He penned several, including Clint Eastwood’s “Magnum Force”. In 1974, he began directing “Thunderbolt and Lightfoot” which starred Eastwood. Following the film’s success, Cimino worked on “The Deer Hunter” with Robert De Niro and Christopher Walken four years later. The movie scored five Academy Awards, including the Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director. Cimino’s other films include “Heaven’s Gate”, “Year of the Dragon”, “The Sicilian”, “Desperate Hours”, and “The Sunchaser” Cimino wrote his first novel, “Big Jane”, which hit bookshelves in 2001. His second effort, “Conversations en miroir”, released two years later.