's loud and clear.
This is our street now.

You wanna stay on this street, you pay us.

Come on, Ronnie. Me?

You wanna extort money from me?
You know who my cousins are?

l know what l need to know.



Fuck your cousins. No one
rides free any more. You owe me money.

It's 300 a week to operate out of here.
Four weeks, that's 1200 bucks you owe.

You come across Canal Street and
start throwing your weight around here?

You Chink scumbag, you'll end up
with a wire around your fuckin' neck.

Now get outta here before
I kick your ass. Hey, kid.

The rumour is, Jackie Wong was more
than the unofficial mayor of Chinatown,

that he was also
the head of a secret Triad.

Jackie Wong, no question, will be missed.

He was loved.
He made money for his people.

But the head of a secret Triad?
There's no Triads in New York.

I'm sure, Captain, you've heard rumours
that Wong's successor, Harry Yung,

was a corrupt Hong Kong policeman

who came here with $15 million.

$15 million? That's a good one.

Somebody should tell Harry Yung that.
I have no further comments at this time.

Do you have that? OK.

You're a hell of a reporter, honey.

Except you're talkin' to a guy with a bag
on his head and cotton in his ears.

- Stick around, you may learn something.
- Who are you?

Just ask for Stanley White.

- Which Stanley White?
- There's only one Stanley White.

Hello, Will. How's the view up there?

You can see a long way.

Still believe in keeping
a high police profile?

If you wore your uniform once in a while,

you'd know that police visibility's
the strongest deterrent to crime.

It doesn't look like you're deterring
too much around here lately.

Aren't you in the wrong precinct, Captain?

Not really. They gave
me a new command.

Yeah? What'd they give you?

Chinatown.

That's right, Will.
They just cut off your oats.

Why?

Because of this?

How was l supposed to prevent this?

How am l supposed
to prevent anything around here?

Come on, l'll buy you a cup of coffee.

Ah, what the hell?

Like l told you before, man... no pictures!

John... go to her.

Right there. Get Laura Wong.
Get the close-up. Come on.

- That's the daughter.
- You people...

Hey! Don't touch the camera!

Get rid of the camera!

The camera is none
of your business! Go away!

Enough! What'd l tell you
before? Get on outta here.

He's over there in the back.

Tell me when, OK?
Tell me when.

And so, with the passing
of Dai Jackie Wong,

a piece of Chinatown history
passes with him.

This is Tracy Tzu, WKXT News,
Mott Street, Chinatown.

What are you assholes
doin' around here, huh?

Get off, you fuckin' bastard! Get off!

You can't come down here, man.

It's no raid.

Keep on playin'. No problem.

Lookin' for uncle Harry.

uncle Harry?

Not here, white devil, get out!

Where's Harry?

Not here, white man.

Hey, he's going to be back soon.

You tell Harry l'm comin' over.

Get out!

Let's play!

How could you have let the white devil in?

What the...

What's going on with you?

I'm lookin' for uncle Harry.
Where's Harry Yung?

- Where are you going?
- Harry in there?

Where are you going?

- Wait.
- Thought we should have a talk,

seein' we're both new at our jobs.

Why did you go to
the gambling place, huh?

We had the same arrangement
over long period of time.

No policeman ever go to gambling club!

Foolish man! Rude...

I'm going to have to tell your superiors.

It won't be the first time, uncle Harry.

I'm glad you guys are here.
Saves me some lung power.

This is it. I'll give it to you fast.

There's a new marshal in town.

Me.

New marshal means new rules.

New rules means no more street violence.

You collar the gangs.

I don't wanna see their fucking faces
unless they're bringin' me spareribs.

I don't care what you do.
Get 'em jobs catchin' cockroaches.

- But you get 'em off the streets.
- Nobody can control the gangs!

Everybody knows that.
Too big a problem.

Captain, Chinatown
behind you all the way.

In favour of what you do.

You take gang kid in the alley.
You put bag over their head.

You beat them with club.

Chinatown behind you 100 per cent.

- 100 per cent!
- 100 per cent behind...

Good. Cos l'm gonna need your help.

I wanna put a stop to all this bribe-paying
and extortion to the gangs.

- I want the help of all 60 families.
- 60 families?

No, no, no, no, no.

- And l want you people...
- Wait a minute.

This very difficult. Very, very difficult.

It's a long history.

For thousands of years,
Chinese do not go to the police.

If they go to the police,
they'll get in trouble.

So, l'll tell you straight.

- Nobody will come to see you.
- Oh, yeah?

You tell him what we mean.

No disrespect is intended
to the police by our remarks.

But if the citizens of Chinatown regard
what you call extortion and bribery

as part of the cost of doing business, and
have felt that way for thousands of years,

why should you be so concerned?

What about the ones
that don't wanna pay?

Tell him.

You know, Captain,
when l first came to New York,

I worked as a waiter in a restaurant.

Saw something terrible happen
because my boss did not want to pay.

I signed a complaint against
a gang leader who was arrested.

Next day, he was out on the streets again.

Six months go by before his trial, and the
police chief was transferred to the Bronx.

This was - what? - six...
six or seven chiefs before McKenna.

Seven.

And the new chief dropped the charges.

- Three months later l got stabbed here.
- Sure. See?

You must understand, Captain,

to us, your Good Samaritan was a fool

to risk the security of
his family to help a stranger.

uh, you're too impressed with yourself.

Fuck you.

What did you say?

I said "Fuck you."

I'm tired of all this
"Chinese this", "Chinese that".

You people, you think gambling,
extortion, corruption are kosher

because it's a thousand years old?

Well, all this "thousand-year-old" stuff,
it's a lot of shit to me.

This is America, and it's 200 years old,
so you'd better get your clocks fixed.

You're not special,
and you're not beyond the law -

any more than the Puerto Ricans
or the Polacks.

So we're all gonna obey the law
the way it says.

So start doing something about it,
and fast, or you're all gonna suffer.

You can believe that.

How will we deal with this?

Morning, Stan.

- Morning, Stan.
- Hi, Stan.

- Hi, Stan.
- Morning, Stan.

- He's early.
- He's always early.

- I got a complaint about you already.
- There's a line around the block.

A Harry Yung was upset you bust into his
place of business on a day of mourning.

He says you're threatening
the arrangement we've always had.

What is this arrangement? ls it carved in
stone? Did it come out of a burning bush?

What the hell did you rush in there for?

You made them lose face,
you made us lose face.

You got no respect?
They were just having breakfast.

What evidence did
you have to go in there?

With these people,
you're not gonna have any evidence.

You're talking shit.

I didn't buy this job at Macy's.
You gave it to me.

And l told you to kick ass on
the youth gangs, not the old guys.

You lay off them, you hear?

Fifth Precinct's a nice quiet area, Stanley.

Good springboard for promotion,
if you get my meaning.

Lou, l've been down there
one goddamn day.

Doesn't take a genius to figure out
something's going on.

There's gonna be blood in the gutters.
These Chinese will muscle across Canal.

They're gonna push the Mafia out. I'm
talking banks, real estate, drug money.

Who told you all this? The DEA?

They've been peddling that bullshit
Chinese Mafia theory for years,

and they never made a case
in Chinatown. I wouldn't believe...

You don't know what you're talkin' about.

The Mafia concept's not
even ltalian, it's Chinese.

- It's Chinese.
- It was invented in China 1,000 years ago.

- They call 'em Triads.
- Triads.

That's what we have here -
the offshoots of the Hong Kong Triads.

Stanley, you're letting your imagination...

No. Lou, like hell l am.

These people are the biggest overall
importers of heroin in this country.

The fact that we don't have a single bust
against one of them tells me somethin'.

They're smart. They're smarter than
you are, and Kearney, this lrish sphinx.

At least l didn't change
my name, Wizynski.

What do you want?

You wanna attack Chinatown
with the 82nd Airborne?

You're not in Vietnam here, Stanley.

There, l never saw the goddamn enemy.

Here, they're in front of my eyes.
They got no place to hide.

This is just like
the South Bronx and Red Hook.

You got a bunch of delinquents,
youth gangs... Call 'em what you want.

Snot-nosed Chink scumbags. Go and kick
their asses. That's what you're good at.

Youth gangs? These are midget hit men.

You know what your problem is? You
work like a piece of heavy machinery.

Nobody likes you, Stanley. They tell you
you're a great cop, but they don't like you.

So what?

Just put my request through, will you?

Kearney, pleasure talking to you -
it's like one hand clapping.

All of a sudden, this job's
made you an expert?!

He's got a thing for Chinks.

Yoo-hoo! Connie!

- I'm home.
- ln here!

Where you been? l've been calling for
two days. You don't answer the phone?

Connie, what the hell's goin' on here?

Don't ask.

It's the washing machine again.
And while l was at it, l fixed the sink.

Jesus!

Connie, why don't you
ever call the repairman?

You're livin' in the past, Stanley.
You find one.

Hey, look at this mess.

Buy me a new machine!
But don't break my balls, Stanley.

Been trying to fix this thing
for three hours, and l'm not in the mood.

- I didn't say anything.
- Yeah, but you were gonna.

- I can always tell when you're in a mood.
- What's wrong with you?

I walk in the door,
you don't even say hello.

You don't smile. All you do is, you say,
"Stanley, don't break my balls."

- What kind of a relationship is this?
- You don't care about our relationship.

I do care.

I do care about our relationship.

- Come on!
- I just wanna know why you're so angry.

Well, Stanley, it's because you have
become an arrogant, self-centred,

condescending son of a bitch.

- Well, there's a lot to be arrogant about.
- Oh, don't start, OK?

I'm not takin' any more of your shit, Stan.

You want to fix the fuckin' washing
machine? You go ahead and fix it.

Oh, Jesus.

You fix it. I gotta go to work.

Hey, l'm not having such
a great day either, you know.

I thought you said you had the night off.
I thought maybe we could go out.

They shifted me back to nights.

What is biting your ass?
Don't tell me it's the washing machine.

No.

Nothin'. Because l don't expect
anything from you any more, Stanley.

- What is that supposed to mean?
- It means you bombed out.

You forgot. You weren't here.

You missed target practice.

- What?
- Wednesday.

Wednesday!

It's the day of my ovulation.

I guess l forgot.

Don't bullshit me, Stan. I don't like it.

I'm getting the picture, OK?
lt's clear as ice.

- If you really wanted a kid...
- Of course l want a kid.

No. No.

You'd take care of yourself a bit.
You'd sleep decent hours.

You'd eat regular.
You'd take your vitamins.

You promised me
you'd take your vitamin E.

I paid 50 bucks for this.

And you'd screw me once
in a while at the right time of month.

- How the hell do we stand a chance?
- Hey, l'm sorry.

I know you're sorry. You said that
last month and the month before that.

I'll tell you what. Next month
we'll take a weekend off.

We'll go up to that place in the Poconos,
that place your brother-in-law talks about.

You know, the place with the
heart-shaped tubs? We could try there.

Don't give me all that.
Don't treat me like an idiot.

It doesn't work any more.

It doesn't work.

Shit!

# So sweet,
your smile is so sweet

# Like a flower blossoming

# ln the warm spring breeze

# Where was it

# Where was it
that l had seen you before?

# Your smile is so familiar

# l can't remember

# ln my dreams

I didn't think you'd show up.

I guess l had to get a closer look
at the jerk who insulted me.

- What would you like to drink?
- Tea.

- Why didn't you say who you were?
- Hostile, aren't you?

I showed up, didn't l?

Why don't you have some spareribs?

They have great spareribs, but lousy
lighting. Ever wonder about that?

Why a Chinese restaurant makes you feel
like you're inside a motor vehicle bureau?

- Feel like l'm waiting for an eye test.
- Well, the atmosphere is not the thing.

Besides, l like ltalian food better anyway.

I'm impressed.
Are you doing your homework?

I'm scratching the surface.
So you're from Hong Kong?

No. American born.

San Francisco, the Bay area.

How many generations
have your people been here?

My great-grandfather came,
worked in the railroads, went back.

My grandfather worked in a gold mine.
He also went back.

They went back because the law
wouldn't allow their wives to come over.

My father married a Japanese woman
and settled here in the '40s.

Yeah, l know the story.
It's a pretty sad one.

Thousands of you Chinese came over
here, and you died building the railroads.

It says so here.

Their bones are scattered all over the
West. We don't even know their names.

There's a photograph here.
Promontory Point, utah. 1869.

It's where the union
and Central Pacific first met.

Take a look at it. What do you see?

What do you see?
You see the bosses.

You see the politicians.
You see the bankers.

You see the lrish workmen.
There's not one single, solitary Chinaman.

They weren't even asked to show up.
They died anonymous.

You goddamn people,
you keep everything a secret.

- I know the story, Captain.
- Well, most people don't.

No one remembers in this country.

- No one remembers anything.
- You sound just like my father.

He sounds like a great guy.
What does he do?

He's in shipping. Now, what's your story?

Me? What's there to say?

uh...

I'm Polish. I'm from Brooklyn. I'm a cop.

But l happen to be the most decorated
cop in the City of New York.

I'm talking action decorated,
no desk citations here.

- I'm sure about that.
- I saw you a few times on the tube.

I don't watch much television,
but l think you're pretty good.

You're sexier than the broads
on the other channels.

Ah, well, Captain.
Very pleased you've come.

- Hello.
- uncle Yung, you know Tracy Tzu?

Oh, yes. Very pleased you've come.
This is my wife Su Shin.

Captain, do you like Chinese
champagne? This is very good.

This is on the house.

Thanks, Harry, but no thanks.
I pay my own way.

- Fish stinks from the head, does it not?
- The Chinese eat the head, Captain.

Enjoy.

Let's go.

It looks like champagne...

- I think you upset him.
- I certainly hope so.

# l've been waiting
for over a year

Look at it this way.

Harry Yung, he's the head of
the richest tong in Chinatown.

He's gotta be involved
in the Chinese Mafia.

Even if he isn't doin' anything,
he's gotta be doin' something.

And if l can nail the son of a bitch,
and he's got face, l get face.

And if l get face, l can
win the war in Chinatown.

Captain, why did you call me?
What do you want?

I'll tell you what l want.

I want the rice to boil over in Chinatown.

I wanna change things.

Why? ls Chinatown so bad the way it is?

It stinks. The Harry Yungs
got this place locked up like a jail.

You got a slave population of sweatshop
women working for 12 cents a piece.

You got shopkeepers paying bribes
to every punk that comes along.

You got 30 people livin' in a room.

You got the highest rate of TB and
mental illness in any city neighbourhood.

- You got a male population...
- Look, l'm a reporter.

I am not a crusader.

You're an actress. I can help you.

- How?
- I'll give you hard facts off the record.

You do an exposé on Chinatown. One
week you do the gambling connection.

The next week you do
the youth gang extortion racket.

You move up the ladder,
to the bosses that own the places.

You splash their faces on the tube, take
a little journalistic licence, you know?

Each week we peel
another layer off the onion.

If it was a white broad, they'd say it's
racist, but with you, it's on the up and up.

This is outrageous. There are
boundaries, Captain White. Ethics!

The press is independent.
It's not just another undercover cop.

What you're asking for is absurd.
It's almost criminal.

You wouldn't know a real criminal if one
popped out the toilet and bit your ass.

I don't think there's any
point in going on with this.

You sit down, you get smart,
and you listen to me.

Go fuck yourself.

Didn't see nothing, man.

Two men, ski masks, ran up the stairs.

Boom, boom. Was all over.

It's all right. It's all right. It's all over now.

It's all right.

Stop crying. Stop crying.

Now you see
what l'm saying.

You've seen what happens.

Who did this? Why?

Who were those kids?

Could they have been
with the Nam Soong?

No. No, it's not them.

It's someone from the inside.
It can't be the Nam Soong.

What would the Nam Soong gain
by messing with us? Nothing.

They couldn't take over our place.

Recently there's
the Double Flower business.

It's not the Double Flower,
it's the other guy.

The other guy!

uncle Hung!
All this is done by the Nam Soong gang.

Don't question it.
They came from Toronto.

How do you know?

I saw them two days ago.
Now they've gone back.

We'll find them.

- You take care of it, then.
- Yes.

I'm going to ask you again.
Do Nam Soong have their reasons?

It's because of the police, uncle.

They want to get their hands
on our goods, so they mess with us.

The guys in Hong Kong and Amsterdam
know what Nam Soong is capable of.

We seem to be no match for him.

The shootout at the restaurant,
other things...

Everyone says they're
trying to start a war.

But what l'm afraid of most

is that they seem to be
targeting you directly.

If we don't fight back,
we'll lose everything.

What you're saying makes some sense.

In our business, we can't succeed
unless the market is stable.

The market is very unstable.
The shootout was six months ago.

The restaurant has only made
70% of its usual profits since.

And the ltalians are still angry at us

about what happened
with the candy store.

Fuck them! How long
have they worked with us?

And still they treat us like this!

They call us "yellow niggers".

Right?

Our banking and
shipping profits are all down.

Gold prices are slumping.
Our stocks are sluggish.

Our commodities position has slipped.

There's no new money
coming in, gentlemen.

The Vietnamese will start competing
with our gambling profits.

And this new policeman,

making rude noises about
Chinatown and justice, and all...

l have much respect for
each and every one of you, uncles.

But l believe that right now
we need a strong leader.

Speaking of me...

OK, Joey.

I'll let you keep on talking.

You guys talk about it.

Joey, what you're saying
about our business is true.

If we let you lead us, what will you do?

First of all, when my uncle leaves
his post, l will make him look good.

Right?

Second of all, l will find out
who did this to our restaurant.

I will have to go to Thailand and put up a
good fight with Ban Sung for our goods.

Then there is
the matter with the ltalians.

It is perhaps time to consider
ending the old arrangement with them.

Do like they do! Sell directly
to the blacks and Puerto Ricans.

We can make
more money that way.

Right, uncle Bin, let's not waste time.

We'll just do it ourselves, right?

- Good morning.
- Good morning, Chief.

- Good morning.
- Good morning, Frank.

- Morning, Commissioner.
- Morning, Commissioner.

Anything to tell me on the Wild West
show at the Shanghai Palace last night?

Yes, sir.

Our information is that it was an East
Broadway gang. We're checking on it.

I wouldn't bet on that information, sir.

You know something we don't know?

No, sir. It's just that our street information
in Chinatown hasn't been right so far.

We're the last ones
to know what's goin' on there.

The important thing is that both punks
were hit, and it'll be hard for them to hide.

And if l can get to them, and l will,
then l got one hand on their balls.

Captain White is speaking for himself, sir.

I don't care who he's speaking for.

I know this. These punks are whacking
out people left and right. Tourists!

I just got my ass chewed out by
the mayor, who is mighty pissed off.

And so am l. What the hell has happened
to Chinatown? lt was never like this.

The causes of this run deep.

Be that as it may, l want this crap
stopped, and l want it stopped now!

Or heads are going to roll. Am l
making myself clear to you people?

Yes, boss.

You want some fast results
and no bullshit.

Let me have one Chinese undercover
cop and l'll penetrate these fuckers.

What are you talking about?

Have you asked your
commanding officer?

Yes, sir, and it was ignored.

As was my warning that the gutters
were gonna run red with blood.

The request is under
consideration, Commissioner.

This kid he wants is a trainee.

- He's already got six Chinese cops.
- I got six too many.

I got six Chinese cops down there
no one talks to. They treat 'em like lepers.

This kid, Herbert Kwong, he's from China,
and no one knows him down there.

And he don't know shit from Shinola.
He needs another 100 hours minimum.

We don't have another 100 hours.

Give him what he wants.

Now.

And get some results.

That's it.

Nobody does what
you did in here. Nobody.

- Are you sure about this?
- Yeah.

All you guys do
is eat and gamble.

- I told you to keep this place clean.
- It is.

It smells like a sewer.

So what?

- Where's the doctor?
- Inside.

- Those two are OK now?
- You gave them the shots?

Get up.

- Hey, little brother, how are you doing?
- I'm OK.

- Does your foot hurt very much?
- It's all right.

- You got a shot, didn't you?
- Yes.

- How's your brother's foot?
- Hey, get up. Tai is here.

- Hey, how's your foot?
- It's OK.

- Can you walk?
- Yes.

- Give it a try.
- It's OK.

Good boy, you've got balls.

Both of you, get some rest.

- I'm gonna take off.
- Thank you.

Take care.

How long before the wounds heal?

Two weeks, maybe less.

But the one with the toes...

Thank you.

Take care of this now.
Clean this place up.

All of you, clean this place up!
lt stinks in here.

See you.

- How'd you get called Herbert?
- My Chinese name is too complicated.

I looked in the phone book.
I found Herbert.

Do you know anything about
Go Joey Tai? Harry Yung? Fred Hung?

- uncle Milton Bin?
- No, sir.

You're going to.

Because you're gonna put 'em to sleep
at night, you're gonna wake 'em up.

I wanna know where they go,
who they see.

When you're not doing that, you're
gonna monitor a wiretap on them.

Watch it, will you?
You drive worse than you shoot!

- Stay out of the left lane.
- Yes, sir.

uh, what hours am l working?

Hours? Forget it. You're on
24 hours a day, seven days a week.

- What about sleep?
- Forget sleep.

- But l got a second job.
- Hey, Herbert, quit. I'm serious.

- You want to be a cop or to fuck around?
- What's the point of the exercise?

It's not an exercise. We're
dealing with the Chinese Mafia.

They eat people like you for breakfast.

Jesus! l told you,
stay out of the left lane.

Did you ever notice this? Chinese
guys are always blockin' traffic.

They drive like their music,
from right to left.

Did you ever see a Chinese
Grand Prix driver? Huh?

- No.
- Goddamn cab can't drive. Come on!

Central to 27 Adam Boy. Got
two male Asians shot dead at 6 Eldridge.

They match the suspects in
the Shanghai Palace shooting.

That's us. You're out. Outta the car.
You're undercover now. Get out!

Where's White?

Alan Perez, Captain.
Nobody, of course, saw nothing.

Most of these people are illegal.
They're sweating a bust.

The building and the farm are registered
to Tan Wan Lo. He lives in Hong Kong.

We're checking it out, but he's
probably been dead for ten years.

Building ownership down here makes
a Chinese fire drill look organised.

- Where are they?
- Tony, get out here!

This is the guy that tipped us.
Calls himself Tony.

Says he's been working here 40 years.

You wanna show the Captain
what you showed me?

Come on!

You people!

You can take off your shoes.

Right here. Go look.

Get a flashlight.

You're a good man, Tony.
Not too many of you left.

I know. You don't have to tell me. I know!

All good men gone - Iong time.

Everything change.
Young people, no respect.

Steal, shoot, kill. Like white man.

Chinese man is not afraid to work hard.

I work 40 years here.

I put every dollar in
Chase Manhattan Bank.

Young people have no respect no more.

Old men afraid. Not me.

Not me.

I been here long time.

I have seen many things. I see things
lot of people don't even think l see.

Tony, there should be more men like you.

Bullshit!

l have no money
and no husband.

All l want is to find her a college.

But l can't find work,
so l can't support her education.

l understand your situation.
You don't have to worry any more.

I have talked to Tina about this fall...

Please forgive me.
I had no one else to turn to.

I understand. Don't worry any more.

I've arranged for Tina
to attend Columbia this fall.

Stop worrying, OK?

Thank you.

Tina, it was difficult for
your mother to come to me.

You must show your appreciation
by studying hard.

Then you can help your mother out
so she won't have to work so hard.

You hear me?

..some say an act of revenge linked to the
restaurant massacre, but no one knows.

And in this once quiet,
tourist-oriented community,

the tourists are beginning to stay away.

And the people here are beginning
to ask the dismaying question:

"What is happening to Chinatown?"

This is Tracy Tzu,
Eldridge Street, Chinatown.

Here he is.

Captain White?

Captain White, can you give us any idea
who and what's behind this violence?

Who? What? A thousand years of
civilisation. That's who, that's what.

You oughta know that. Now get
that goddamn thing outta my face.

- What's the matter?
- You don't know, you don't know.

You're acting like there's
something between us.

Auntie,
stop worrying. I have to go.

Have something to eat.
Don't worry any more.

Mr White! l'm glad you came.

Joey, congratulations.
I hear Harry Yung's out and you're in.

- Stuart, all right?
- Meet my favourite lady.

Connie, this is Joey Tai.
He owns the place. My wife.

- It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs White.
- Hi. How are you?

I'm sorry l'm late. Somethin' came up.
Why don't we order some spareribs...

I told you. I got a late shift tonight.

- We can talk after dinner.
- No, it might disturb my digestion.

You really are something.

Hurry up!

Just come over here. Let's call it a truce.

- How about good champagne, Joey?
- Sure. Mrs White? Come this way.

Harvey, get me
the best champagne in the house.

You have an eye
for beauty, Captain.

Yeah. She's a real rock. She's the best.

You must have heard, we dug up
those two midgets that hit Harry's place.

- Found 'em in a soybean basement.
- No, l didn't.

My guess is somebody
didn't want us to find 'em.

You don't think it was the friends
of the boy who was killed?

If you accept the surface of things,
Joey. Which most people do.

Why the bodyguard? Does it
come with the new title, or what?

Just a precaution.
There's been too much violence...

I agree. What are you and l
gonna do about it?

How's it going?

Are you enticing those to be conquered
in coming to the conqueror?

You should try our exploding lobster.

My chef does it better than anybody
in the world. I brought him from...

Hey, what do you want, Joey? Spit it out.

Cigarette?

No.

This is not the Bronx or Brooklyn.

It's not even New York.

It's Chinatown, White. It can be
very easy, or it can be very hard.

Well, why don't you make it easy?

I'll help you get some
of these renegade youths.

Witnesses, evidence,
everything you need.

You'll get headlines, your superiors
will relax, and everybody happy.

And then you can stay in Chinatown,
no transfer, and we can do business.

You understand what
l am saying to you, Mr White?

Yeah. I get the punks.
What do you want in return?

Nothing.

Just work with us.

Chinese people come here
to prosper and not to change things.

You know, this cross-eyed conversation
we're having, Joey, gets me confused.

See, l'm a stupid Polack. A peasant.

- You gotta make things real clear to me.
- Sure. How clear do l make it?

Oh, l don't know.

I'm thinking.

Would a contract with us for security
work after you retire be what you need?

We got some late-night clubs
you could keep an eye on.

Could mean 100,000 a year.

And we could put it
anywhere in the world.

I don't think 100,000's gonna be enough.

OK. How much, then?

I'll take the same amount that you'll
make off your next 50 keys of heroin.

At last.

The clouds part to show the true sky.

You know, most drug dealers are
morons, Joey, but l gotta hand it to you,

you're one silky son of a bitch.

This the way you deal with the ltalians?

This the way you moved out Harry Yung?

How about your
father-in-law, Jackie Wong?

You know, rumour has it it was your hand
that was on the knife that killed him.

You're a smart guy, Go Joey,
but you made one mistake.

I'm not ltalian.

I'm a Polack.

And l can't be bought.

I'm gonna burn you down.

I'm gonna drag you...

and your dirty laundry out on the street.

And l'm gonna humiliate you.

You are very stupid.

And you're not gonna last.

I'll last long enough to piss on your grave.

Connie, what's wrong with you?!
l was only 20 minutes late!

What's the matter with you?

Hey, you're right. I thought it over.

I tried very hard to suppress it, but l think
there's definitely something between us.

- Get in the car. I'll drive you home.
- I'm not some gook hooker in Saigon.

- Does that work with all the girls?
- Comme ci, comme ça.

Why don't you give me a break? lt's not
every day l get to meet a famous person.

Listen, l got a legitimate story for you.

Want some wine? White or red?

Both.

Wow, this is some place.

Hey, listen, forget what
l said in the restaurant.

I know you got your ethics.
I respect that.

But listen, you know, you got a great
human interest story in Joey Tai.

Kid from the slums of Kowloon
comes over here.

Works his way up.

Marries the boss's daughter.

Maybe knocks off the boss.
Becomes the boss.

I mean, that's the American dream.

Why don't you shine a light
on the son of a bitch?

What if he's involved in nothing?

What if he's just a successful
businessman, like my father?

The Chinese are always involved in
something, never involved in nothing.

Remember that.

You're really cracked, you know that?

The first time l saw you, l knew
you were cracked. And a racist, too.

Were you in Vietnam?

- Yeah. Why?
- I knew it.

It ruined you.

First time l saw you, l hated your guts.

I think l even hated you
before l ever met you.

I hated you on TV.

I hated you in Vietnam.

You wanna know what's destroying
this country? lt's not booze.

It's not drugs.

It's TV. It's media.
It's people like you.

Vampires.

I hate the way that you make your living,
sticking microphones in people's faces.

I hate the way you lie
every night at six o'clock.

I hate the way you kill real feelings.

I hate everything that you stand for.
Most of all, l hate rich kids.

And l hate this place.

So why do l wanna fuck you so bad?

Maybe you're right. Maybe l got no ethics.

I can't. Stop it.

You can't?

I just spent all afternoon here,
making love with my boyfriend. I can't.

So why'd you invite me here?

What year are you living in?

We're not in the back seat
of some car at a drive-in.

You don't have to get your money's worth.

Well, so who is he?
What's his name? What, is he rich?

You wanna know if he's Chinese, right?
That's what you wanna know, so ask it.

That's the question.
Why don't you answer it?

He's white, all right?

He went to Princeton. His name's Roger.

And he's a lawyer.

Well, l hate lawyers.

And l wouldn't wanna make love to
a woman who just screwed a lawyer.

- What's he got, money?
- Yes.

- Roger Pumpernickel the Third?
- And he's not a crackpot racist.

- He's a gentleman.
- Oh, yeah?

What does he do? He plays tennis and
golf and goes out sailing on a yacht?

What's with all these machines?
What are you, at AT&T?

You got everybody in town
jumping in and out of your bed?

You're acting like a child.

Well, "A great man is one who in
manhood still keeps the heart of a child."

Why don't you go home?
l can see this was a big mistake.

Yeah, it was a mistake.
It was a giant mistake.

It was a giant mistake.

I'm gonna go home to a woman
who at least acts like a woman.

If this Roger's so great,
how come he didn't marry you?

He didn't want a slant-eyed
Roger the Fourth?

I don't know.

We've never discussed it.
We just meet here to fuck.

I want to arrest the gang members for
loitering, spitting in the gutter, anything.

- What about their civil rights?
- Fuck their civil rights!

I want the honchos
around here to go apeshit.

I want to disrupt the entire
commerce of Chinatown.

Do you understand me?

I want chaos.

You know, you people, you're
starting to look like the Chicago Cubs.

I'm not kidding.

You look like you already lost.

The world has fucked you over,
so now you don't give a shit.

I know. I've been there.

I've been in the job 15 years.
I know all the stories.

My heart has been broken 100 times.

I've got scar tissue on my soul.

But let me tell you something.

I give a shit.

I'm gonna make you people give a shit.

I don't care what you think of me.

You guys are gonna
go through the numbers on this one.

Now that's it. Get outta here.

Whoa! One last thing.

The next cop... that l hear about...

who's taking money... in this precinct,

I'm gonna personally bust their mouth.

Are there any questions?

What if it's a woman?

She better bend over.

Whoo!

Mr Wong, do you think Joey Tai is
responsible for the death of your father?

I want my lawyer!

Captain Stanley White,
commander of the Fifth Precinct,

has declared war on Chinatown.
Today there were 43 gang arrests,

three gambling parlours raided,
six sweatshops busted.

In an opening blow at the man they call
the godfather of Chinatown, Joey Tai,

White has padlocked his restaurant
on a health violation.

A crackdown is in the works. Although
District Attorney Jane Katzman denies it,

a major drug conspiracy case
is rumoured to be pending

against various respected older members
of the Chinatown ruling elite.

Mr Tai, can you tell us if there is
such a thing as the Chinese Mafia?

Sounds very exciting, like a comic book.

The existence of Triads is documented
by the Drug Enforcement Agency.

Documentation without proof.

This farce is evidence of the consistent
discrimination against Chinese.

Mr Tai, are you saying there is no
criminal element in all of Chinatown?

Of course not.

But why do you media people insist on
emphasising this Charlie Chan image?

Why not talk about
the chair in Chinese History

our association
has endowed at Yale university?

Or our $12 million fund
for our 10,000 members?

Our free meals for the aged
and the unemployed?

Free burial, things like that?
Positive things.

Mr Tai, what is your comment on Jackie
Wong? Do you have any comment?

I'm really happy you're OK.

My doctor would kill me
if he knew l was here.

They just took my voice box out.

They keep taking things out.

I have nothing left, Fred, but my brain.

My brain says l'd rather do business
with a smart thief

than an honest man who is stupid.

A stupid man is dangerous.

Like a defective time bomb, you never
know when it's gonna go off on you.

But a thief, you can
control what he steals.

I think, Teddy, you are going
to find Joey a very smart young man.

Not cautious, as Jackie
or Harry, but aggressive.

He wants power.

All young men want power.
That's what it means to be young, Fred.

I wanna see his face, his eyes.

I wanna know if he's reckless.
One look in his eyes, l will know.

Bring him in, but leave the nigger outside.

- My esteemed friends...
- How's the sound?

A little background noise, but it's not bad.

The point, Mr Tedesco,

is that we are happy to let you continue
the distribution ofour software.

But, with a 50 per cent reduction
in volume, and at a reduced fee.

Something like 17 or 18 per cent.

The rest stays with us
till we weigh other offers.

Jackie Wong made these
arrangements with me.

We were pioneers when you
were sucking your mother's tit,

and l don't see why
anything should change now.

Because Jackie Wong is dead,

and Harry Yung has stepped down,
and l am the Cho Kun now.

Hey, Joey.

And l say we can't afford
to sell to old men the old way.

You know, Fred, in all my years,

nobody - and l mean nobody -
has ever talked to me like that. Nobody.

No insult was intended, Mr Tedesco.

But you people don't control
Canal Street any more.

We do. I think when you
think through my offer to you,

you'll see that it's not
unprofitable to both sides.

Who you gonna sell to?
The niggers? The spics?

You people don't have
that kinda weight here.

They will bury you so fast
like you never was here.

And if they don't, l will.

Don't talk like that!

Don't sweat it.

You're flying too high, kid,
and the air is very thin up there.

Hello? Yes, it's Joey.

I'm trying to reach Ban Sung.

Next week. I know.

Stop talking and listen to me!

- Got anything?
- It seems to be mostly financial talk.

There's mention of
some problem in Thailand.

A man in Bangkok is
saying something about...

I'm not quite sure about what.

I want to talk to him in person.

But he's very angry about a group from
Toronto that calls itself the Nam Soong.

Sister, you gotta be more precise.

That's going to be very difficult, Captain.

It's been many years since we've
heard the Hakka dialect spoken.

They're talking aroundthings,
not about them.

Damn it, Sister, that's the point!
They're not gonna spell it out for you.

This is drug talk.
You got to use your imagination.

Listen...

you look like you don't eat enough to
keep a bird alive. Have some real food.

Captain White, l've managed to live
75 years without your help,

eating precisely what l'm eating now.

My body fat is 12 per cent.

My blood pressure's 120 over 80.

My lymphocyte count is 22 per cent.

And if you want to compare
white blood cells and red blood cells,

I might even outlast you, Captain,

red-meat eater that you obviously are.

Copy that.

The perpetrator is saying he's
flying into Bangkok, next week -

under another name.

He's making his move. I want you
to get the DEA on his tail.

Call the Bangkok police, whatever
you gotta do to eyeball this scumbag.

I'm sorry, Sister.

I just wish to fuck l could go there myself.

Come on.

That'll be the day, the NYPD
springin' for a ticket to Hong Kong, eh?

You guys are doing a great job.
Keep it up.

Rizzo, come on.

I want you to hit Chinatown
like Genghis Khan.

I want restaurant health violations.
I want immigration busts, gambling raids.

You were meant to shake up the gang
kids, not turn the whole city upside down.

Let me make this real clear
to you, White, here and now.

Joey Tai goes to the
Manhattan Borough president,

who he contributes
$100,000 a year to, all right?

The borough president goes to the mayor.
The mayor goes to me.

And the word is, lay off.

That is the way the game is played, OK?

No more wiretaps on Joey Tai. And you
don't go to the Drug Enforcement Agency.

Going to outside agencies
isn't your job. It is Lou's job.

And what about the dead tourists,
Commissioner, huh?

I guess they don't add up to
a can of sardines, do they?

You change your tune pretty fast just cos
that slimebag has tea with the mayor.

You can't link Joey Tai to that. You know
it. The point is that you cease and desist.

What if l don't, huh? What are you
gonna do? You gonna suspend me?

What will that look like
in the papers? You tell me.

You suspend the most
decorated cop in the city.

You call off an investigation
into the Chinese Mafia.

What investigation? What Chinese Mafia?
The investigation's in your mind.

What's it gonna look like? You tell me.

Your department's gonna
look like shit, that's what.

- Are you blackmailing me?
- Call it what you want.

I've been swallowing the bullshit around
here for 10 years, and l'm choking on it.

- You ever think about your pension?
- Fuck that!

That's what's wrong with this department.

Everybody's so worried
about their pension.

- Stanley...
- Oh.

Never have l ever heard anything like this.
This is a fucking disgrace!

No, Lou. This is a fuckin' war,
and l'm not gonna lose it. Not this one.

Not over politics.
It's always fuckin' politics!

This is Vietnam all over again.

Nobody wants to win this thing, do you?

Just flat out win, do they, Lou?

You go to the press again, White,
you know what you're doin'?

You're putting a gun to my head, Stanley.

That's what we are. We're four guys
in a room with guns to our heads.

Kearney, will you step
outside for a minute?

I can't listen to this crap no more, Stanley.

I can't watch a good man piss
his career down the drain like this.

You never had any respect
for anything, did you?

- First, you throw away your wife.
- Shut up!

Now, you're turning on us cos
you got delusions of grandeur,

sucking up to this Chink reporter to get
your face on the tube. What is it with you?

- She do it sideways or something?
- Take it back, Lou.

Don't tell me to take it back.
You got no shame.

Connie was the best thing
you ever had in your life.

That wasn't between cops. It was between
two guys from the old neighbourhood.

Lou, l'm sorry.

Look... I don't know why we're fighting.

I love you. I love Connie.

But when things aren't working at home,
you overreact to things on the street.

We all had flings when we
were young. I'm not a prude.

Why don't you at least sit down with
Connie and try to straighten this out?

Even if you walk away,
you walk away friends.

Cos no one's gonna care when you're
lyin' in your grave but Connie and me.

Well?

What are you gonna do, Stanley?

I don't know. All l know
is that when l give up...

the system gives up.

Tracy!

- Tracy!
- I'm coming!

Tracy!

Come on, open the door!

Hey!

- Oh.
- Who do you think you are?

And what are you doing with that?

These are my Chinese books.
I'm movin' in.

You what?

Did l misinterpret what you were saying
when l was lying on top of you?

Fuck you!

You Chinese, why don't you
ever say what you really think?

- I'm going to call Roger.
- I got somethin' l wanna say to him, too.

Go away, will you, Stanley?

You're cracked. You're really crazy.

Do you ever listen to yourself?

Come on, tell me... Ow! Tell me the truth.
There is no Roger, is there?

Know how l know? lt's because when you
talk about him, your eyes, they're not real.

There is a Roger.

Well, tell me what you see in this guy.
Come on, tell me. I wanna know.

I want you to look me in the eyes,
and l want you to say it.

What do l have to do to get
you out of here? Holy God!

Nothin'. It's hopeless.

Surrender.

Why am l laughing?

I'm becoming a crazy, like you.

Oh...

I'm tired.

I think l need to sleep.

Maybe everybody's right.

I'm chasing something that
doesn't exist. I ought to stop.

Jesus, l'm tired.

It's the same thing as in 'Nam.

We lost because you
were smarter than us.

And you couldn't even
have a decent parade.

A fuckin' Chinese parade. They
come at you in 15 different directions.

Fuckin' joke.

Stanley...

you can't stay here.

Don't you have a friend l could call? Or
somebody you could stay with tonight?

You're the only friend l have left.

I just wanna be with
somebody tonight. I just...

I don't know anybody else.

Isn't that a real laugh?

I don't know anybody.

I feel like such an asshole.

Tracy, l, uh...

I love you.

Did you hear what l said?

I thought there was
no Chinese word for love.

I'm serious.

I know you are.

It was bad enough doing business
with the old general, that slime,

but Ban Sung's even worse. But you
lose all face by dealing with him direct.

- Ban Sung has an ego like an octopus.
- I know. And l don't trust his agent here.

That fuck White Powder Ma knows
Ban Sung's got a crop of 150 to 200 tons.

Ma offered him 6,000 a key, plus
a shipment of kalashnikov assault rifles.

Hey.

Hey, brother Ma! Hello!

- I'm so happy to see you.
- Have a seat.

I'm so glad.

We meet at last, huh?

Little brother, l was very sorry to hear
that your father-in-law had been killed.

You know, it's not as easy for us
to do business without his guidance.

We in the Nam Soong have been
wondering who could have done this.

We think that whoever is responsible
for assassinating him

is no better than a crow that
flies up the ass of a dead animal

to reach the gut without work.

It's so dirty, so despicable.

There's also some news.

I hear that this guy has been
causing trouble in Toronto.

- Really?
- It's intolerable.

But don't worry, l'm not going
to let a crow bother me.

Brother Ma, you have
really enlightened me.

I think we should share our information.

If we work together, we will
surely catch this stinking crow.

We'll tear off his wings
and cut off his tail.

I'm leaving in the morning.

It would give me great pleasure
to invite you to dinner tonight.

It would be great if you could come.

- Will you?
- OK.

- I will be there.
- That's wonderful.

All right, then.

- I will see you tonight.
- See you tonight.

Thanks, bye.

Will you open the door?

Will you open the door?
What do l gotta do, break it down?

We gotta clear the air between us.
We gotta talk it out.

So talk.

I don't know what got into me
with this Chinese girl.

I care more about you
than anybody in the world.

I mean, if you don't know that,
Connie, then...

So what do you want me to say?

Do you want me to forgive you, Stanley?
ls that what you want?

The truth is, l don't know what l want.

You wanna marry her?
You wanna have babies with her?

Look, l didn't plan for
things to happen this way.

It just happened.

How do you think that makes me feel?

It makes me feel pretty low, Stanley.

I feel pretty low myself.

It's about time.

You used me up, Stanley,
and then you burned me down.

And l was a rock. I carried the cross
with you in Brooklyn and in Queens.

I lived in a fuckin' war zone with you.

Now, you're gonna go off and have babies
with a woman ten years younger than me.

I don't have any pity for you, Stanley.
I... hope you feel bad.

Look, why don't we just
let things ride for a while?

Just let some time pass?

- I don't have any time.
- I just need some time to think.

I'm outta time.

I'm 35, sliding into 40.

So what do you want me to do?

You want me to just walk away,
just like that?

- Is that what you want?
- It's over, Stanley.

Don't you get it? We're not playing
from the same sheet music any more.

Now, will you get out of here...
before l start to cry?

And l don't wanna do that.
Not in front of you.

I got my pride.

You OK?

I'm washing my face.

Look, Connie...

I'd feel a whole lot better if you'd just
keep the house and the bank accounts.

I mean, whatever's mine is yours.
I don't want the house anyway.

Stanley?

- Stanley! What the hell's goin' on?
- They got Connie!

Stanley! What, are you crazy?!

Stanley! Stanley, get outta there!

Stanley!

Get outta here!

- What, are you crazy?!
- He's evidence.

He's dead!

Long time no see, Joey Tai.

It's an honour and a pleasure
to see you again, General.

Time looks like it's been good to you.

And to you, too, honourable cousin.

The last time, as l remember,
both of us were taking orders.

Now we give them.

How is the health of our old friend,
the great Sao Mong Khawn,

who paved the golden road
of our success together?

Truly, he is one of the great ones.

He'll be happy to see you,
Go Joey. I think so.

Come. I think we'll surprise him.

Perhaps the general
doesn't recognise you.

The general likes heroin in his soup.

Keeps him happy.

Thank all gods, he feels no pain.

Come, Go Joey.

A kalashnikov!
Best rifle ever made.

The Russians used to give them
to us to fight the Burmese,

but now it's harder to get.
They want dollars.

Everybody wants dollars.

One bullet, by the time it gets to me,
costs me one American dollar.

Dollars are like small fish:

difficult to catch, but not to be thrown
back, except as bait for something bigger.

I'll make it 4500 a kilo.

You give me 6500,

and l'll refine it to number four
right here myself.

- No, no.
- You'll have 200 keys in two weeks.

You know we can't control the quality
unless we refine it to stage four ourselves.

- We've always bought stage three.
- You don't think my dragon pearl's good?

- I have the best chemists in the world.
- Maybe.

Better than your people in Hong Kong.

But then we would be forced
to unemploy our chemists.

Go Joey, l offer you the chance of
putting your old friend out of his misery.

He was going to betray
us to the Americans.

Hold him!

Save me! Save me!

No, don't!

Don't shoot me!

You don't have
the bullet to spare.

Each bullet can kill one Burmese soldier.

Then you don't have to use a gun.

Don't do this to me!

l'll buy him from you. $5,000.

Buy?

uS dollars, cash. Now.

- Why?
- Why not?

If you think this shit-faced old worm
is worth $5,000, you can have him.

Good!

Let him go!

The food was great, and your hospitality
has left an impression, General.

But time is short. I must be in Hong Kong
before the banks close on Friday.

My final offer.

I'll make it 4900 a key for
your number three dragon pearl.

I'll take 200 kilos, deliverable
in Bangkok early next week.

Another 800 kilos for the next
three months. Beyond that, l won't go.

White Powder Ma's offer
makes yours insignificant.

Piss on him! Nam Soong Triad
is like dog shit littering the streets.

They'll be extinct in two years.

I think perhaps
l put my money on White Powder Ma.

I think so.

I think White Powder Ma
will be pleased to hear this.

Tell him yourself.

My gift to Ban Sung,

in honour of our association.

Let no motherless fuck ever
raise his head again between us.

I'm sorry, Stanley.

She looks beautiful, Stanley.

Let me through!

Let me through!

Let me through!

My deepest condolences
to you, Mr White.

She said it wasn't that Chinese girl.
Connie was a bigger person than that.

She knew what was gonna happen.
You should have listened to her.

- You talked to Connie behind my back?
- Yes. I talked to Connie behind your back.

I knew Connie even longer than you.
Why shouldn't l talk to her if l want to?

You and l don't agree on anything.

That's your problem.
You're fighting the whole world.

I'm sick and tired of Vietnam
as an excuse for everything you guys do.

You act like everybody in World War Il
and Korea came home to a picnic.

It wasn't. We lost 50,000 men in Korea.
We came back and nobody gave a shit.

But we fitted in. Why can't you fit in?
What is it that's so different?

I don't know what you're
talking about any more.

You know! l know you're not one of
them professional Vietnam veterans

who make a career outta groaning about
the war. You made something of yourself.

But you're still acting
like you're on a crusade.

You think you got the right to trample
over anything and everything.

We got an arrangement,
a treaty with these Chinese.

And however tarnished it is, it works.
Life is arrangement, Stanley.

Life is getting along. That's why
this neighbourhood is what it is.

That's why eight million people
every day in this city can function.

I don't want to argue with
you any more. Honest, l don't.

Take it easy.

You need anything,
you call me. You hear?

- There's always a bed at my place.
- Your arrangement is what killed Connie.

- Mr Tai?
- Mr Tai?

Mr Tai, people in Chinatown are saying
Ronnie Chang was your protégé,

and his involvement in the murder
of Mrs White implicates you.

- Do you have any comment?
- That was a terrible tragedy,

but l hardly knew Ronnie Chang.

Ronnie Chang represents much
of what is bad in Chinatown.

We are trying hard
to get rid of this element.

My sources say you have returned from
Bangkok. Was there a business purpose?

I have interests there.
I import foods from the Far East.

I also have a company that distributes
films in Thailand. Why do you ask?

Would this business take you into
the jungle 500 miles north of Bangkok,

to meet with a reputed drug lord
by the name of Ban Sung?

Do you know there are ethical
boundaries, Miss Tzu, even for the press?

Then does the name
White Powder Ma ring a bell?

Cut it.

I know your sources, and l'll raise
the issue with your legal department.

Hey, l don't give a shit! l got the new lady
district attorney behind me on this now.

You think the NYPD is
gonna lift a finger for me? No.

No, l'm not gonna tell you where l am.

Look, l'm gonna make this case with the
DEA, Customs, lmmigration, if l have to.

It's lnternal Affairs sniffing around again.
I bet you it's that fuck Kearney.

Get me Scappy Peck on the line at
Customs. He owes me a few favours.

What'd that son of a bitch
say about White Powder Ma?

What is all this?! What's happened?

I couldn't work in my office -
the walls have ears.

I let you use this place,
but this is ridiculous!

Get off the phone. And get these
people out of here. Right now!

- Scappy Peck's on the line.
- No! No more calls.

Look at this place! l give you
an inch and you take a mile!

I want these people out
of here right now. I mean it.

Look, l don't have time
to write you thank you notes.

I'm going for Joey Tai's throat,
and nobody's gonna stop me.

So just don't break my balls, all right?

Just hang in there a while, and you'll be
famous. That's what you want, isn't it?

You ungrateful, overbearing,
self-centred son of a bitch!

- Don't tell me what l want.
- That's it. Let's hear it. "lgnorant Polack."

Everybody, get out!

Sit down.

What's so funny?

You drive everybody crazy, not just me.

She's an aristocrat.
You can't push her around.

- That's an aristocrat?
- She's Mandarin. They're like that.

Call Wainright back. This is bullshit.
We're not gettin' anywhere.

That dope is somewhere between
here and Thailand. It's on the move.

We gotta get a tap into
Joey Tai's office in the restaurant.

You must be kidding me.
A white face would never get in there.

- Impossible.
- Come on.

You could get in there
as a bus boy or somethin'.

After that... plenty of time off
for sleep, promotion.

- No way, Captain.
- A tough kid from Kwangtung?

A kid whose ancestors used
to hang in baskets in the Sierras,

poking dynamite sticks in cliff faces?

All l'm asking you to do
is be a fly on the wall.

Your ancestors are rolling in their graves.

Goddamn bullshit, Captain!
You're pushing too much. I'm no slave.

I gave up my security job.
I gave up my chauffeur job.

I send less money home.
I'm tired all the time. I don't eat right.

I'm getting sick. I die,
l'm fucked! My family's fucked!

- For what?
- What do you mean?

You don't care nothing for people.
You make us all die for you.

Let me tell you something.

When your ancestors lived in caves
and scrabbled for coal in Poland,

the Chinese were sailing
their ships across the Pacific.

- What do you know about my ancestors?
- What do you know about mine?

We were traders, shipbuilders, explorers.

We taught you agriculture. We gave you
oranges, grapes, your irrigation system.

We dug your gold and silver, Stanley.
We taught you how to fish the Pacific.

And still we were barred from
American citizenship until 1943.

We worked so hard to build your railroads
that when our opium didn't come on time,

we were so desperate,
we helped each other kill ourselves!

But l'm not going to kill
myself for you, Captain White.

No more "Chinaman Joe".
Those days are over.

He'll be back. He loves me.

Look, Stan, the kid's
pushing it to the limit.

I don't know, maybe we
should take him off the case.

No undercover has lasted more
than a month in Chinatown.

Let me tell you something.
That kid is tough as nails.

And l'm going to make it up to him.

lt's none of your business.

You have to remember to call.
Why don't you call now?

Pick it up.

Shh.

This piece of news is not good.

It puts us in a very bad place.
What's going to happen next?

Will our faces appear
in the newspapers?

How this reporter found out about your
trip to Thailand is a serious problem.

It worries me very much!

It makes the Nam Soong very upset
about White Powder Ma.

Very unhappy.

And also our old friends
the ltalians are very angry.

Say something!

Now you know what
you've got yourself into.

You have some nerve, trying to kill
the cop on your own and not succeeding!

Are you thinking with
your ass or your brain?

Our nephew has overemphasised
the Thailand end of the business,

at the risk of endangering
our other enterprises!

How can you get rewards
without taking risks?

- All you're doing is yelling at me.
- Bastard!

Watch what you're saying.

uncle, listen to me. These guys
in Toronto are not a problem.

- Not a problem!
- They will be easy to take care of.

The ltalians are a separate issue.

They'll want to work with us again
once we make a move.

What they're saying in the papers,
let them. Who cares?

And like a fly's bite on
an elephant's ass, ignore it.

- I'll take care of it.
- You can take care of everything.

uncle, the new shipment
arrived in Bangkok on Tuesday,

and it was in Amsterdam by Saturday.

I spoke to our chemist in Hong Kong.

He guarantees us
one load every two weeks.

Uncle, think about it.

What my father-in-law did in a year,
l did in three months.

Three months! Nonsense!

When is it due in New York?

Less than a week.
Our money is ready at the bank.

We can get it by next Monday.

How much faster do you
want me to move?

It's too dangerous to take a delivery now.

- Can't wait a month?
- We can't wait!

If you send it back to Harlem now,
it will only increase the risk!

You don't have to worry. I have
complete confidence in our couriers.

I trust them. I'll take care of it.

Are we still working
with Rising Sun Lines?

No. It's a new company.

Which new company?

I think it's best not to tell you the name
of the ship now. It's too dangerous.

Excuse me. I'll be right back.

Ah, shit! The goddamn name of the ship!

White has a wire in your office.

- Who?
- I don't know, but l'm gonna find out.

Perez!

I don't want anything to go wrong
with this shipment. It's important.

- Don't worry.
- I want you at the pier.

- All right. Where?
- The Kazimierz Pulaski.

Polish. It docks Tuesday. Pier 11.

- I'll be there.
- Thanks.

OK, everybody back to work.

Stanley!

Hey! Hey!

Herbert, you're gonna be all right.
I'm proud as hell of you.

Eleven.

What?

- The dock.
- Get to Beekman, for Christ's sakes!

- What was the name of the ship?
- Dear God in heaven.

Kazimierz Pu... Pul...

He's at the bar.

You and me are gonna have
a talk about Herbert Kwong.

Get off me!

Got you, you little fuckin'... I'm gonna
kill you, you little cocksuckin' bastard.

Fuckin'...

Press charges! l'm beggin' ya.

Come on, Joey, call a cop.

Come on, let's go to court.

- Come on, l'm beggin' you.
- No more now, Stan.

Oh, shit!

Get out! Get out! Get the fuck out!
Come on! Let's go!

Get your fuckin' ass in there.

Fucker!

Bastard!

- You look like you're gonna die, beautiful.
- Oh, yeah? Don't count on it.

You are. You're not gonna make it.

Was it worth it?

You got anything you wanna tell me
before you go, sweetheart?

Yeah. Fuck you.

What happened, Captain?

- Got one in the chest.
- Captain, what the hell happened?

You run too fast.

So you fall down, see?

Looking back
on the days of Jackie Wong,

things were so peaceful.

Now, in the interest of all Chinatown,

our relationship with the press,

with City Hall, especially with the ltalians,

has to return to the old ways.

Joey, he has a point there.

I think that Joey is young
and inexperienced.

He has offended Harry.

This has caused Harry to colour
the situation with personal animosity.

If it were up to me,
l would take care of it right away.

Dealing with things this way
will benefit no one.

In dealing with the white devils,

we have always stuck together
through thick and thin.

You don't trust me now.

No matter what, l guarantee
that you won't lose anything.

I will be at the pier to pick up the goods.

Look, l'm talking about
one ship outta Rotterdam.

The Kazimierz Pulaski.

What the hell's the problem?

You know how big that ship is, Stanley?

We can't go running around rippin' up
floor plates, cuttin' boilers open,

pokin' through 10,000 Edam cheeses,

or drillin' in a shipment of Danish
furniture on your say-so, Stanley.

It's a lot of money involved. We got
passengers. We got waitin' time.

Besides, it's the flagship
of a foreign government.

Hey, look, all l'm asking you
to do is go through one ship.

I got a deathbed confession.
A cop died for this.

You're pissing against the wind, ace.
Get a live informant.

- Are you OK?
- Yeah.

- You shouldn't have come here.
- Embarrassed your friends will see me?

Tonight's the night. Get your crew to pier
11. We're gonna watch the rice boil over.

- I have to talk to you.
- What? What is it? What is it?

Are you gonna weasel out on me?
What? Spit it out!

I can't go there. I've been told
not to do any more stories on this.

- You've been told? By who?
- By the network, Stanley.

What? There's a war going on down in
Chinatown and you're not gonna cover it?

Look, l don't think this
is the time or the place.

Why don't you tell me the time and a
place, and we'll go there and discuss it?

Would you quit? There's times
you have to know when to quit.

Oh, yeah? Did Herbert quit?

What's wrong with you?
He's dead! Connie's dead!

I'm putting my whole life on the line,
and you're sitting here,

acting like some
phoney white-bread cunt!

You're not even white. You're Chinese.
Those are your people down there!

I mean, are you a reporter?
Are you a whore? What?

You're a son of a bitch, Stanley.

The day you put your ass on the line,
that's the day you'll be a real reporter.

My ass on the line?
Goddamn you, Stanley!

I was almost killed for you.

I was raped. And l'm
not gonna die for you.

I'm not gonna be pushed like
Connie and Herbert. They're dead...

What do you mean, you were raped?

- You're like poison, Stanley.
- Who did this to you?

- Who?
- Rape is rape.

- Who? Who raped you?
- Three boys.

- Who?
- Three boys.

- Who raped you?!
- Three Chinese boys, Stanley.

He went too far this time,
that fucking Joey.

It didn't happen to you! lt happened to me!

You don't give a shit about me, do you?

- I'm gonna kill him.
- Leave, Stanley.

Go away and leave me alone.

You should take a look
at yourself, Stanley.

You're selfish. You're callous.

You're indifferent to suffering.

Your wife was right,

and you still don't get the message.

How many more people are
you gonna kill before you do?

- Tracy, l...
- No. Just go away and leave me alone.

Don't say anything. Just go away!

Hello, Stanley.

You weren't in your office.

Hello, Lou.

Francis, l'm disappointed.
You didn't show for Connie's funeral.

You were warned about Joey Tai.

Clean your desk.
You're goin' back to Brooklyn.

You've been properly served.

I'm sorry. You were told to lay off.

If you think that l'm gonna
stand for that, you're wrong.

You don't like it, resign. You're through
anyway. It's all over for you, White.

Your balls'll be cut off Friday!

You're not cops, you're lies, both of you.

- You don't bend, you break, Stanley.
- Then l'll break.

- You care too much, Stanley.
- How can anybody care too much?

Go on. Go on.

What the...?

Jesus!

Get outta my sight!

What is this?

- What do you want?
- Tell me where the heroin is on the ship,

and you walk outta
here with a head start.

You...

Joey!

Joey!

Come on!

Come on!

Give me your gun.

For pity's sake. Please.

Tell me where it is!

Mercedes. Please.

There are those who liken
Chinatown to a skating pond.

On the surface we see a picture-postcard
landscape of snowflakes and skaters,

but underneath,
the cannibal fish, the gangs,

the sharks, those who control the
gangs, and the whales, the big bosses,

all move in deadly swarms.

These bosses, some people are saying,
are in an international crime network,

with its headquarters in Hong Kong.
Everyone denies it.

But in the wake of the shootings
of Joey Tai and Ronnie Chang,

questions are mushrooming left and right.

Charges of illegal wiretapping
have been levelled by HJ Yung,

head of the Hun San association,

resulting in the removal
of Captain Stanley White.

One wonders if this is not a smoke screen
to distract from the main issue,

which is what part the Hun San
plays in this Chinese opera.

Tracy Tzu, Chinatown.

OK, that's it.

Stanley! Stanley!

- Where's he going?
- He's a great cop, but he won't stop.

- White! What the hell is goin' on?
- I'm arresting these people.

You wanna do something
they'll remember in Chinatown?

Book 'em! Be a cop again!

Stanley!

Stanley!

Stanley! Oh, thank God!

You know, you were right.
I was wrong. Sorry.

I'd like to be a nice guy. I would.

I just don't know how to be nice.

You're really cracked, you know that?