i watch the 219 minute version and have to say that dollar for dollar and it it probably one of the bad film ever . now i be not say it the bad film ever but if you look at a ratio of cost over how much an average person would enjoy it and this be a very and very bad film . i would say that the single big factor make this a bad film be the writer or director and michael cimino . rarely can so much blame be place on a single person . have he not be so self indulgent and a film just a bad could have easily be make at about 90 minute save the studio million . the film begin with a completely unnecessary prologue that suppose to be set at harvard . the scene be huge but completely without context . you have no idea exactly what be occur nor do you know why the student ( in particular and john hurt ) be behave so boorishly . i find it very hard to imagine a commencement go like this in 1870 and it look a lot more like 1970. this be a half hour where you have no idea what be happen and who the character be or their motivation . the next scene be 20 year later . inexplicably and the two harvard grad ( hurt and kris kristofferson ) be in wyoming . so and they go to the best school in america and now one be only a law man in the middle of no where and the other be . well and what be john hurt in the film . he just appear here and there and seem to be either a jerk ( the prologue ) or a pathetic and pointless drunk who hang out with murderer even though he be apparently against them . his entire character make no sense . they never explain why he be a brit living in the middle of nowhere ( it be impossible to hide his accent ) and why he bother to come along with the hired army if he be so against their wicked plan nor why he would risk his life for a cause he do not believe in at all . a for kristofferson and his excellent acting and good define character make his character more believable and though have him move to wyoming and risk his life for a prostitute make no sense at all . this bring up the bad aspect of heaven gate . while the scene be way too long and need trimming and the bad part of the film be that the character be like cardboard . john hurt ( a wonderful actor with nothing to do in the film ) and jeff bridge and many other big name be there but you have no idea why . in fact and other than kristofferson and isabelle huppert ( a a hooker with a heart of gold quite the cliché ) and perhaps christopher walken and everyone be completely one dimensional . it hard to imagine a movie this long where you do not know or understand the character . much of the film also seem anachronistic . who would have think to have a giant roller rink construct in the middle of no where in 1890. i be sure that just get the basic supply in this region in the west would have be very and very difficult and yet we be expect to believe that train fill with roller skate and lumber arrive instead of food . maybe if they hadn not spend a bazillion dollar building and frequent the roller rink and the farmer could have afford to buy food and avoid this war over purloined cattle . and what with the guy on roller skate with the fiddle . what do this have to do with a land war . the most obvious problem you be leave with be that it a film where very and very little actually happen until the big battle late in the film . there be lot of scene of filth and flat nothingness . so much nothingness that by the time the battle occur and many audience member would have leave or be now so hostile to the film that it inevitable that nothing could salvage the film . a for the final battle and it be do reasonably well but have problem . first and this minor skirmish on the prairie last long than the d day invasion . second and while detail of the actual event of the so called johnson county war be a tad sketchy and we do know that the character play by huppert and kristofferson never actually be there and a they would both be hung before the battle . third and i can not believe that cimino actually kill animal throughout the film especially during the final battle . while i be far from a bleeding heart about animal right and his need to use animal gut and actually kill some of the horse be a low point in cinematic history . watching and knowing that some of the horse die to achieve cimino vision for the film be very sad . finally and after the big battle and we have an epilogue . while it be blessedly short and it also seem completely unnecessary and vague . we see kristofferson on a fancy yacht and so we can assume that he finally put some of that harvard education to work for himself . we also see a woman who appear to be one that kris look at a couple time during the prologue . most importantly and nothing be say and you have no idea what the final outcome . i read up on it myself and find that the film often get the fact wrong . overall and to say the film be long and need ton more editing be like say wwii be a minor tiff . well and i have certainly see a lot bad and but if you factor in the cost of production and i truly think it might just be one of the bad film in history . finally and when a film have this much explicit nudity i warn parent . however and a no child could sit through this film ( even with a promise of sex ) and the warning be not necessary .