The Sicilian (film) howlingly grandiose manner that only a filmmaker with visions of epic greatness working on a large scale with a multinational cast can achieve." Leonard Maltin rated the film a "BOMB", calling it a "militantly lugubrious bio of Salvatore Giuliano". Producer McNall was personally disappointed by the film. "Given that "The Sicilian" was a descendant of Puzo's "The Godfather"," wrote McNall, "I had expected something with the same beauty, drama, and emotion. Cimino had shown with "The Deer Hunter" that he was capable of making such a movie. But he had failed." McNall even quoted Ebert's review in his appraisal of
The Sicilian (film) "The Sicilian", "Ebert criticized the cast, the cinematography, the script, even the sound quality. He was right about all of it." Rotten Tomatoes gives "The Sicilian" a 12% "Rotten" rating, based on 17 reviews. A 146-minute director's cut was released theatrically in France and is available on VHS and Blu-Ray in the United States, and in Europe as a region 2 DVD. This version received mixed reviews when it initially opened in Paris. Maltin gave the director's cut of "The Sicilian" two stars out of four, writing that the film "seems shorter, thanks to more coherency and Sukowa's strengthened role.