Heaven's Gate

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nick s Worth watching for the impressive sets alone. Don't expect a movie that feels terribly authentic - I suspect it has neither the historical accuracy or atmosphere of actual events. But I think the biggest issue with this movie is in the story telling. For much of its runtime it doesn't seem to be going anywhere. There are drawn out scenes that don't appear to advance the plot and I started to lose patience with it. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 11/18/24 Full Review Jerry E The movie is simply boring. It’s long and dull. A few impressive crowd scenes don’t save the basic drabness of the whole thing. Rated 1/5 Stars •  Rated 1 out of 5 stars 10/13/24 Full Review Linda W This film failed in America but was received well in Europe. Tastes are quite different and imo, Europeans have greater patience and appreciation for films and tv shows that allow a story to develop at a slower pace. My husband and I saw this on tv and could not tear ourselves away from it. It's depth and the story it tells on how brutal the west was rings truer than it is all too often depicted in sugar coated views of many westerns coming out of Hollywood. It's tough to watch some scenes and the music from the waltz scene still rings in my ears some 20 years later. Yes, it is long, but then so are some of the mini series shown today, but we truly loved everything about this film. It is still my favourite 'western' to this day Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/30/24 Full Review Andy B Welcome to the film that makes a Peter Jackson film look like a masterpiece of editing and brevity. While the acting is good, the script ranges from the incomprehensible to the bizarre (I’ve never heard of anyone being accused of having a “paper arse-hole” before). Some of the scenery is spectacular, but most scenes are overlong and the plot proceeds at a glacial pace. The good thing about the film is that you can step out to go to the toilet, take a shower, prepare and eat a three course meal and the film will still be going. Also, you’ll know what’s going on as absolutely nothing will have happened. When it came out, this film was rightly panned and considered one of the great flops of all time. Since then, opinions have changed with commentary looking at the filmmaking. With that in mind, it’s still mine-bendingly dull. It is an endurance test rather than an enjoyment. Rated 1.5/5 Stars •  Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 07/11/24 Full Review Gen G Rampant animal abuse. Rated 1/5 Stars •  Rated 1 out of 5 stars 07/09/24 Full Review Dave S Universally panned, and justifiably so, upon its release in 1980, Michael Cimino’s Heaven’s Gate is now considered (by some) as some sort of masterpiece. It’s not a masterpiece. To its benefit, the premise is interesting – wealthy cattle barons in 1890s Wyoming wage war against poor European immigrants, who they believe to be immoral and a detriment to the American way of life. Cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond does a commendable job, creating a handful of memorable images of the remarkable landscape. However, many scenes appear to be shot through a veil of dust, smoke, and/or fog, muddying what is already, in many ways, a muddy movie. Many scenes, including the odd roller-skating dance party, serve no discernable purpose, the motivation of many of the characters is unclear, there is some truly cringe-worthy dialogue (“you talk like a man with a paper ass!!”), and Cimino’s ponderous decision making as a director would lead you to believe he was never really sure where he was going with the movie. It might be worth watching as a curiosity item, but not much else. Rated 1.5/5 Stars •  Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 06/26/24 Full Review Read all reviews

Heaven's Gate

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