#751: MORRIS, Errol: Gates Of Heaven (1978)

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MORRIS, Errol (United States)
Gates Of Heaven [1978]
Spine #751
Blu-ray


With his trademark mixture of empathy and scrutiny, Errol Morris has changed the face of documentary filmmaking in the United States, and his career began with two remarkable tales of American eccentricity: Gates of Heaven and Vernon, Florida. The first uses two Northern California pet cemeteries as the basis for a profound and funny rumination on love, loss, and industry; the second travels to a languorous southern backwater and discovers a handful of fascinating folks there — a determined turkey hunter, a curious minister, a laconic policeman — engaged in individualistic, sometimes absurd pursuits. Morris consistently creates humane portraits of true candor, and these early works remain two of his greatest and most provocative films.

83 minutes
Color
Monaural
1:33:1 aspect ratio
Criterion Release 2015
Director


Errol Morris was 30 when he directed Gates of Heaven.

Other Morris films in the Collection:

#752: Vernon, Florida (1981)
#753: The Thin Blue Line (1988)
#699: A Brief History Of Time (1991)

The Film

A

Film Rating (0-60):

60

The Extras

The Booklet

Twelve-page wraparound featuring an essay by critic Eric Hynes.

Commentary

None.

Two interviews

With Morris.

Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe (1980)

A twenty-minute film by Les Blank featuring Herzog fulfilling a bet intended to inspire Morris to complete his first feature.

Footage

Of Herzog professing his admiration for Gates of Heaven at the 1980 Telluride Film Festival.

Extras Rating (0-40):

39

60 + 39 =

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