Heaven’s Gate

Michael Cimino's most ambitious project, draws inspiration from the bloody Johnson County War of 1892 in Wyoming. Fifty-two armed men were sent on a mission to kill 70 people named by one of their leaders, aiming to drive new immigrants off land that cattle ranchers had illegally claimed. Among the invaders were Wyoming’s most powerful ranchers and hired gunmen, none of whom were ever tried. In the film, Sheriff Jim sides with the immigrants, while his girlfriend Ella, a brothel owner, is also on the hit list. Ella’s character is inspired by Cattle Kate, a real-life rancher lynched for refusing to sell her land to the cattle barons—she was just a woman looking to start a new life on the frontier. Once deemed a failure, but now regarded as a masterpiece, this epic, full-blooded vision of American westward expansion captures its price with emotional power.