Review of Heaven's Gate (1980) by Stephen C — 16 Jul 2010

I gave it another chance, after an indeterminate number of years... and it still leaves me with the impression that it could single-handedly sink a studio. Quite a number of great set pieces and beautifully shot scenes... with no plot worth caring about to connect them... If only the Cimino hadn't had his head get too big after "The Deer Hunter" and had a screenplay that didn't jump all over the place (and that he had bothered to follow, which I seriously doubt he did considering the obvious liberties the movie takes). On the plus side... the casting was VERY good, with very strong performances throughout. It's just too bad that even they couldn't save this picture.

Worth seeing... if only as a cautionary tale...