Heaven's Gate Movie Information

Your Rating

• This movie was an epic failure
• This movie was horrible
• This movie was not good
• This movie was average
• This movie was okay
• This movie was good
• This movie was great
• This movie was incredible

Movie Information

Overall Rank: 15675

Average Rating: 2.2/4

# of Ratings: 31

Theatrical Release Date: 11/19/1980

Blu-ray/DVD Release Date: 11/20/2012

Language: English

Genre: Drama, Historical

MPAA Rating: R

Director: Michael Cimino

Actors: Kris Kristofferson, Christopher Walken, John Hurt, Sam Waterston, Brad Dourif, Jeff Bridges

Plot: Sweeping western epic depicting life in 1890s Wyoming as a marshal deals with encroaching wealthy cattle interests intent on displacing, and murdering, local immigrant farmers, over use of the land. He also deals with a hired gun who is in love with the same woman as him. Ideals about the great American dream will be shattered as both stories come to a head. -- Chris Kavan

Allison - wrote on 04/13/2008

It's always a challenge when critics say a movie is bad. Usually I have to see it for myself. They could be wrong, like Ishtar. However, I really liked Isabelle Huppert, one more reason to check it out. But it's as terrible as they say. Way too long and way too terrible! Avoid.

Indyfreak
Movie God

The Ultimate Hollywood Flop - Kinda True.

Indyfreak - wrote on 11/07/2017

Heaven's Gate is one of the most infamous failures in Hollywood history.

An expensive flop directed by an ego driven perfectionist; a movie that nearly bankrupted its own studio; and killed the career of said ego driven perfectionist Michael Cimino. When first released in 1980, reviews were unforgiving and extremely harsh. Were they warranted?

Not necessarily. The film is severely flawed and perhaps the most self indulgent example of excess from the New Hollywood era of the 1970s and early 80s. Stories of Michael Cimino's perfectionism and wasteful spending are now legendary. But I can see the money on screen. I can see the beautiful sets and exquisite cinematography by Vilmos Zsigmond which are both stunning.

The story however does not warrant the extraordinary running time …

lastonetoleave
Producer

Heaven;s Gate

lastonetoleave - wrote on 08/27/2015

Heaven’s Gate (1980) This is the movie that brought a studio to its knees. Fresh off his award-winning direction of The Deer Hunter, Untied Artists threw the bank at Michael Cimino to make a Western about the land wars of Wyoming. Sparing no expense, Cimino filmed probably the most accurate looking Western ever made, but also one of the most boring with a running time that exceeds four hours. Christopher Walken plays a cowboy who looks like he has arrived on set without really learing his lines. Kris Kristofferson plays his role as if he hasn't recovered from his hangover from shooting A Star Is Born, and Isabelle Huppert, as the love interest, has such a strong French accent you almost need subtitles to understand her. This movie is summed up by the pivotal scene that takes place in …