An in-depth examination of the ways in which the Vietnam War disrupts and impacts the lives of people in a small industrial town in Pennsylvania.
An American tragedy indebted to Russian literature, alive with detail and ritual and embedding viewers in the souls of men, the heart of a community and the spilled guts of a nation.
Impressively, Cimino manages to fluctuate involvingly between cynicism and compassion in what feels like a three hour cinematic ache.
Where Cimino's Heaven's Gate has matured into a classic over the years, this one feels less the classic it was once deemed.
This is Cimino's masterpiece.
Edinburgh Filmhouse, Edinburgh from Friday August 1, 2014, until Thursday August 7, 2014. More info: www.filmhousecinema.com
Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow from Sunday August 3, 2014, until Tuesday August 5, 2014. More info: http://www.glasgowfilm.org/theatre/