The desire to savage _Heaven's Gate_, alas, continues to this day. The 220-minute version was supposed to screen at the UCLA Archive a few years ago, but the version the studio sent over was: (a) not the longer version but the release version and (b) the wrong sound was slapped onto the first reel so everything was out of synch--by minutes, not microseconds. We're talking about the studio itself sending a print to UCLA Archive: it was almost as if they didn't want the film to be seen. _Heaven's Gate_ is extremely interesting in the context of the western genre. Its reflection on questions of community and the role of violence in American society is sobering and powerful. I far prefer it to the vastly overrated _Deerhunter_, perhaps because the 'message' aspects of _HG_ are mediated through the generic iconography rather than presented more directly is in _The Deerhunter_. If the film had succeeded at the box office, we would not call Cimino arrogant: he could shout "I'm the king of the world," and we'd all suppress our collective gag reflex and go on about our business. Subsequent films have not supported Cimino's critical reputation. Nor have rumors about his transvestitism helped his career. Sincerely, Edward R. O'Neill ---- Screen-L is sponsored by the Telecommunication & Film Dept., the University of Alabama: http://www.tcf.ua.edu