The Sicilian is another bloody and violent film but unlike Year of the Dragon, this film lacks direction and vision. One of the first problems often cited concerning this film is the decided lack of humor in either the story or the actor playing Giuliano. This makes the film long and depressing. The fact that most of the characters are filmed in shadow and much of the dialog is dubbed over the action does not help either. Much like Heaven's Gate, this film is based on actual events but could have used more direction and editing.
Unfortunately, Cimino would fare no better with his next film. Desperate Hours is a remake of a remake of a remake of a remake...you get the idea...that should never have been remade. It is an old Hollywood crime theme that has served its purpose and lost it effectiveness over the years. It is the story of an escaped convict who picks a random suburban house in which to hideout until he can execute his escape plan and get to Mexico. The characters lack intelligence and development making the audience unable to bond with or care about any of them. The story is muddled and often confusing and absurd. The plot has too many loose ends that are either never resolved or left unexplained. This is one film that Cimino should just have avoided altogether.
As well, he should have avoided his next film also. The Sunchaser has a predictable and often laughable script. Not good considering it is a drama. The characters are stereotypical and the story again lacks direction. It attempts to handle too many stories at one time. The New Age mystical healing waters are cliche as is the kidnapper/victim story. It is the story of a young LA gangmember from the "hood" who is dying from a rare tumor. He is in prison for murder but manages to escape his guards while receiving treatment in the hospital. He kidnaps his extremely wealthy and brilliant but self-absorbed young doctor. Yes, you can now predicte the rest of the film. A definite case of been made, seen it, and gave the t-shirt to my little sister.
