It Is Risen

There are precious few films in the history of cinema that open and then swan dive into infamy with such spectacular form as Michael Cimino's Heaven's Gate. At the time of its premiere on Nov. 19, 1980, the meticulously shot Western starring Kris Kristofferson battling evil cattle barons in 1890s Wyoming was one of the most costly films ever made, at some $44 million dollars. The original cut ran just shy of four hours and was almost immediately gutted by the critics, ignored by theatre patrons, and abruptly pulled from distribution by parent studio United Artists, which, in an even more riveting tour de farce, promptly began to suffer financial woes of the utmost kind and was sold to MGM, thus branding Heaven's Gate as the only film to ever wipe out an entire studio.

The truth of all this is much more complicated, of course (we recommend reading Steven Bach's Final Cut for the whole giddily ridiculous picture), but over the years, Cimino's folly has reasserted itself to the point where it's now considered, by many both in and out of the critical trenches, to be a genuine classic. Over the years Heaven's Gate has been cut, re-released in truncated form, and generally manhandled, but it's only recently that the full four-hour cut has become available for viewing, leaving it up to the viewer once and for all to decide on which side of the famous/infamous line of scrimmage the legendary film deserves to fall. Considering Cimino's golden boy status previous to the film (his debut was the Oscar-winning The Deer Hunter) and his subsequent descent post-Gate, one can't help but hope this newly restored version (handled by MGM's John Kirk) restores some of the film's (and director's) lost luster.

Heaven's Gate screens at the Paramount Theatre on Sunday, Nov. 7, 2pm, and Tuesday, Nov. 9, 7pm. Tickets – $7; $5 for children, students, and seniors – will be available on day of show only at Paramount Box Office (713 Congress).