Owen Gleiberman
Owen Gleiberman is a film critic for EW
What movie was slammed on release but is now a classic?
Heaven's Gate: United Artists/ Courtesy Everett Collection
What movie was bemoaned at the time of release as heralding the end of
civilization but is now considered a classic?
— Catherine
Even controversial civilization threateners like A Clockwork Orange won
acclaim in their time. Heaven's Gate, on the other hand, the bloated
art-Western that ended the New Hollywood, if not civilization as we know it, is now, believe it or not, well along the road to artistic rehabilitation. The myth, fostered by L.A.'s Z Channel, then by revival theaters and DVD, is that Michael Cimino's epic was flawed but visionary filmmaking. A bit of revisionist history, if you ask me.
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