DHAKA: The director of the 1978 Vietnam War film ‘The Deer Hunter’ has died, his friend and former lawyer has confirmed.

Double Oscar winner Michael Cimino passed away peacefully on Saturday surrounded by friends and family, the BBC publishes this report on Sunday (July 3).

Cimino, 77, who directed a total of eight films, will be remembered for a career of highs and lows.

While ‘The Deer Hunter’ has been hailed as one of the best movies in Hollywood history, his next project, ‘Heaven’s Gate’, was derided as a flop.

Eric Weissmann said Cimino’s body was found at his Los Angeles home on Saturday after friends had been unable to contact him. No cause of death has yet been determined.

‘The Deer Hunter’ with its famous Russian roulette scene starred Robert de Niro and Christopher Walken and won five Oscars including the award for the best film in 1979.

It chronicles the lives of a group of friends from a Pennsylvania town and the devastating effect of the Vietnam War, both on those who fought in it and those who stayed at home in small-town America.

‘Our work together is something I will always remember. He will be missed,’ De Niro said in a statement.

Based on the success of The Deer Hunter, Cimino wrote and directed ‘Heaven’s Gate’, loosely based on the Wyoming Johnson County war of 1889-93.

It was a financial disaster that went four times over budget and a year behind schedule, It nearly bankrupted the United Artists studio.

BDST: 1204 HRS, JUL 03, 2016
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