billcr12
My only previous experience with Michael Cimino was the overrated and interminable "The Deer Hunter" which contained a wedding scene which lasted longer than some marriages. The director did not seem to understand the meaning of the word edit. The Sicilian tells the story of Salvatore Giuliano, a post WWII Robin Hood like figure who committed bold robberies and tried to initiate land reform with a small scale redistribution of wealth to the starving peasant farmers of Sicily. He battled the government, the church and the mafia, the holy trinity of Italy. Giuliano is played by Christopher Lambert, and the actor has a disconcerting cross-eyed look which made me wonder how the hell Cimino chose him for the lead role. He looks lost and is if he somehow landed on the set from his Tarzan role from his earlier work in "Greystoke". I did see the longer uncut version and the script is decent, probably due to the fact that a co-writer was Gore Vidal, one of my favorite chroniclers of history. His sarcastic wit is evident throughout the film and make it passable entertainment.
msolini3
This is a fantastic story about rebellion against the odds, Mario Puzo's Novel is a splendid read. However, Christopher Lambert acting is completely wooden. Absolutely awful. He straight out looks and speaks like an American with a terrible attempt at a Sicilians accent. Very annoying to people that have read the book and looked forward to decent story being told. Too much emphasis on the relationship between the duchess and not Giovanna. Gives the viewer the impression of a stronger love connection (when it was just sex for revenge/future plans) between the duchess than when Giovanna (his true love in the book) sat by the sidelines. Crappy casting and a poorly adapted novel seems like Michael Cimino just missed the whole plot. could of been so much more. Oh well read the book instead.
bakovljev
This must be one of the really awful films of all time, which belongs in the bottom 100. Must admit to having ignored the score and comment on the site here and purchased the DVD. Terrible mistake.I figured a Cimino directed Puzo film couldn't be that bad - it was. The acting is generally poor with a few exceptions. Notably, Joss Ackland, John Turturro and Giulia Boschi come out with some credit. Christopher Lambert, however, fails to carry the movie, and is as wooden as it gets. Even the Sicilian swagger fails to impress. Barbara Sukowa also is a let down, despite the odd sight of flesh.Cimino is a mega let down. It is as if there were a few scenes left over on the cutting room floor from the Godfather - marvelous scenery though it is - clipped together with a hastily put together script. To add to it all, the editing leaves a lot to be desired.I gave it 2/10, but only due to the scenery and score (which also may have been a hand-me-down from the Godfather).
mjsprech
The European-release version of "The Sicilian" is 31 minutes longer than the US version. Supposedly, the director was ordered to deliver a version under 2 hours, so he recut the film to render it incoherent with the expectation that Fox would have to release the complete film. Only, they went ahead and released the deliberately botched shorter cut. This may be apocryphal, but it would help explain the critical drubbing it got in this country. I was lucky enough to see the complete film in Paris and was mesmerized. Gore Vidal was denied credit for the screenplay, but the film has a literacy, intellectual depth and acidity that is pure Vidal; the character played by Terrance Stamp is essentially Vidal's stand-in. The only comparable film might be "The Godfather," but with an even stronger historic/political context. It is certainly the highpoint of Michael Cimino's career to date, and I'm one of those odd ducks that fervently admires "Heaven's Gate". If you can see this in Europe, or if it comes out over there on DVD and you have a region-appropriate DVD player, grab the opportunity to see it.
AD
