Heaven's Gate (1980)

Director:

Michael Cimino

Writer:

Michael Cimino (writer)

Release Date:

19 November 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | Western

Tagline:

What one loves about life are the things that fade.

Plot:

Michael Cimino's bleak anti-western based on events in 1890s Wyoming. Sheriff James Averill attempts...

Plot Keywords:

Immigrant | Frontier | Battle | 1890s | Hired Gun

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 5 nominations

Cast

Kris Kristofferson	...	James Averill
Christopher Walken	...	Nathan D. Champion
John Hurt	...	Billy Irvine
Sam Waterston	...	Frank Canton
Brad Dourif	...	Mr. Eggleston
Isabelle Huppert	...	Ella Watson
Joseph Cotten	...	The Reverend Doctor
Jeff Bridges	...	John L. Bridges
Ronnie Hawkins	...	Major Wolcott
Paul Koslo	...	Mayor Charlie Lezak
Geoffrey Lewis	...	Trapper Fred
Richard Masur	...	Cully
Rosie Vela	...	Beautiful girl (as Roseanne Vela)
Mary Catherine Wright	...	Nell (as Mary C. Wright)
Nicholas Woodeson	...	Small man

Also Known As:

Michael Cimino's Heaven's Gate (USA) (complete title)
The Johnson County Wars (USA) (original script title)

Runtime:

149 min (re-cut) | 219 min (original cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby (35 mm prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Certification:

Canada:R (Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Singapore:M18 | UK:X (original rating) | West Germany:16 (f) | Australia:M | Germany:12 (video rating) | Brazil:14 | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 (cut) | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Blackfeet Indian Reservation, Montana, USA

Company:

Partisan Productions

Trivia:

Some of John Hurt's scripted scenes had to be re-written or canceled as he had to leave the production to start shooting on The Elephant Man (1980).

Goofs:

Continuity: When Ella Watson sees her birthday present, only one of her breasts is covered by the blanket wrapped around her. Whilst the shot cuts between her and Jim, the breast that is uncovered changes repeatedly between shots.

Quotes:

Nathan D. Champion: Why don't you come in for a while? You haven't been here for a long time. I fixed the place up inside.
Ella Watson: What have you done to it?
Nathan D. Champion: [whispers] Wallpaper.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Futurama: Teenage Mutant Leela's Hurdles (#5.7)" (2003)

Soundtrack:

An der schönen, blauen Donau (On the Beautiful Blue Danube), Op. 314

A Masterpiece - I Thought There Were Only Three Of Us

Until today, I thought there only three people, including me, who considered Heaven's Gate (1980)to be a masterpiece and perhaps the last great western, (since the 1970), after, Little Big Man (1970), Jeremiah Johnson (1972), The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) and The Long Riders (1980).

I was stunned and pleased to see that 22.5% of those voting at IMDB rate this movie a 10, as do I. A recent book, the Worst Movies of All Time, includes Heaven's Gate. Through it's production and release it was vilified, as no movie since Cleopatra, almost twenty years before. At one time it was considered the most expensive over-budget movie of all time, surpassing even Cleopatra. It was blamed for the downfall of its studio, United Artists, until everyone finally saw all the studios were falling. Michael Cimino, fresh from his glory with the Deer Hunter was hated and despised for his success and movie making excess, but clearly, that was petty jealousy at its worst.

Cimino ended up fashioning one of the great expositions of the American experience. This film is not to be missed but any serious student of American filmmaking.