Summary
- Michael Cimino’s ambitious Western epic
Heaven’s Gate
was initially a box office bomb and ripped apart by critics. - Behind the scenes, Cimino’s extravagant vision caused chaos, with reshoots, a gigantic tree cut into thousands of pieces, and excessive filming.
- Various edited versions of
Heaven’s Gate
have transformed the film from a flop into a beloved masterpiece over time.
As a seasoned cinephile with decades of film-watching under my belt, I must confess that my journey through cinema has been a rollercoaster of emotions, but none quite as tumultuous as the story of Michael Cimino’s magnum opus, “Heaven’s Gate.” This Western epic, initially a notorious flop and critical disaster, has since transformed into one of the most beloved masterpieces of all time.
After achieving immediate stardom with his work on the 1978 film “The Deer Hunter,” which won five Academy Awards, director Michael Cimino aimed to continue his success with an expansive Western epic titled “Heaven’s Gate.” Featuring a star-studded cast that included Christopher Walken, Kris Kristofferson, John Hurt, and Isabelle Huppert, this film was expected to break new ground upon its release on April 24, 1981. With a whopping $44 million budget, it seemed certain that Cimino’s vision would be brought to life flawlessly. However, the outcome was far from what was anticipated – “Heaven’s Gate” was both a commercial flop and received harsh criticism from critics. One might wonder how such a cinematic disaster could later be hailed as one of the greatest films ever made?
In “Heaven’s Gate”, the character Averill, played by Kris Kristofferson, transitions from celebrating his graduation at Harvard to assuming the role of a Marshall in the small town of Casper, Wyoming. He subsequently protects this community of impoverished European immigrants from a hostile group of wealthy cattle owners who plot to murder 125 of these individuals out of hate. This storyline is further complicated by a love triangle involving Averill, Isabelle Huppert’s character Ella, and Christopher Walken’s character Champion, an enforcer for the cattle owners who undergoes a remarkable change of heart. The movie’s multifaceted plot makes for a thrilling narrative. However, it’s important to note that some of the most extraordinary events described in the film are said to have occurred off-screen, creating controversy behind the scenes.
The Heaven’s Gate Director Had a Certain Vision
In his meticulous approach to filmmaking, Cimino not only tore down and rebuilt an entire set due to aesthetic concerns, but also commanded a massive tree to be dismantled into countless parts for a specific scene. Moreover, he was known for shooting scenes up to 50 times and amassing over a million feet of film during production. This excessive attention to detail led to numerous retakes. The end result, released in theaters on April 21, 1981, was met with harsh criticism. Reviews labeled it as “the most scandalous cinematic waste” and an “unqualified disaster.” Even _Time_ magazine included this movie on their list of the 100 worst ideas of the 20th century.
Although Cimino himself attributed the movie’s failure to United Artists pushing him to complete it before the 1980 Academy Awards, multiple versions of Heaven’s Gate have since emerged, altering the film’s perspective significantly. After its initial launch, four distinct edits surfaced: a revised director’s cut, an extreme edit, a digitally enhanced director’s cut, and an unauthorized version compiled by editor Steven Soderbergh. The second edit primarily eliminated additional scenes, like Averill reciting the death list to terrified villagers and defending an innocent immigrant from an enforcer’s attacks.
The “revolutionary” edit of the film was overseen by MGM executives John Kirk and Bingham Ray at the time, who searched for and incorporated any extra scenes to attract a fresh audience to the movie, as indicated by the title. Notably, the restored version of Heaven’s Gate became well-known due to The Criterion Collection. Interestingly, director Michael Cimino endorses this version as his original concept. On the other hand, Soderbergh’s 108-minute adaptation, once accessible on his website, was referred to as “The Butcher’s Cut” because of its unexpectedly brief duration.
32 Years Later, Heaven’s Gate Is Restored
Among various versions, the digitally restored version, initially screened at the 1981 Venice Film Festival, turned Heaven’s Gate from a box office failure into an enduring cinematic gem. It seems Michael Cimino was correct in his assessment that studio executives were too focused on profit margins and cinema theater marketing issues to appreciate it. Alberto Barbera, the festival director, commented, “This is an absolute masterpiece… one of the greatest injustices of cinematic history,” as reported by the New York Daily News. The Cannes Film Festival art director also praised it as potentially being “the last film of the glorious 70s decade.” Three years after its initial release, BBC Online placed Heaven’s Gate on their list of the latter part of the 100 greatest American films of all time. Furthermore, The Times deemed the movie a “Modern masterpiece.” What a remarkable turnaround!
Although some criticize “Heaven’s Gate” for marking the end of United Artists and reducing director control in studios, there’s a story that deserves telling. This sweeping yet loose adaptation of an under-discussed chapter in American history is more relevant today than ever. In the 19th century, Wyoming served as a tragic battleground for impoverished European immigrants, and this theme resonates with contemporary societal issues. Whether you watch the original release or the version that emerged in 2012, “Heaven’s Gate” is a powerful historical drama not to be missed. You can stream “Heaven’s Gate” on Tubi, Pluto TV, and MGM+.
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2024-08-14 05:31