 According to Steven Bachs book Final Cut, after principal  photography had ended, Michael Cimino (qv) was granted $3 million  dollars to film the prologue and epilogue. The prologue scene that  takes place at Harvard University, but which was shot in Oxford,  England after Harvard had refused to let them shoot on the campus.  He was given that money with an ultimatum which was to have the  prologue done in the specific amount of time ordered by the studio  with no more money to be spent on wasted film. However, Cimino asked  for $5.2 million but the studio refused. Instead Cimino agreed to  the $3 million. The studio would have completely scrapped the entire  prologue and epilogue, if Cimino had not followed orders.