Michael Cimino (February 3, 1939 – July 2, 2016) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known for writing and directing The Deer Hunter and Heaven's Gate, the latter of which was initially poorly received before being re-assessed positively in subsequent decades.
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Biography from TMDB.
- February 3, 1939
- July 2, 2016 (aged 77)
- New York City, New York, USA
- Director, writer, producer and actor
- 12 on MovieCove · 13 credits in all
What are Michael Cimino's films like?
Across their 14 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 14
A split, not a type: Light 4 · Serious 2 · Dark 8
Grounded 10 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 1
A split, not a type: Gentle 5 · Charged 2 · Intense 7
Steady 6 · Shifting 6 · Whiplash 2
Straight-faced 12 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 0
Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 9 · Relentless 0
Casual 6 · Engaged 8 · Full focus 0
A split, not a type: Easy watch 5 · Affecting 2 · Heavy 7
Resolved 11 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 0
Moods and endings
- Happy2
- Bittersweet7
- Tragic3
- Ambiguous2
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Michael Cimino's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 6 of their 12 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (5).
Subscription and free streaming for Michael Cimino's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
13 credits, 12 with a MovieCove page; 11 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
To Each His Own Cinema(2007)
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
The Sunchaser(1996)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
Desperate Hours(1990)
Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films
The Sicilian(1987)
Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films
Platoon(1986)
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Year of the Dragon(1985)
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
Heaven's Gate(1980)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
The Rose(1979)
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films
The Deer Hunter(1978)
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
The South Bank Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
Magnum Force(1973)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
Silent Running(1972)
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
Career shape
A full career of 12 titles from 1972 to 2007.
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.
How do Michael Cimino's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 72nd percentile, the median of all 12; across their 14 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 73rd percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up5
- 50th to 74th5
- Below 25th2
Shape of the crowd
7 of their 12 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved2
- Crowd Pleaser7
- Broadly Agreed1
- Mixed2
Reviewers score the atmosphere 71/100 and the pacing 38/100 in their films, across 11 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Michael Cimino's work okay for kids?
Across up to 9 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity, profanity, alcohol & drugs and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.
Who does Michael Cimino work with?
People who share at least 2 of Michael Cimino's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; David Mansfield shares the most, 4.
Writers
- Deric WashburnShared titles: The Deer Hunter (1978), Silent Running (1972)See all 2 shared titles with Deric Washburn
Actors
- John SavageShared titles: Michael Cimino, God Bless America (2021), The Deer Hunter (1978)See all 2 shared titles with John Savage
- David CronenbergShared titles: Une journée particulière (2012), To Each His Own Cinema (2007)See all 2 shared titles with David Cronenberg
- Richard BauerShared titles: The Sunchaser (1996), The Sicilian (1987)See all 2 shared titles with Richard Bauer
- Kris KristoffersonShared titles: Kris Kristofferson: His Life and Work (1993), Heaven's Gate (1980)See all 2 shared titles with Kris Kristofferson
Composers, cinematographers and editors
- David MansfieldShared titles: Desperate Hours (1990), The Sicilian (1987), Year of the Dragon (1985), Heaven's Gate (1980)See all 4 shared titles with David Mansfield
- Douglas MilsomeShared titles: The Sunchaser (1996), Desperate Hours (1990)See all 2 shared titles with Douglas Milsome
- Alex ThomsonShared titles: The Sicilian (1987), Year of the Dragon (1985)See all 2 shared titles with Alex Thomson
- Françoise BonnotShared titles: The Sicilian (1987), Year of the Dragon (1985)See all 2 shared titles with Françoise Bonnot
Producers
- Joann CarelliShared titles: The Sicilian (1987), Heaven's Gate (1980), The Deer Hunter (1978)See all 3 shared titles with Joann Carelli
- Dino De LaurentiisShared titles: Desperate Hours (1990), Year of the Dragon (1985)See all 2 shared titles with Dino De Laurentiis
- Robert DaleyShared titles: Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974), Magnum Force (1973)See all 2 shared titles with Robert Daley
Mixed roles
- Oliver StoneShared titles: Michael Cimino, God Bless America (2021), Year of the Dragon (1985)See all 2 shared titles with Oliver Stone
- Chen KaigeShared titles: Une journée particulière (2012), To Each His Own Cinema (2007)See all 2 shared titles with Chen Kaige
- Ethan CoenShared titles: Une journée particulière (2012), To Each His Own Cinema (2007)See all 2 shared titles with Ethan Coen
- Jane CampionShared titles: Une journée particulière (2012), To Each His Own Cinema (2007)See all 2 shared titles with Jane Campion
