A dramatization of the real-life Johnson County War in 1890 Wyoming, in which a sheriff born into wealth attempts to protect immigrant farmers from rich cattle interests.
It is a demanding film, without a doubt – but a passionate one.
A studio fell and Michael Cimino's career never recovered but Heaven's Gate lives on as a landmark Western.
No doubt the stories of reckless indulgence around its making are true, but what's up on screen turns out vivid, gripping, intense. If only for the scene of Kristofferson waltzing with Huppert around a vast barn I'd watch it over again.
General release. Check local listings for show times.
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