Northwest Film Forum

Never has a film seen such a critical turnaround as Heaven’s Gate, which was almost universally derided on its release as the worst film ever made. Decades later it is celebrated as a masterpiece. This Western’s legendary cast and crew include its director—who had just finished work on The Deer Hunter—alongside Christopher Walken, Kris Kristofferson, Jeff Bridges, John Hurt and even a young Willem Dafoe. Together the ensemble tells a mythic tale of class warfare in the wilds of Wyoming, centered on a love story between a marshal, a mercenary and a brothel madam. This is an event and should not be missed.

"Frame for frame, the restored Heaven’s Gate rivals any motion picture ever made for sheer pictorial beauty." —Slate

"colossally ambitious and mysteriously moving. . .It is a demanding film, without a doubt – but a passionate one." —The Guardian

"By all means see it on the big screen if only to appreciate the enormity of Mr. Cimino's efforts.  A fascinating artifact and a monument to Mr. Cimino's towering ambitions, as much for himself as for his art. He sought to recreate the Old West in the film, but the greater marvel is how he tried to replicate Old Hollywood and a dream world that once was - a world that these days is often made in computers." – Manohla Dargis, The New York Times