Heaven's Gate

James!

She let you go then?

Yeah.

Afraid of nobody.

I wish you could see into my heart, James, and know that, this very night...

I am going to repent of all my sins.

- What's that? - They're leaving Harvard.

You're hungover.

James! James! Where are we supposed to be?

Here?

My friends...

if it be not a mere farce -

If it be not a mere farce you are enacting...

in these sacred valedictory rites...

if you mean them, feel them -

as I know you do...

they have for you a mandate of imperative duty.

Hallelujah!

It is not great wealth alone...

that builds the library...

founds the college...

that is to diffuse a high learning and culture among a people.

It is the contact...

of the cultivated mind with the uncultivated.

If it be true...

that the constitution of American society...

is peculiarly hostile now...

to all habits of thought and meditation...

it doubly behooves us -

It doubly behooves us...

to look well to the influence we may exert.

A high ideal -

the education of a nation.

CIass of '70...

friends, parents...

relations of the class of '70...

I now introduce your class orator -

Mr. William C. Irvine.

Oh!

James! Onward!

William.

Give us a good one, Bill!

CIass of '70...

ladies and gentlemen...

friends of the class of '70...

That's your friend.

There is a story told by an ancient author...

of a young man who being noticed by his friend to look dejected...

was questioned by him...

concerning the cause of his troubled appearance.

The youth used no concealment...

but told him that, for three days...

he had been vainly endeavoring with his utmost efforts...

to find an exordium for a subject on which he had to write.

Whereupon, his friend replied with a smile...

"Do you wish to write better than you can?"

"And such," says the old author, "is the whole truth of the matter.

We must endeavor to speak to the best of our ability...

but we must speak according to our ability."

Oh. He keeps looking at you.

And similar to the distress of this youth was my own trouble...

when upon examining the old skeleton upon which most college orations are hung -

I considered how I might incarnate that familiar framework.

Of course, I at once decided not to attempt any profound...

or difficult matter...

lest having given the dry bones at best but a long tongue -

puny strength.

And after much careful and calm meditation...

the class has refused to advise alteration...

on the usual law that is called gravitation.

Though we had thought at one time of having it stopped...

in order that some of us might not be dropped.

But the mind of mankind perhaps will be gratified to learn...

that, at last, the law has been ratified...

and the common result can be counted on still.

All rivers, as usual, flowing downhill.

The seasons, in turn, will continue to roll.

We shall ask for no change in the north or south pole.

The sun will continue to set in the west.

The majority of us considered it best.

We disclaim all intention of making a change...

in what...

we esteem...

on the whole...

I don't know where to look.

Well arranged.

Oh!

James!

Excuse me.

- God, you're beautiful. - So are you.

Are you alone?

Oh, yes.

Come on. Where is it?

Fuck you, bastards!

Let him through! Let him through!

Fuck you bastards!

Come on, James!

Come on! Get him up! Come on. Let's go.

Come on, you bastards!

You fucker!

Give me a push!

James! James! James!

You did it, James!

You got it, James! You got it!

It's over!

Three cheers for our dear old country!

- Hip, hip! - Hooray!

Hooray!

Stupid.

Goddamn ignorant bastards.

Go back to where you came from!

Excuse me, ma'am.

Pardon me. If I could get by, please.

Thank you very much.

How are ya?

Try to keep moving, folks. Thank you.

Try and keep moving, folks. Thank you very much.

Casper.

Let's move it. Move.

Move along, please.

That you, Cully?

Yes. Yes.

Howdy, Jim. Howdy.

Well, I will be damned.

What in the hell are you doing here in that rig?

There's hard times, Jim.

A citizen's got to make a dollar any way he can these days.

I thought you was still up in Johnson County.

I am.

Well, what are you doing down here, then, in this part of the world?

I brought an immigrant woman in for hanging.

Federal penitentiary, St. Louis.

Is the law hanging women now, are they?

She shot her husband six times in the head and then the kids.

God of shit.

Maybe I'm overdue for a new life myself, Cully.

So - So how is things in St. Louis anyways?

The bank just crashed.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph. What's next?

Time to get out, Cully. Head west.

I already been there.

Well, you got yourself a-a fit drivin' carriage here.

Taking it back up to Johnson County, are you?

Tonight, if it doesn't snow.

Say, another citizen was killed up there day before yesterday.

Caught speed butchering a steer with a hatchet.

Michael - Michael Kovach, I believe it was.

Mike Kovach, you say?

I tell you, every new citizen takes up land here...

the big fellas blackball him.

A citizen steals to keep his family from starving -

and they-they threaten them off or kill them.

- Goddamn. - I'll tell you something, Jim.

I'll tell you something.

If the rich could hire others to do their dying for them...

the poor could make a wonderful living.

Money.

- The Arab horse is yours, too, I see. - Well, that's a fine-looking animal.

Take him on down to the stable.

It's getting more crowded every day, isn't it?

Those poor sons of bitches sit around weeks waiting for claims verifications.

Do they know what's waiting for them out here?

No, they don't. They do not.

They just sit here in the asshole of creation...

some of them starving right in front of my eyes.

Babies too.

Every damn day, I swear I'm not gonna give 'em another penny.

I'm a poor citizen myself. What can you do?

I'm as human as the next citizen.

I'm a human being, ain't I? I'm not ashamed of it.

I tell - I tell you, Jim. I got so I can't stand this job already.

- There you go, Cully. It's on me this time. - You don't have to do that, Jim.

What do you want to go and do a thing like that for?

Harness up the Studebaker for me, will you?

I'll be back for it presently.

Well, I - I'll put your grip in there for you.

Set this up there in that carriage.

I don't want to see a scratch on it.

Say, Jim! Jim!

Jim!

Jim! Watch yourself.

I mean take care of yourself.

Aw, I don't - I don't know what I mean.

Thanks, Cully.

Don't let these citizens get to you.

Yeah. You know that.

Show me that other Browning there.

Well balanced.

Bill, how you doin'?

Dudley, I do believe I am finally workin' for a rich firm.

- George, we'll pick up the extra men. - How many hands has he got?

- He's got five dozen. I got - - Hi. How you doin', George? How many gun hands you -

- Association? - Name's Morrison.

Sign here.

I want a new suit of clothes and a Witte's Special 12-gauge shotgun.

Suits are over there at the self-service rack. I'll get the other.

Association?

No. Where's Zindel?

Died. Apoplexy.

Well, you struck it rich here, friend.