list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Heaven's Gate on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/Heaven_s_Gate/15039/default.aspx Title: Heaven's Gate
Year: 1981
Director: Michael Cimino
Plot: 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, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 2
Number of Lists: 3
Number of blog posts: 1
Number of discussion threads: 1
SpoutRating: 2
]]>Sat, 24 Jan 2009 18:11:33 GMTHeaven's Gate1981Michael CiminoA notorious artistic and financial failure, <a href="/players/P____85067/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Michael Cimino</a>'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 (<a href="/players/P____74941/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Sam Waterston</a>) and his hired gun Nate Champion (<a href="/players/P____74206/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Christopher Walken</a>). Attempting to mediate is idealistic Harvard graduate and county marshal Averill (<a href="/players/P____98154/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Kris Kristofferson</a>), who is both Nate's friend and his romantic rival for the affections of Ella Watson (<a href="/players/P____34067/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Isabelle Huppert</a>). However, war erupts, at great cost to all involved. Flush from his success with the Oscar-winning <a href=/films/8589/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>The Deer Hunter</a> (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, All Movie Guide2Slightly Tagged (1-5)3112http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t05239hd5uz.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Heaven_s_Gate/15039/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/paul/archive/2007/7/13/13865.aspx Post By: paul
Post To: paul on spout.com
Post Date: 7/13/2007 4:00:27 PM
Body: UnforgivenOnce Upon a Time in the WestHeaven's GateMcCabe and Mrs. MillerThe Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada Originally posted on:Schwinnfender
]]>Fri, 13 Jul 2007 20:00:27 GMTpaulpaul on spout.com7/13/2007 4:00:27 PMUnforgivenOnce Upon a Time in the WestHeaven's GateMcCabe and Mrs. MillerThe Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada Originally posted on:Schwinnfender http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/Re_Top_Westerns/190/4099/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: paul
Post To: Top 5
Post Date: 12/7/2006 11:00:42 PM
Body: I recently watched Heaven's Gate and it's in my top 5 westerns now.I'll also second Unforgiven and The Wild Bunch.Maybe this isn't the old west, but there's cowboys and bullriding. I have a real soft spot for Urban Cowboy.I'll save the fifth one until after I've seen Once Upon a Time in the West and Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid.
]]>Fri, 08 Dec 2006 04:00:42 GMTpaulTop 512/7/2006 11:00:42 PMI recently watched Heaven's Gate and it's in my top 5 westerns now.I'll also second Unforgiven and The Wild Bunch.Maybe this isn't the old west, but there's cowboys and bullriding. I have a real soft spot for Urban Cowboy.I'll save the fifth one until after I've seen Once Upon a Time in the West and Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/underrated/MemberTagFilms.aspxunderrated
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