Final Cut: The Making and Unmaking of 'Heaven's Gate'

(Viewed in 2016): Heaven's Gate is arguably the most fascinating film disaster story ever, and Epstein's documentary, based on Bach's book, explores its troubled production and its poor critical reception while touching on the tragic long term consequences of its failure for the American film industry as a whole. Cimino was no doubt drunk on his newfound power, and UA's inability to discipline him was rather embarrassing, but Final Cut makes a good case for Heaven's Gate's enduring appeal.

What nobody seems to mention is that HEAVEN'S GATE's main weakness is the dialogue: the real ego problem consisted in not allowing anyone else to lay a hand on the screenplay. From that starting point, the film's artistic potential was fatally wounded. This documentary's focus on the production of that screenplay is interesting enough without really containing any major insights. Critics' propensity for crowd behaviour and willingness to designate expiatory victims comes across loud and clear.

An informative and surprisingly emotionally involving documentary about the making of a brilliant failure and the repercussions of such on the movie business as a whole. Definitely worth a watch.

Very informative documentary!