Having never seen the movie Heaven's Gate itself, I've always been fascinated by the tale of woe concerning the studio involved-United Artists-and especially the director who made it-the now-late Michael Cimino. He declined to an interview here so what we see of him is from his interview with Gene Shalit on the "Today" show. Among the actors interviewed from the movie are Brad Dourif, Kris Kristofferson, and Jeff Bridges who now owns some of the sets from the Montana location. Willem Dafoe made his debut (uncredited) in the movie and does the narration here. Of the UA executives interviewed, the most fascinating was from Steven Bach who eventually wrote the book about the thing called Final Cut which I read and thought was fascinating if longish. Of Cimino's other films, I've seen and liked The Deer Hunter and Year of the Dragon. I also have a DVD of Thunderfoot and Lightfoot which I hope to watch and review next...

An absorbing chronicle of the fabled history of the landmark film, HEAVEN'S GATE. The documentary is fairly well researched and clever in its technique (particularly the imaginative use of the extensive production stills taken - most never seen before.) The interviews with two of the film's stars (Kristofferson and Bridges) are great in that they are still on good terms with and champion Michael Cimino. Interviews with cinematographer, Vilmos Zsigmond and Penelope Shaw are also wonderful and give you a taste of what it must have been like to work alongside Cimino. Even the interviews with former UA executives, Bach & Field - who hired and later rued the day they engaged Cimino are fascinating and surprisingly balanced. One major disappointment is that of the hundreds of hours of film that was shot - and which is talked about and discussed extensively - no actual rushes or outtakes are shown (The terrible rumor is that they were scrapped at some later point.) Also - it's maddening for a fan of this film to hear Steven Bach speak of the 5+ hour rough cut that Cimino originally showed him - and that this version is unavailable for screening or study (if it even still exists.) Interestingly, the second cut of the film, released in 1981 is not just shorter but markedly different in many places (placement of scenes - different takes, etc.) and is now very hard to see or get access to (a little known DVD of this version is available in Europe and is well worth tracking down -- the transfer has a very different look and a much clearer dialog mix.)

This is a brilliant doc! Very captivating.As I understand this "making of" has only been shown on TV (so far). I would guess a doc as good as this would warrant it's own release on DVD. If not that, it should at least be included in a future special edition of Heaven's Gate (which I'm sure we'll get someday). All the interviews are very interesting. The stories that were told was funny, shocking, sad, mind-boggling, informative and captivating. It's funny that Willem Dafoe (who was fired from the set of heaven's gate, as an extra) is the narrator. He does a great job.The craftsmanship that went into this making of is breathtaking. It's not often you see movie related documentaries done as well as this. Most of them are rush-jobs. This one was absorbing all the way through and is highly recommended to any movie fan interested in movie history.

I have never seen Ishtar. I have not seen Gigli or Hudson Hawk either. I haven't even seen Battlefield Earth. I have stayed away from many of the great flops successfully. But above all those, and the many other classic failures that have come before and since, I have never seen Heaven's Gate. I should state that at the beginning.Michael Cimino's Heaven's Gate should stand alongside The Birth of a Nation, Bonnie & Clyde, Pulp Fiction and a short list of other films that have changed the way cinema operates. Final Cut: The Making and Unmaking of Heaven's Gate is a bombastic, cutting, and thorough look at the long evolution and quick death of a film that murdered a motion picture studio.It is understandable, yet disappointing, that Cimino would not discuss the film that ruined him. Instead, the filmmakers employ the help of assorted actors and crew members to discuss the plight. But most interesting is the inclusion of two United Artists executives, both of whom were inexperienced at film-making at the time of shooting Heaven's Gate. They discuss their faults as well as the director's honestly and often humorously.The audience for documentaries are often small, but this one is different. Even for those of you who do not care much for film or film history; even for those of you who have never seen Heaven's Gate and never want to; the film is about failure, personal and financial, on a grand scale. Though seeing someone flounder miserably is not often fun, shaking your head in hindsight can be. ***.5 out of ****