Terrence Malick, Days of Heaven (1978)

Looking back, when Terrence Malick’s Days of Heaven was released in 1978, following the success of his film Badlands in 1974, one might have concluded at the time that Malick was on his way to Hollywood stardom. In fact, the result was the exact opposite: critics such as the New York Times’ Harold C. Schonberg panned it as “intolerably artsy” and “artificial” and Malick abandoned film directing for 20 years (perhaps due to exhaustion from dealing with Richard Gere’s ego mania for an extended period of time).

In thinking of a modern-day film to compare with Days, I was quite pleased at myself for recognizing the similarities with PT Anderson’s There Will Be Blood (2007). Of course, when I started scouring the Internet to find still photos which show the similarities in style, I stumbled upon several articles comparing the two films, including one from this blogger. Oh well, I prefer to think of this coincidence as a justification of Malcolm Gladwell’s recent article in the New Yorker , the thesis for which is that similar innovation often happens at relatively the same time in different places.

But I digress… I don’t know whether PT Anderson was influenced by Malick, but both Days and Blood share a slow-paced style of storytelling in which the plot unfolds through long shots of characters’ actions often without the use dialogue. Both films also frame the conflict between the characters in the larger context of the natural world around them. The "natural" disasters which occur in both Days and Blood are almost visually overwhelming and serve to symbolize and heighten the human tension between the characters. Both films are also filled with Biblical references; there is literally a lot of fire and brimstone imagery on the screen (Days photos are above, Blood photo is below).

Like Badlands, Days of Heaven also employs the voice-over of a young girl (13-year old Linda Manz). This serves to add an interesting child-like perspective to the events of the plot which will often differ from what the audience knows to be true. This mismatch of interpretations gives the film depth and helps to keep the audience engaged. In the end, its easy to understand why this film was exhausting to make. While the real reason may never be known for why Malick left film directing for 20 years after Days, one thing is certain: that audiences certainly missed Malick's unique style during those two decades.

Terrence Malick, Badlands (1973)

In an era when directors churn out films at a pace of one every couple years, Terrence Malick is an anomaly. Starting with Badlands in 1973 (he also made Lanton Mills in 1969), Malick made only four films in three and half decades. Each one essentially builds on the same themes in a different setting. Malick is like an old acquaintance who sends you a Christmas card every decade; the words stay the same but the way we interpret them seems to change over time.

Malick is known for being a bit of recluse, but the attitude is refreshing. Instead of preening for attention, he instead appears to enjoy making beautiful films and letting them stand on their own merits. His low-key personality is also reflected in his directorial sytle- almost all of them feature voice-over narration spoken in a philosophical, conversational manner by the main character. Visually, the human drama is placed in the context of the surrounding natural world. The images of the natural world are often stunning and have the effect of framing very dramatic human conflicts as miniscule within the larger context (see picture below).

Badlands is elevated by the superb acting of the two main characters: a young Martin Sheen (pre-Apocalypse Now (1979)) and an even younger Sissy Spacek in one of her first films. From the opening scene, Malick sets the tone with a plodding musical score repeated throughout the film and presents the two characters as good-hearted and likable kids who are naive to the brutality of the world around them. As the plots develops and the characters succumb to violent actions, the viewer must deal with the brutal crimes of the protagonists and balance these emotions against the empathy we already have for them.

And if you think this subtle style could have been accomplished by any other director, just imagine if the person who directed the trailer would have filmed Badlands! Martin Sheen's character appears to have influenced Kevin Costner's character in Eastwood's Perfect World (1993). Compare Costner's look with Martin Sheen in this scene from Badlands. Of course, its obvious where the source material for both was derived from: James Dean (pictured here in Giant (1956)).

In terms of modern comparisons, Badlands is a more subtle character-driven film than Arthur Penn's Bonnie and Clyde (1967) and a less-over-the-top and gory film than Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers (1994). Badlands has few flaws and its aged well over time; the acting is great, the directing is unrivaled and the cinematography is timeless. A must see for any film lover.