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

As in the case of Stroheim’s Greed, here we can ask whether the director destroyed the studio or if the studio (and media) destroyed the director. This documentary admirably does not try to give us a clear-cut answer. The production of Heaven’s Gate is not presented as a battle between a visionary genius and doltish studio moguls. Thanks to the matter-of-fact tone, clear chronological narrative and numerous points of view (the producers criticise Michael Cimino; the actors and cinematographer defend Cimino), Michael Epstein succeeds in demolishing the myth of chaotic filming that Cimino didn’t bring under control. Unlike most other “making of” films, this one makes an effort to look at events in a broader historical context (the establishment of UA, the search for a precedent for the situation when a major production turns into a major clusterfuck, a brief summary of Cimino’s career). Along with Easy Riders, Raging Bulls and A Decade Under the Influence, Final Cut is “required reading” on the era of directors and, together with Hearts of Darkness, it is also a grim explanation of why a greater degree of creative freedom cannot be sustained for long in Hollywood. It’s just a shame about the bland expository format, in which the talking heads are merely interspersed with shots from filming and the whole documentary is dominated by the authoritative commentary of the narrator. 80% (2014.08.31)