Born in New York in 1939 and died in 2016, Michael Cimino made his name with Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974) and then The Deer Hunter (1978), a film about a Pennsylvania steel town and the Vietnam War that won five Oscars including best picture and best director. His next film, Heaven's Gate (1980), a sprawling western that ran over budget and was badly received, helped end the New Hollywood era of director-led filmmaking and nearly bankrupted United Artists. A longer cut was later re-evaluated by critics.
Filmography
- Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974)
- The Deer Hunter (1978)
- Heaven's Gate (1980)
- Year of the Dragon (1985)
- The Sicilian (1987)
- Desperate Hours (1990)
- The Sunchaser (1996)