This is a documentary most likely titled Michael Cimino, God Bless America (in English), but its original title is in French: Michael Cimino, un mirage américain.
It's a 2021 documentary directed by Jean-Baptiste Thoret that explores the life and career of the Hollywood ex-wonder boy of the 80s: Michael Cimino.
[Ex stands here for excommunicated as well. Or expelled (from Heaven) without seeing its Gates. Sorry,. it’s a word game that I simply cannot miss.]
The undisputable truth: Michael Cimino is a director who epitomized in his heyday both the heights of cinematic achievement and the depths of Hollywood's corrupted ADN.
Starting from a captivating blend of archival footage, candid interviews, and insightful commentary, the film paints a portrait in aqua forte of a complex artist obsessed by his personal vision, even in the face of overwhelming adversity.
Yes, this doc enters the infamous Heaven's Gate debacle. Yes, it also goes beyond mere sensationalism, offering a nuanced perspective on Cimino's motivations. We see him as a conflicted personality & a perfectionist who pushed boundaries but also alienated those around him.
The interviews with Cimino himself, recorded in 2016, shortly before his death, are particularly striking. They offer the subjective perspective (yet nuanced) of an artist reflecting on his life's work and his highs & lows. We can see and hear his passion for filmmaking , his frustrations with the studio system, and above all of these, his unaltered belief in his artistic vision.
The documentary includes the contributions of James Toback (before his #metoo exposure) Oliver Stone and Quentin Tarantino, who offer their insights on Cimino's undeniable impact and legacy in the history of American cinema, adding layers of depth to the film. And we know that Tarantino is good at it;)
Even if you are a fan or not, Michael Cimino, God Bless America is more than a bio-hagiography of a filmmaker: it's also a meditation on the elusive nature of art, on stubborn ambition and its consequences, and the pursuit of the American Dream (yeah, believe it or not, Cimino had a weakness for this).