MovieChat Forums > Heaven's Gate (1981) Discussion > No worse than The Deer Hunter... in fact...

No worse than The Deer Hunter... in fact, even more polished.

posted 9 years ago by tyrexden
4 replies | jump to latest

Its funny that people consider Deer Hunter among the greatest films ever made, and consider this one, one of the greatest disasters ever.

The indulgent style on display here, is precisely what amazed people so much in Deer Hunter. I don't blame the guy for failing so miserably... he only did what he did before, which had worked. The audience is fickle.

I guess Deer Hunter's status was elevated because DeNiro was in it at the peak of his ability, and perhaps a war movie was more relatable than a cattle ranch.... but still... the film-making style was identical in both. Its a beautiful film to watch, but not necessarily experience (just like Deer Hunter).

[–] Gobobo 9 years ago

Yeah, it's painted from the same palette as the Deer Hunter, although I think this was miscast badly. Also Cimino almost bankrupted the studio to line his own pockets, you can get away with so much in Hollywood but not stealing from the producers!

[–] wylierichardson-966-922691 9 years ago

Well, the real costs of the movie went in producing the literally one million feet of raw footage that Cimino shot. Word is that Cimino was both a perfectionist, and a bit delusional (at least in regards to the quality of the movie he was making) - a lethal combination.

[–] Gobobo 9 years ago

Did you hear Heaven's Gate was shot on a very expensive piece of land - which turned out to be Cimino's! All of that crew spending five months in Cimino's back yard, I bet he had a deal with the local hotel and bar owners.

And he wasn't/isn't a perfectionist, just a mean and moody ar%%hole. I worked with him on The Sicilian (which looks a hell of a lot like Heaven's Gate) and none of the cast or crew liked him at all. He had a kind of malevolence and spite about him, and wasn't afraid of showing it.

[–] thbryn 9 years ago

IDK of anyone who considers the DH one of the "greatest" films ever made.
But no question it was an astonishing film with strong performances and a tight script even though much of it didn't make much sense if you're thinking about reality.

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