Again, i'm sorry i've been so sluggish with my posting. I'm behind for the second time this week. I guess maybe there's more to life than writing about movies on the internet for four people (who I appreciate greatly by the way).
Today I discuss Heaven’s Gate (1981), one of the most epically disastrous films in American history. At 219 minutes, this film is more than asking for a bad rap. It’s practically begging to be poorly reviewed by anyone dumb-enough to sit through the whole thing. Made by Michael Cimino, director of The Deer Hunter (1978), Heaven’s Gate (1981) was easily the most anticipated film of the early 80’s, if not the most anticipated film of the decade (which incidentally, the trailer claimed it to be). After Deer Hunter (1978) won best picture at the 1978 academy awards, United Artists (a fairly large studio) gave the newly crowned Michael Cimino carte blanche to make his next film, and while most director’s would be honored to even get then chance to make a second film, Cimino apparently believed he deserved carte blanche. So much so in fact, that he spent $36 million making the most tediously drawn out anti-western ever made. Even after the film was reviled by critics nation-wide, Cimino pulled the film from wide-release, insisting that by re-editing it, he could make everyone happy with just a little more time. This resulted in an even longer cut being pushed into theaters with a late release, eventually grossing under $2 million domestically. Based on the domestic gross of Heaven’s Gate (1981), United Artists was forced to dissolve both their distribution and production branches, ceasing to be a notable studio until they were resurrected in the late 90’s. Cimino was blacklisted in Hollywood, and would have to fight to even be involved in any subsequent projects for the rest of his career. People often wonder if the virtues of The Deer Hunter (1978) were the responsibility of Cimino, or the combined efforts of the rest of the crew.

All history aside, I actually enjoyed a great deal of Heaven’s Gate (1981). The major quarrel I have has more to do with the pacing and meticulous attention to detail running rampant throughout the film than the actual plot or performances. Obviously any film running close to four hours long is going to be hard pressed to entertain unconditionally, and when the genre is one which rarely exceeds 120 minutes, it becomes exceptionally challenging to justify the bloated nature of the picture. From an actors standpoint, the casting was fitting, showcasing a set of strong performances from the still young Christopher Walken, Jeff Bridges, and Isabelle Huppert. The real magic here is created from Kris Kristofferson in his role as a man born into wealth, but trying desperately to be a man of the people. As a protagonist, Kris really gets you to trust him without much setup, while his strong moral choices, and underdog sensibilities play wonderfully off of the drunk and confused ones of John Hurt, as Kristofferson’s former collegiate classmate. The most revered detail of the film was the cinematography, and even to this day, the swirling golden hues created from the mixture of dust and sunsets is beautiful to watch. Unfortunately, the dramatic context of the film isn’t properly introduced for about 45 minutes, effectively alienating the audience, and giving the feeling that there is something more meaningful going on that only the most specific audience is aware of. Due to the technology available at the time, the action scenes are fairly ineffectual, and really more disorienting than anything else, while the anticipation felt as the major battle approaches is very tangible and worth remembering.
All in all, I’d say that this commercial monstrosity is a pretentious mess, filled with some really wonderful moments, but the picture ultimately fails, as it tries to accomplish more than it’s genre has any business accomplishing. I wish I could give it more credit, but I have to give the film a c- or a 61%
-Ben