Michael Cimino

8 films · 1974 to 2007

Born 3 February 1939, New York City, New York, USA · Died 2 July 2016

Michael Antonio Cimino Jr. was an American film director, screenwriter, producer and author. Notorious for his obsessive attention to detail and determination for perfection, Cimino achieved widespread fame with The Deer Hunter (1978), which won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. With a background in painting and architecture, Cimino began his career as a commercial director in New York before moving to Los Angeles in the early 1970s to take up screenwriting. After co-writing the scripts for both Silent Running (1972) and Magnum Force (1973), he wrote the preliminary script for Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974). The latter became his directorial debut and one of the highest-grossing films of that year. The accolades received for co-writing, directing, and producing The Deer Hunter led to Cimino receiving creative control of Heaven's Gate (1980).

Biography adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA.

Critical context from Senses of Cinema

Photo: Damiano Debiasi, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons.

Films

To Each His Own Cinema

Thunderbolt and Lightfoot

1974

Critical context

Michael Cimino is a name that unfortunately says little to many people now, even if they love cinema. In fact, more than 40 years have passed since his career ran aground until he disappeared in the mists of memories and regrets for what could have been and instead was not. It all took place in just two years and around two films: one, The Deer Hunter (1978), his highest point, topped off by five Oscars, makes him one of the most important directors of the Hollywood Renaissance, like Scorsese,…

Source: Senses of Cinema, Great Directors