At the Movies by Ric Pantale
For the next few columns, I plan to write about films that were underrated or misunderstood when they first came out, starting with
HEAVEN’S GATE (1980)
How do you describe a film that is synonymous with box office bomb? Its director, Michael Cimino, had just finished his sensational Academy Award-laden film, The Deer Hunter. Heaven’s Gate cost 44 million dollars in 1980, roughly equivalent to 125 million in 2012 dollars. It grossed a mere 13 million, forever to be known as a giant flop—but why? It practically destroyed director-dominated films. It is the film that is responsible for the now-famous usage, no animals were hurt or killed during the making of this film.
It also is a Western masterpiece. In 1979-‘80, Michael Cimino, then the hottest director in Hollywood, approached MGM with hopes of creating a film adaptation of a blood-and-thunder historical novel about the Johnson County, Wyoming War of 1892.
Nervously, MGM agreed to distribute it but passed the production to United Artists.
The movie had an initial budget of 12 million and was to be a small, character-driven Western. Soon, however the production was running late and ‘way over budget—this due to many things, most predominantly Cimino’s perfectionism. Shot near Glacier Park Montana, Cimino insisted on building a full-scale replica of Casper, Wyoming as it was in 1890, railroad and all. Just as filming was about to begin, he concluded the streets were too narrow by six feet and ordered the entire set to be torn down and rebuilt. He didn’t agree that it would have been easier to tear down one side and move the other six feet over; he had to have both sides rebuilt with 3 extra feet down the middle.
Actors and crew were stranded in Northern Montana for nearly six months, getting over time from a previous two-month schedule. When word got out that some horses were badly injured during stunt scenes, it enraged animal activists, who were already furious that real blood was being drawn from horses to be used liberally on actors.
United Artists, slowly going bankrupt by now, had no choice but to finish the picture. Michael Cimino was set to be replaced by none other than David Lean, the great British director. Lean turned it down after he saw the rushes, agreeing that, as wild as he was, Cimino was making a masterpiece.
Eventually, the film was completed—with a running time of over five hours. MGM was furious and demanded the film be cut to just over 2 hours. Cimino, angry and upset, locked himself in total isolation and didn’t come out until he had a cut that was just under two and a half hours.
Perhaps because of all the negative publicity, perhaps due to a change in the political climate in the US, the movie, sadly, received mixed-to-bad reviews.
The story of Heaven’s Gate begins with the main character as he graduates from Harvard in 1870. Flash forward 20 years to Casper, Wyoming in 1890. During the preceding years, the West had exploded with European immigrants looking for free land and riches in the vast territory of Wyoming. The new railroad brought them in daily by the hundreds. Unfortunately, many of the newcomers knew little about farming and were unprepared for Wyoming winters.
Out of a desperate necessity to feed their families, some immigrants resorted to stealing cattle—the last straw for the rich ranchers, who saw the immigrants as trespassers who were cutting off valuable water supplies. The ranchers organized to use the law to start killing the immigrants.
With the backing of the governor and the National Guard, the ranchers drew up a list of 125 immigrants to be exterminated. With the blessing of the president of the United States, the ranchers and hundreds of hired guns moved in on immigrant settlements. Forewarned, the poor immigrants banded together and built up their ammo supply and barricades to defend themselves. A furious battle ensued, ending only when the US Army was called in to break it up. The ranchers were eventually prosecuted but their sentences amounted to a slap on the wrist; meanwhile many, many immigrants were killed.
Next month: Ric completes his analysis of Heaven’s Gate and reviews the film.
