Michael Cimino(1939-2016)

Director
Writer
Producer

Michael Cimino in Desperate Hours (1990)

Play trailer2:07

Year of the Dragon (1985)

Michael Cimino studied architecture and dramatic arts; later he filmed advertisements and documentaries and also wrote scripts until the actor, producer and director Clint Eastwood gave him the opportunity to direct the thriller Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974). But his biggest success was The Deer Hunter (1978) which won the Oscar for Best Picture. For another successful film, The Sicilian (1987), he got into trouble with critics when they accused him of portraying as a hero the Italian criminal Salvatore Giuliano.

IMDbProStarmeter See rank

Won 2 Oscars
- 14 wins & 13 nominations total

Photos21

+ 14

Known for

The Deer Hunter

8.1

Director

1978

Silent Running

6.6

Writer(as Mike Cimino)

1972

Heaven's Gate

6.7

Director

1980

Year of the Dragon

6.8

Director

1985

Credits

IMDbPro

Director

To Each His Own Cinema
6.7
- Director (segment "No Translation Needed")
- 2007
The Sunchaser
6.1
- Director
- 1996
Desperate Hours
5.4
- Director
- 1990
The Sicilian
5.4
- Director
- 1987
Year of the Dragon
6.8
- Director
- 1985
Heaven's Gate
6.7
- Director
- 1980
The Deer Hunter
8.1
- Director
- 1978
Thunderbolt and Lightfoot
7.0
- Director
- 1974
United Airlines: Take Me Along
6.6
TV Special
- Director
- 1967
Eastman Kodak: Yesterdays
5.4
TV Special
- Director
- 1967

Writer

Producer

Videos1

Trailer 2:07

Year of the Dragon

Personal details

Alternative name
- Mike Cimino
Height
- 5′ 5″ (1.65 m)
Born
- February 3, 1939
- New York City, New York, USA
Died
- July 2, 2016
- Los Angeles, California, USA(undisclosed causes)
Relatives
Other works
Novel: "Big Jane". Paris: Editions Gallimard, 2001. ISBN 2070417603
Publicity listings

Did you know

Trivia
Had Heaven's Gate (1980) been a hit instead of a flop, he intended to follow it up with another epic that he had already scripted: "Conquering Horse." This screenplay was a generational saga, tracing the history of the Sioux Indians in America. He planned for the entire movie to be told in authentic Sioux dialogue, with English subtitles. To date, this picture has never been filmed.

Quotes
[11/11/96 interview in "People" magazine on how the failure of Heaven's Gate (1980) affected his life] It was really a great trauma, as everyone knows. Since then, I've been unable to make any movie that I've wanted to make. I've been making the best of what is available.