Heaven’s Gate (1980) Is Blessed on the Criterion Collection

The Criterion Collection released Heaven’s Gate to Blu-ray on November 20, 2012. Michael Cimino directed the film starring Kris Kristofferson, Christopher Walken, and John Hurt.

‘Heaven’s Gate’ Criterion Synopsis

A breathtaking depiction of the promise and perils of America’s western expansion, Heaven’s Gate, directed by Michael Cimino, is among Hollywood’s most ambitious and unorthodox epics. Kris Kristofferson brings his weathered sensuality to the role of a Harvard graduate who relocates to Wyoming as a federal marshal; there, he learns of a government-sanctioned plot by cattle barons to kill the area’s European settlers for their land. The resulting battle is based on the bloody real-life Johnson County War of 1892. Also starring Isabelle Huppert and Christopher Walken, Heaven’s Gate is a savage and ravishingly shot take on western movie lore. This release presents the full director’s cut, letting viewers today see Cimino’s potent original vision.

Read the full summary, and listen to our film review.

Director-Approved Special Edition Features

• New, restored transfer of director Michael Cimino’s cut of the film, supervised by Cimino
• New restoration of the 5.1 surround soundtrack, supervised by Cimino and presented in DTS-HD Master Audio on the Blu-ray edition
• New illustrated audio interview with Cimino and producer Joann Carelli
• New interviews with actor Kris Kristofferson, soundtrack arranger and performer David Mansfield, and second assistant director Michael Stevenson
• Trailer and TV spot
• English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• PLUS: A booklet featuring a new essay by critic and programmer Giulia D’Agnolo Vallan and a 1980 interview with Cimino

New cover by Eric Skillman

Also available on Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video.