Review of The Dragon Painter (1919) by Walter M — 19 Oct 2009
"The Dragon Painter" is a mesmerizing and tragically moving silent film about the obsessiveness and singlemindedness of artists, whose work often requires sacrifice.(Oh and be careful what you ask for.
You might just get it.) Take Kano Indara(Edward Peil), for example. He is nearing the end of his days, wealthy in Tokyo, but sad that he does not have an heir to continue his work and unable to find a worthy successor, despite having a grown daughter, Ume-Ko(Tsuru Aoki).
One day, his friend Uchida(Toyo Fujita), a surveyor, has a run in with Tatsu(Sessue Hayakawa), a supremely talented, if possibly mentally unbalanced painter who is convinced that his one true lady love has been trapped in the form of a dragon for the past thousand years and feels compelled to paint her day and night.
Kino Indara is impressed with his artwork and invites him to his home, using his daughter as bait.
This review of The Dragon Painter (1919) was written by Walter M on 19 Oct 2009.
The Dragon Painter has generally received positive reviews.
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