Country: USA, UK
Year: 1978
Duration: 183'
Pennsylvania, the 1960s. Michael, Nick and Steven are three friends on their way to Vietnam. After being captured by the Vietcong, they are forced to play Russian roulette and miraculously survive. After a successful escape, they regain their freedom but the wounds in their bodies and souls have made their return to normal life impossible. Steven is a paraplegic, Nick has become a deserter and frequents the dives of Saigon to play Russian roulette, while Michael tries unsuccessfully to fit back in with their community. Until the tragic finale which finds him, once more, in Vietnam. [mp]
Biography
film director
Michael Cimino
Michael Cimino (New York City, NY, USA, 1939 - Los Angeles, CA, USA, 2016) debuted in 1974 with Thunderbolt and Lightfoot before making The Deer Hunter, which won him two Oscars (Best Picture and Best Director). His next movie, Heaven’s Gate, although a western masterpiece, was a commercial failure which marked the rest of his career. His next movies were Year of the Dragon, The Sicilian, Desperate Hours and Sunchaser. In 2001 he published the novel Big Jane and in 2007 he participated in the collective film Chacun son cinéma, produced to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Cannes Film Festival. In 2012, during the presentation of the restored version of Heaven’s Gate, he was given the Persol Award at the Venice Film Festival and in 2015 he received the Leopard of Honor at the Locarno Film Festival.
FILMOGRAFIA
Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (Una calibro 20 per lo specialista, 1974), The Deer Hunter (Il cacciatore, 1978), Heaven’s Gate (I cancelli del cielo, 1980), Year of the Dragon (L’anno del dragone, 1985), The Sicilian (Il siciliano, 1987), Desperate Hours (Ore disperate, 1990), Sunchaser (Verso il sole, 1996), Chacun son cinéma (ep., No Translation Needed, cm, 2007).
Declaration
film director
“I never started out to make a film about the Vietnam War, I had no interest in the politics of war. […] I made a film about the effects of trauma and tragedy on a family… […] Any great movie about war is automatically anti-war if it tells the truth about war, you see the madness.”
Cast
& Credits
regia/director
Michael Cimino
soggetto/story
Michael Cimino, Deric Washburn, Louis Garnfinkle, Quinn K. Redeker
sceneggiatura/screenplay
Deric Washburn
fotografia/cinematography
Vilmos Zsigmond
montaggio/film editing
Peter Zinner
interpreti e personaggi/cast and characters
Robert De Niro (Michael), John Savage (Steven), Christopher Walken (Nick), John Cazale (Stan), Meryl Streep (Linda), George Dzundza (John), Chuck Aspegren (Axel), Shirley Stoler (la madre di Steven/Steven’s mother), Rutanya Alda (Angela)
produttori/producers
Michael Cimino, Michael Deeley, John Peverall, Barry Spikings
produzione/production
EMI Films, Universal Pictures
Michael Cimino
soggetto/story
Michael Cimino, Deric Washburn, Louis Garnfinkle, Quinn K. Redeker
sceneggiatura/screenplay
Deric Washburn
fotografia/cinematography
Vilmos Zsigmond
montaggio/film editing
Peter Zinner
interpreti e personaggi/cast and characters
Robert De Niro (Michael), John Savage (Steven), Christopher Walken (Nick), John Cazale (Stan), Meryl Streep (Linda), George Dzundza (John), Chuck Aspegren (Axel), Shirley Stoler (la madre di Steven/Steven’s mother), Rutanya Alda (Angela)
produttori/producers
Michael Cimino, Michael Deeley, John Peverall, Barry Spikings
produzione/production
EMI Films, Universal Pictures
