Was "Heaven's Gate" (1980) really *that* bad of a film?

It takes forever to tell a story that could have been told in half the time. Cimino thought he was a cinematic god after Deer Hunter, and went on to prove he was no such thing.

Awful, awful movie. My rating: 1.5 roller-skating fiddlers out of 5.

I liked it. Didn't love it. Loved all the bits and pieces, though. Cimino might have done best with still photography. Many of the images are breath taking. But it is not all skillfully finished.

The score by David Mansfield is excellent. Interestingly, one of the producers of the film, Joann Carelli, was Cimino's girlfriend and then eventually married Mansfield.

I don't think Heaven's Gate is terrible, it's just way too long and it starts to make no sense after awhile. I think Cimino just got in over his head.

I still think The Deer Hunter is one of the best films ever made.

R4 "it's just way too long and it starts to make no sense after awhile" is a perfect way to describe it. It really does start to lose the plot after the first hour and a half, leaving the audience a bit adrift. The visuals and performances throughout though are beautifully rendered.

Cimino looks like a burn victim who's transitioning.

R6 I thought he was Asian the first time I saw a photo of him.

Every director in Hollywood over the last 40 years who has been powerless to stop his or her movie from being gutted in post has Cimino to thank.

Is Isabelle Hupert supposed to be American in it? If so she doesn't seem like it. I've read the studio wanted Diane Keaton or Jane Fonda but they passed and the director had a fixation on Hupert and got his way eventually.

Cimino passed away a few years ago. He was still good friends with Mickey Rourke who he directed in Year of the Dragon, and who also looks like he is transitioning.

Cimino's career never recovered. He almost directed Footloose, though. Can you imagine?

R9 Huppert is playing a fictionalized version of "Cattle Kate," aka Ellen Watson, a pioneer born in Ontario. I don't believe Watson was French-Canadian as she is portrayed in the film (this was ostensibly so Huppert she could get away with her accent), nor is there any evidence she was a brothel madame either.

Jane Fonda might have had to give up [italic]9 to 5[/italic] to do this and that would not have been a great career move.

It's an OK film to semi-watch during a snow storm when you're occupied doing something else besides glued to the screen. The atmosphere is effective.

It's an average film. It became notorious because of how over budget it went. Everything in it is epic starting with their college graduation which is just hoards of people running around and goes on for a long time. (sort of like the wedding in The Deer Hunter.)

Fascinating documentary of it which I’m sure is more interesting than the film. Cimino would waste loads of money for whatever until the studio finally stepped in and told him to get on with it. Perfect example of how winning two Oscars can make them feel untouchable. Siskel and Ebert despised it. It flopped both times it was released.

Make someone feel ^^^

Drugs.

It makes [italic]Can't Stop the Music[/italic] look intelligent and well-focused.