Terrence Malick is considered to be one of the greatest living filmmakers, if not the greatest, which seems insane considering he has only made six films in close to forty years. But after watching his second film Days of Heaven it is hard to argue with such a claim.
Bill (Richard Gere) and Abby (Brooke Adams) are two con artists who travel the countryside trying to survive. Bill's younger sister Linda (Linda Manz) joins them in journeying to the Texas Panhandle, where the get jobs as sackers on a wheat farm. The farm is run by The Farmer (Sam Shepard), who falls in love with Abby, believing her to be Bill's sister.
Whilst that plot may sound rather straightforward, that description comes nowhere near what the film is about or how what happens in the film. Malick wrote the film but threw away the script and let the three leads of Gere, Adams and Shepard form what would happen in the movie. The result is flowing saga of a love triangle that is a surprisingly gripping story in the hands of the talented Malick. This talent comes through even more in his editing of the film, which took over two years. His decision to run with an improvised script made it difficult for him to make a cohesive story and it was only after a completely improvised narration from Manz, that he was happy with the finished product.
One thing that really makes a Malick film, however, is the stunning cinematography. Néstor Almendros made the film look insanely beautiful by shooting only during the magic hours of dusk and dawn (although this 'hour' generally lasts 20 minutes), a time where it is light but there is no sun present. This effect gives the film a softer look that suits its 1916 setting. Malick loves his animal close ups and they are a recurring element in all his films, but I really thought that he didn't need to show us what locust mandibles look like up close. Another crucial element of this film is Ennio Morricone's score, which I have to say is one of the most beautiful, and yet chilling, film scores I have ever heard.
You could also say that this movie is just about four very subtle performances, all of them amazing. Richard Gere is too charming to think of as your stereotypical conman, but you can definitely see that he has a darker side to him. All he loves in the world are Abby and Linda and will do anything to make a good life for them. You can see the other side of this love in Brooke Adams, although she gives a great performance as she begins to fall for The Farmer. Sam Shepard is absolutely fantastic as a man who wants nothing more than have someone to love, since he has nothing more that he could want. As pointed out before, Manz also narrates the film and it is this narration that provides some background to the characters. It is also funny in parts.
Verdict: Days of Heaven is a true masterpiece that I wish I had known about before watching it. What's even more amazing is that Malick took a twenty year hiatus between this and his next film, The Thin Red Line.
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