Heaven's Gate

1

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?

F*** you, bastards!

Let him through!

Let him through!

F*** you bastards!

Come on, James!

Come on! Get him up!

Come on. Let's go.

Come on, you bastards!

You f***er!

Give me a push!

James! James! James!

You did it, James!

You got it, James! You got it!

...be forever

Let our love perish never

When we're parted, stick together

Heart to heart, bold and true

- Never fear then for Seventy

- My God, Billy.

- Have you ever felt ready to die?

- Give a cheer then for Seventy

It's over!

- Meet the world bravely, Seventy

- James, do you realize -

- Forward hearts, bold and true

- 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 sh*t.

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 b*tches 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 a**hole 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'?

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