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38-526: It was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 49th Cannes Film Festival . Brandon "Blue" Monroe, a 16-year-old half- Navajo gang member from East L.A. , is serving time in prison for murdering his abusive stepfather. On an annual medical visit, Blue is told by Dr. Michael Reynolds, a wealthy, materialistic oncologist with a wife and daughter, that he is dying of abdominal cancer and has very little time left to live. Convinced that he can heal if he gets to

76-538: A medicine man in Arizona he knew when he was 8, Blue kidnaps Michael, holding him at gunpoint, and forces him to drive them to a nearby garage where they switch cars. Blue seeks to find Dibé Nitsaa (one of the six mountain lakes sacred to the Navajo people), said to heal the wounds of anyone who swims in its waters. Michael, however, bemoans his capture to Blue, seeking help to anyone who he comes across and complaining that he

114-504: A Cannes policy that forbids the Palme d'Or -winning film from receiving any additional awards. This policy would have prevented the jury from acknowledging the actresses separately. Regarding the unorthodox decision, Spielberg commented, "Had the casting been 3% wrong, [the film] wouldn't have worked like it did for us". Subsequently, Kechiche auctioned off his Palme d'Or trophy to fund his new feature film. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter , he expressed dissatisfaction with

152-472: A Fall , respectively). However, in 2013, when Blue Is the Warmest Color won the Palme d'Or , the jury headed by Steven Spielberg awarded it to the film's actresses Adèle Exarchopoulos and Léa Seydoux , as well as the director Abdellatif Kechiche . This remains the only instance where multiple Palme d'Or trophies were presented. The jury decided to include the actresses in the recognition due to

190-425: A collaborator and friend of Cimino's, believed the director "snapped" sometime during the making of The Sunchaser . "Michael is the sort of person that if you take away his money he short-circuits," Rourke said. "He is a man of honor." Although Cimino was not granted final cut privilege , the producers did not interfere with the editing. Pablo Ferro , the film's main title designer, recommended Joe D'Augustine after

228-480: A competitive Palme d'Or . Final cut privilege Final cut privilege (also known as final cutting authority ) is the right or entitlement of an individual to determine the final version of a motion picture for distribution and exhibition . The final cut on a film can be held by film studios , studio executives , executive producers , film producers , directors , screenwriters , and sometimes actors . The authority can also be shared between any of

266-475: A cushion for the palm, which is hand-cast into a wax mould and now presented in a case of blue Morocco leather . In 1998, Theo Angelopoulos was the first director to win the Palme d'or as it appears today, for his film Eternity and a Day . The presentation of the 2014 Palme d'Or to Winter Sleep , a Turkish film by Nuri Bilge Ceylan , occurred during the 100th anniversary year of Turkish cinema. On receiving

304-425: A film is released with a final cut made by someone other than the director, sometimes producers will subsequently release a director's cut of the film, which is a version of the film as the director would have cut it or more closely follows their vision of the project. A promise of a release of a director's cut can sometimes entice a director to join a project or help smooth over creative differences. These versions of

342-520: A film with similar themes of The Sunchaser , dealing with how he had miraculously cheated death. The film had its world premiere in France where it was entered into competition at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival for the Palme D'Or . A theatrical release was intended, but the film fared so poorly with test audiences that it went straight to video in the United States. According to composer Maurice Jarre ,

380-417: A fresh, brisk spin by the sheer audacity and force of Cimino's style and by an incisive, wide-ranging performance by Harrelson..." On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes , The Sunchaser has a "rotten" approval rating of 17% based on 6 reviews, with an average rating of 4.8/10. Palme d%27Or The Palme d'Or ( French pronunciation: [palm(ə) dɔʁ] ; English: Golden Palm )

418-505: A rough encounter with a group of bikers in a small town, and a chase pursues. Later, Michael is bitten by a rattlesnake but is quickly treated for it by Blue, without medical equipment. Back in Los Angeles, Mrs. Reynolds elicits a police manhunt , and the authorities then attempt to track the two men on their eastward journey. As Michael grows closer to his abductor, he comes to terms with a harbored childhood secret that had haunted him; he

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456-499: A six-year layoff is a conceptually bold tale marked, in its execution, both by visceral intensity and dramatic sloppiness." Jo-Ann Pittman wrote in Film Directors that The Sunchaser had "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

494-535: Is missing out on a dinner engagement for promotion as head of the oncology department. The two men are instantly at odds with each other, separated by their education, class, race, and two very different world views. Michael believes that modern medicine has all the answers to whatever ails human beings, while Blue believes in Native American spirituality which honors the spirit world , sacred places, and herbal medicine . En route to Arizona, Michael and Blue have

532-722: Is the highest prize awarded to the director of the Best Feature Film of the Official Competition at the Cannes Film Festival . It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festival's highest prize was the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film . In 1964, the Palme d'Or was replaced again by the Grand Prix, before being reintroduced in 1975. The Palme d'Or

570-584: Is the kidnapper/victim story." Leonard Maltin gave the film one and a half stars: "Misbegotten mess tries to touch all trendy bases, scrambling American Indian mysticism, 'New Age' theories and buddy-movie clichés into the format of a road movie." Kevin Thomas of Los Angeles Times gave The Sunchaser one of its few positive notices. While noting the predictability of the script, Thomas added, "Yet all that's so familiar in Charles Leavitt's script has been given

608-481: Is widely considered one of the film industry 's most prestigious awards. In 1954, the festival decided to present an award annually, titled the Grand Prix of the International Film Festival, with a new design each year from a contemporary artist. The festival's board of directors invited several jewellers to submit designs for a palm , in tribute to the coat of arms of the city of Cannes , evoking

646-523: The Palme and its pedestal in hand- cut crystal . In 1997, Caroline Scheufele redesigned the statuette; since then, it has been manufactured by the Swiss jewellery firm Chopard . The palm is made from 4.16 oz (118 g) of 18-carat yellow gold while the branch's base forms a small heart. The Palme d'or rests on a dainty crystal cushion shaped like an emerald-cut diamond. A single piece of cut crystal forms

684-540: The above parties. Studios are typically reluctant to give final-cut rights to an individual who is not financially vested in the project and therefore often hold on to this authority or grant it to studio executives. In some instances, a studio may have a subsidiary that is a production company which retains final cut. Studio executives such as Kevin Feige for Marvel Studios and Kathleen Kennedy for Lucasfilm will often have final cut authority. The actor Matt Damon , who

722-517: The authority. Directors will seek final cut authority for creative reasons; however, the right is usually only granted to established directors who have been determined by their record to be bankable , such as Steven Spielberg , James Cameron , Peter Jackson , Quentin Tarantino , The Wachowskis , or the Coen brothers . This authority is not absolute. If a director goes over budget, exceeds runtime, misses

760-607: The award, Ceylan dedicated it to the "young people" involved in Turkey's ongoing political unrest, and the workers killed in the Soma mine disaster , which occurred on the day before the commencement of the awards event. In 2017, the award was redesigned to celebrate the festival's 70th anniversary . The diamonds were provided by an ethical supplier certified by the Responsible Jewellery Council. The 2020 Cannes Film Festival

798-436: The conversation?' Michael says, 'I don't know what they'd say,' and then he picks up the phone and dials 911. He says, 'There's a man here with a gun, a very large one,' and then he hands the phone to the sound guy so he can write down what they say." Jack Nitzsche was originally slated to compose the music for the film, however, creative differences between him and Cimino led to Nitzsche's replacement by Maurice Jarre . Jarre

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836-585: The director and the studio. Independent directors and those working outside of the major US film studios have other metrics to determine if final cut authority is granted to the director. For instance in France, directors whose reputations are built on artistic merit, as opposed to bankability, frequently have final cut privilege for their films. In the United States there are directors that are considered acclaimed, but not necessarily bankable directors, such as Woody Allen , David Lynch , Alexander Payne , and Terrence Malick , who enjoy final cut privilege. When

874-458: The famous legend of Saint Honorat and the palm trees lining the famous Promenade de la Croisette . The original design by Parisian jeweller Lucienne Lazon, inspired by a sketch by director Jean Cocteau , had the bevelled lower extremity of the stem forming a heart, and the pedestal a sculpture in terracotta by the artist Sébastien . In 1955, the first Palme d'Or was awarded to Delbert Mann for his film Marty . From 1964 to 1974,

912-446: The festival temporarily resumed a Grand Prix. In 1975, the Palme d'Or was reintroduced and has since remained the festival's symbol, awarded each year to the director of the winning film, presented in a case of pure red Morocco leather lined with white suede . As of 2023, Jane Campion , Julia Ducournau , and Justine Triet are the only female directors to have won the Palme d'Or (for The Piano , Titane , and Anatomy of

950-462: The festival's decision to award multiple trophies, stating that he felt they had "publicly insulted" him. He added, "Liberating myself from this Palme d'Or is a way of washing my hands of this sorry affair". Since its reintroduction, the prize has been redesigned several times. At the beginning of the 1980s, the rounded shape of the pedestal, bearing the palm has gradually transformed to become pyramidal in 1984. In 1992, Thierry de Bourqueney redesigned

988-538: The film itself as well. Nine directors or director duos have won the award twice. Three of them ( ) have won for consecutive films. In 1997, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Festival, the Cannes jury awarded a "Palme des Palmes" for the first time. Since 2002 the festival began to award a non-competitive Honorary Palme d'Or to directors or actors who had achieved a notable body of work but who had never won

1026-500: The film was blocked from receiving the Special Jury Prize by Francis Ford Coppola , who was head of the jury that year: "Everybody from the Cannes organization loved the film and they wanted to give it Le Prix du Jury , but Francis Ford Coppola disliked Cimino and so the prize was given to another film." The film received largely negative reviews. Todd McCarthy of Variety wrote, "Michael Cimino's return to filmmaking after

1064-409: The first time it occurs to you that you've done a movie [...] It's sublime. Really sublime moment. The best moment in movies I think." In the end credits, Cimino dedicates the film "To Hal", referencing fellow director Hal Ashby , who himself refused medical treatment for, and died of pancreatic cancer . Coincidentally, on his deathbed, Ashby had still believed he could pull through and pondered making

1102-444: The helicopter spots Michael, Blue runs toward the lake, before mystically disappearing into its waters . Back in L.A., Michael, escorted by the police and wearing handcuffs, is reunited with his family. In 1994, Cimino was approached by Regency Enterprises producer Arnon Milchan to direct The Sunchaser , a script by Charles Leavitt that had been offered previously to Diane Keaton and Mel Gibson . Taking creative liberties with

1140-418: The main road and blends in with a cattle herd , becoming unnoticed in the dust kickup. Eluding the authorities and finally committed to helping Blue on his quest, Michael manages to whisk Blue up the mountain. Meanwhile, a police helicopter spots their car parked nearby. Reaching the top, Blue is reunited with the medicine man, who directs him to the lake. Michael and Blue embrace, and the two part ways. As

1178-452: The original editor was fired. D'Augustine recalled his first meeting with Cimino: "It was kind of eerie, freaky. I was led into this dark editing room with black velvet curtains and there was this guy hunched over. They bring me into, like, his chamber, as if he was the Pope. Everyone was speaking in hushed tones. He had something covering his face, a handkerchief. He kept his face covered. And nobody

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1216-490: The production schedule, or otherwise does not stick to the agreed upon terms, he or she can lose final cut. Should the director no longer be an employee, the authority vested in the director is passed to a pre-determined individual that was approved by the director and the studio prior to production. Although all parties are obligated to meaningfully consult with each other on all aspects of the film, when it gets down to final cut, it can cause conflict, which usually occurs between

1254-565: The screenplay, Cimino spent several months researching the gang culture of Los Angeles . Parts of the film were shot in Downtown Los Angeles , the Mojave Desert , Arizona , Zion National Park , Utah and Colorado . To give authenticity to the dialogue, Cimino had several Navajo advisors on set at all times, including actor Leon Skyhorse Thomas, who gave input on the scenes between Woody Harrelson and Jon Seda . Mickey Rourke ,

1292-669: Was a producer on the 2016 film Manchester by the Sea , had final cut authority instead of the film's director, Kenneth Lonergan . Actors can also negotiate for final cut authority. The actor Kevin Costner had final cut on the 1999 film For Love of the Game due to the worldwide success of Dances with Wolves . Costner and the director Sam Raimi had creative disputes over the finished product. Although Universal Pictures sided with Raimi's changes, Costner's changes were made because he contractually held

1330-410: Was allowed to take his picture [...] Welcome to Ciminoville." Eventually, he began to like working with Cimino; "He was a genius. I wanted to be his friend," said D'Augustine. "We're sitting there watching the movie, looking for places to add sound effects. We get to the scene where the kid is on the phone, calling 911 , shouting, 'There's a guy here with a gun.' I said, 'Do want to put in their side of

1368-406: Was cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic . 56 films were announced as official selections by the festival, but no awards were presented. During the 2018 closing ceremony, the jury awarded a "Special Palme d'Or" for the first time ever. Even though the award was not intended to be an Honorary Palme d'Or to Jean-Luc Godard , the move was made as an homage to his career, and as an award to

1406-452: Was chosen on the basis of his scores for David Lean epics such as Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago , which Cimino loved. He once said that his favorite part of making a film was watching the recording of the soundtrack over the film: "Suddenly you see this music come on the screen and you think for the first time: I really made a movie. My God, it looks like a movie up there! And it's like, you feel like you're about 12, and it's

1444-499: Was forced to take the life of his older brother, who was on his death bed and had asked a young Michael to pull the plug . As Blue's condition worsens, Michael resorts to illegal means to obtain the needed medicine by breaking into a hospital in Flagstaff . The next morning, the two enter the Navajo reservation , but spot a police cruiser parked ahead of them. To escape, Michael drives off

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