American director of 猎鹿人 (The Deer Hunter, 1978), about three steelworkers and the Vietnam War, which won him the Oscar for best director. His costly western Heaven's Gate (1980) flopped and nearly sank United Artists.
His 1985 film 《龙年》 (Year of the Dragon), about a New York police captain at war with a Chinatown gang boss, drew protests from Chinese American groups over stereotyping, and a disclaimer was added to its opening credits. Chinese sources also write his name 西米诺.