Editing Heaven's Gate (film) (section)

== Plot ==
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In 1870, two young men, Jim Averill and Billy Irvine, graduate from [[Harvard College]]. The Reverend Doctor speaks to the graduates on the association of "the cultivated mind with the uncultivated" and the importance of education. Irvine, the class orator, follows this with his opposing, irreverent views. After a celebration, the male students serenade the women present, including Averill's girlfriend.

In 1890, Averill is passing through the booming town of [[Casper, Wyoming]], on his way north to [[Johnson County, Wyoming|Johnson County]], where he is now a [[marshal]]. Poor European immigrants new to the region, conflict with wealthy, established cattle barons organized as the Wyoming Stock Growers Association; they suspect the newcomers are stealing their cattle for food. [[Nate Champion]]{{snd}}a friend of Averill and an enforcer for the stockmen{{snd}}kills a settler for suspected rustling and dissuades another from stealing a cow.

At a board meeting, the head of the Association, [[Frank M. Canton|Frank Canton]], tells members, including a drunk Irvine, of plans to kill 125 named settlers, as thieves and anarchists, with the help of the cruel Major Wolcott. Irvine leaves the meeting, encounters Averill, and tells him of the Association's plans. As Averill leaves, he exchanges bitter words with Canton. Canton and Averill come to blows and Canton is knocked to the floor. That night, Canton recruits men to kill the settlers.

[[Ellen Watson]], a Johnson County bordello madam from [[Quebec]] who accepts stolen cattle as payment for use of her prostitutes, is infatuated with both Averill and Champion. Averill and Watson skate in a crowd, then dance alone, in an enormous [[Roller rink|roller skating rink]] called "Heaven's Gate", which has been built by local entrepreneur John L. Bridges. Averill receives a copy of the Association's death list from Minardi, a [[baseball]]-playing [[U.S. Army]] [[Captain (United States)|captain]], and later reads the names aloud to the settlers, who are thrown into terrified turmoil. Cully, a [[station master]] and friend of Averill's, sees the train with Canton's posse heading north and rides off to warn the settlers but is murdered ''en route''. Later, a group of men come to Watson's bordello, slaughter her workers, and rape her. Averill shoots and kills all but one of them. Champion, realizing that his landowner bosses seek to eliminate Watson, goes to Canton's camp and shoots Morrison, the remaining rapist, then refuses to participate in the slaughter.

Canton, Wolcott, and their men encounter one of Champion's friends, who is leaving a cabin with Champion and his friend Nick Ray inside, and a gunfight ensues. Attempting to save Champion, Watson arrives in her wagon and shoots one of the hired guns before escaping on horseback. Nick is killed before Canton's men push a burning cart towards the cabin, setting it on fire. Champion writes a last letter to Ella before emerging from the burning cabin shooting at Canton's men but is killed by a hail of bullets. Watson warns the settlers of Canton's approach at another vast, chaotic gathering at "Heaven's Gate." The cowardly mayor of the county, Charlie Lezak, proposes to deliver the people on the list peacefully. At the same time, the young pharmacist Mr. Eggleston claims that the only way to survive is to arm themselves and fight the enemy army. The agitated settlers approve Eggleston's idea and rush to battle with Bridges and Ella leading them. With the hired invaders now surrounded, both sides suffer casualties (including a drunken, poetic Irvine) as Canton leaves to bring help. Watson and Averill return to Champion's charred and smoking cabin, and discover his corpse, along with a handwritten letter documenting his last minutes alive.

The next day, Averill reluctantly joins the immigrant settlers, with their cobbled-together [[siege machine]]s and explosive charges, in an attack against Wolcott's men and their makeshift fortifications. The battle is fiercer and more desperate. Despite the heavy losses that the immigrants suffer, including Eggleston himself, they manage to inflict a vast number of casualties on the mercenaries' army. Wolcott himself, while trying to escape, is killed by Averill, who hits him with an explosive charge. Before the settlers wipe out the enemies, the US Army shows up with Canton and Minardi, thus stopping the battle. The mercenaries are arrested, though Averill knows this is just a facade to save them and make them avoid a criminal charge. Later, at Watson's cabin, Bridges, Watson, and Averill prepare to leave for good, but Canton and two others ambush them. Averill and Bridges shoot and kill Canton and one of his men, but both Bridges and Watson are killed. A grief-stricken Averill holds Watson's body in his arms.

In 1903, a well-dressed, beardless, but older-looking Averill walks the deck of his yacht off [[Newport, Rhode Island]]. He goes below, where an attractive middle-aged woman sleeps in a luxurious boudoir. The woman, Averill's old Harvard girlfriend (perhaps now his wife), awakens and asks him for a cigarette. Silently he complies, lighting the cigarette and returning to the deck.