Heaven's Gate (1980)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

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:

After the film received scathing reviews after its New York premiere in November 1980, 'Michael Cimino' sent a signed memo to the head of United Artists that asked them to pull the film from theaters so he go back and re-cut the film to a version that everyone would be satisfied with. It had been a misconception for years that it was United Artists that had pulled the film despite its negative press and reviews.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: Despite music and a yard full of waltzing couples, several 360-degree panning shots at the Harvard commencement ball show that there is no orchestra.

Quotes:

John L. Bridges: It's getting dangerous to be poor in this country.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Heaven's Gate: The Untold Story (1999)

Soundtrack:

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

loved it

i watched the longer version and could not take my eyes off the screen. 219 minutes passed and yet it seemed like only an hour had gone by. the characters were very believable and entertaining, and the photography was excellent. the story pulled me in and held my attention. i will definitely watch this again and again. this true story telling at it's best... not Hollywoods usual cheap thrills and skin deep glitz. i've seen a quite a lot of reviews on this movie. most seem to pan the film or give it faint praise. basically, it's a great film that received unfairly harsh reviews. watch it for yourself with an open mind. if you like westerns, historic period pieces, albeit historically inaccurate you'll enjoy the movie. Superb!!! 10/10