20 Movies That Are Flawed Masterpieces

1. Heaven's Gate (1980)

In his ill-judged attempt to create his definitive masterpiece, Michael Cimino destroyed an entire studio. Yes, United Artists crumbled when Heaven's Gate flopped at the box office - one could blame them, of course, given the way that they indulged Cimino and his every whim after the success of The Deer Hunter, but ultimately it was Cimino - the troubled wunderkind with a hankering for "perfection" - who destroyed the studio. And his career.

And what for, you ask? The movie wasn't even worthwhile, right? At least, according to the majority of critics, one of whom was the late Roger Ebert, who branded Heaven's Gate as the "biggest cinematic waste I have ever seen." Ouch. That's to say that - in Ebert's mind - Heaven's Gate had almost everything going for it, and yet... nothing to actually say. Now, though, with the shadows of the past partially lifted, Heaven's Gate has emerged from the ashes with a new reputation - that of a flawed masterpiece. Watching this very difficult and beautifully shot three-hour epic, it's easy to see why. There is arguably no other movie in existence that battles with its own sense of actual and perceived greatness on such noticeable terms.

One minute it's beautiful and amazing; the next it's slow or confusing - and that's how things stay for the length of the picture. So whilst the story of land barons versus immigrants in 1880s Wyoming failed to capture the public's attention back in 1980, many have since come forward in to declare it as an overlooked classic. "A wounded monster," writes critic David Thomson, capturing everything that is Heaven's Gate in three words - but he means it in the best possible way.

Got a flawed masterpiece to add to the list? Let us know in the comments section below.