A notorious artistic and financial failure, Michael Cimino's Heaven's Gate was blamed for critically wounding the movie Western and definitively ushering out the 1970s Hollywood New Wave of young, brash, independent filmmakers. Taking a revisionist, post-Vietnam view of American imperialism, Cimino used the historical Johnson County War incident in Wyoming to create an impressionistic tapestry of Western conflict between poor immigrant settlers and rich cattle barons led by Canton (Sam Waterston) and his hired gun Nate ...
Read More
A notorious artistic and financial failure, Michael Cimino's Heaven's Gate was blamed for critically wounding the movie Western and definitively ushering out the 1970s Hollywood New Wave of young, brash, independent filmmakers. Taking a revisionist, post-Vietnam view of American imperialism, Cimino used the historical Johnson County War incident in Wyoming to create an impressionistic tapestry of Western conflict between poor immigrant settlers and rich cattle barons led by Canton (Sam Waterston) and his hired gun Nate Champion (Christopher Walken). Attempting to mediate is idealistic Harvard graduate and county marshal Averill (Kris Kristofferson), who is both Nate's friend and his romantic rival for the affections of Ella Watson (Isabelle Huppert). However, war erupts, at great cost to all involved. Flush from his success with the Oscar-winning The Deer Hunter (1978), Cimino demanded creative control, and his insistence on shooting on location and building historically accurate sets and props multiplied the film's original budget to a then-astronomical $36 million. When United Artists premiered the original 219-minute version (sight unseen), they discovered that Cimino had produced an elliptical epic, compounding the box-office difficulties of making a Western without any major stars. Critics howled about Cimino's incomprehensible self-indulgence, and United Artists pulled the film after several days. Re-released five months later, 70 minutes shorter, Heaven's Gate bombed again, and MGM bought out the financially crippled United Artists. The ailing Western genre virtually vanished during the 1980s, Cimino's career never recovered, and Hollywood studios had had enough of bankrolling financially risky ventures by "auteur" directors. Heaven's Gate's reputation recovered somewhat after its video release, as it garnered praise from some viewers for such visually remarkable sequences as the Harvard dance and the final battle, as well as for David Mansfield's haunting score. Steven Bach's book Final Cut provides a full production history. Lucia Bozzola, Rovi
Read Less
Add this copy of Heaven's Gate (the Criterion Collection) [Blu-Ray] to cart. $27.93, very good condition, Sold by Goodwill Industries of S.W.FL. rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Fort Myers, FL, UNITED STATES, published 2012.
Add this copy of Heaven's Gate (the Criterion Collection) [Blu-Ray] to cart. $28.85, new condition, Sold by THE OREGON ROOM rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Phoenix, OR, UNITED STATES, published 2012 by Criterion Collection.
Add this copy of Heaven's Gate [Criterion Collection] [2 Discs] [Blu-ray to cart. $44.68, new condition, Sold by Importcds rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Sunrise, FL, UNITED STATES, published 2012.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Kris Kristofferson; Christopher Walken; Isabelle Huppert; Sam Waterston; Brad Dourif; John Hurt. New. Run time: 220 mins. Language: English. New in new packaging. USA Orders only! Brand New product! please allow delivery times of 3-7 business days within the USA. US orders only please.
![Heaven's Gate [Criterion Collection] [2 Discs] [Blu-ray] - Michael Cimino](https://www1.alibris-static.com/heavens-gate-criterion-collection-2-discs-blu-ray/cover/v43827u8fxl_l.jpg)
![Heaven's Gate (the Criterion Collection) [Blu-Ray]](https://www2.alibris-static.com/cover/v43827u8fxl_t.jpg)
![Heaven's Gate [Criterion Collection] [2 Discs]](https://www1.alibris-static.com/heavens-gate-criterion-collection-2-discs/cover/v42588lpytr.jpg)
![Heaven's Gate [Criterion Collection] [2 Discs] [Blu-ray]](https://www3.alibris-static.com/heavens-gate-criterion-collection-2-discs-blu-ray/cover/v43827u8fxl.jpg)
Portions of content provided by Rovi Corporation. © 2024 Rovi Corporation.