--- title: "Heaven's Gate: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/heavens-gate/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/heavens-gate" critics_score: 74 critics_reviews: 10 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Heaven's Gate (1980): what the critics said Critics' score 74 from 10 reviews: 7 positive, 2 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics respond favourably to Heaven’s Gate, with praise clustering around its scale, historical detail and treatment of class conflict. Vilmos Zsigmond’s photography, the landscapes and the elaborate crowd scenes draw particular admiration. Supporters find emotional depth in Cimino’s patient attention to people and places, and see the extended running time as justified by the film’s ambition. Several later reviews argue for a substantial reassessment of its hostile early reception. The spread is wide, however, and narrative coherence is the chief dividing point. Even some admirers acknowledge weak dialogue and a story that struggles to connect its remarkable sequences. Empire admires the photography and performances but finds the storytelling frustratingly languid. The Evening Standard questions the uncut version’s length and self-importance. The New York Times supplies the sharpest dissent in its original-release review, rejecting even the photography and editing that later critics celebrate. ## Slant Magazine — Joseph Jon Lanthier Rating ★★★★. 18 March 2013. Cimino's epic is a return to classicism in the western, favoring panoramic spectacle and humanism over visceral ugliness. The critic praises its immense scope, painterly distance, and rich historical textures over any narrative flaws. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/heavens-gate/) ## Time Out — Tom Huddleston Rating 5/5. 30 July 2013. The re-release review argues the film is far more than a financial flop, calling it a grippingly violent parable, touching tragic romance and one of the most beautiful, immersive films ever made due to its cinematography and historical detail. Notes its thematic timeliness and influence. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/heavens-gate) ## The AV Club — Ignatiy Vishnevetsky Rating A. 19 March 2021. The restored director's cut is a tremendous, spellbinding achievement whose epic scale and grandeur fully justify the runtime. The critic highlights its mythic ambition, choreographed set pieces, and sweeping vision of class conflict and false promises. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/one-of-hollywood-s-biggest-flops-ever-is-a-masterpiece-1846250001) ## The New Yorker — Richard Brody Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 4 November 2012. The critic praises the Criterion DVD release of the original cut as a long-overdue revival, highlighting Cimino's modern twist on storytelling through ecstatic details, overwhelming landscapes, crowd scenes, and emotional depth in motion and stillness. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/11/12/heavenly-feature) ## Little White Lies — Christopher Karr Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 16 November 2019. The critic notes the shift in opinion from initial pans to acclaim as a visionary epic about class struggle and the criminal founding of America. Praises its unmatched scope, obsessive period authenticity, visual majesty and immersive detail, while acknowledging some narrative and dialogue shortcomings. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/in-praise-of/heavens-gate-michael-cimino-legacy) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 1 August 2013. The restored re-release is colossally ambitious and mysteriously moving, with an unhurried pace and beautiful photography by Vilmos Zsigmond. It portrays the Johnson County War as an American agribusiness pogrom against immigrant homesteaders. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/aug/01/heavens-gate-review) ## Empire — Ian Nathan Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 27 April 2006. The film is a striking if long-winded piece of lyrical history-making whose reputation as a studio-wrecker is largely deserved. It features gorgeous, tranquil cinematography and strong performances but frustrates with its languid disregard for story. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/heavens-gate-review/) ## Evening Standard — Derek Malcolm Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 2 August 2013. This flawed and self-important film is nonetheless notable for its sheer crazy ambition and stunning set-pieces plus Vilmos Zsigmond’s superb camerawork. At 220 minutes the uncut version meanders without reaching a strong conclusion and is not a classic. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/derek-malcolm-recommends-heavens-gate-8743251.html) ## The New York Times — Vincent Canby Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 19 November 1980. The critic deems the film an unqualified disaster, with a predictable approach, nonexistent narrative line, and incompetent photography and editing that leaves viewers unsure of characters or plot. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1980/11/19/arts/heavens-gate-a-western-by-cimino.html) ## The Skinny — Philip Concannon Rating ★★★½. 25 November 2013. The film emerges from its troubled history as a spectacular if flawed achievement, with Cimino's vision and detailed craftsmanship justifying much of the hubris behind its creation. It stands as a collection of remarkable sequences and a singular American epic rather than a cohesive masterpiece. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/dvd-reviews/heavens-gate) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/heavens-gate.md