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Title: Delusions of Grandeur
Review: Much has been written about the critical and commercial fiasco of "Heaven's Gate" (1980). Director Michael Cimino's misguided epic not only contributed to the downfall of United Artists, but almost single-handedly destroyed the Western genre. (Luckily, Clint Eastwood helped save the day with "Pale Rider" and "Unforgiven.") Perhaps a good film might have emerged from the Johnson County Wars. However, "Heaven's Gate" is an overlong mess - with excessive subtitles, inexplicable nudity, and clouds of dust that obscure the climactic action. The film certainly has its defenders, but the finished product is a depressing waste of time, money and talent. What was Cimino thinking?
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