Any one who has heard of Terrence Malick (Terry to his friends, though I wouldn’t know…) understands that not only can his movies be regarded as enigmas, but his person as well. A director who has been notorious for being evasive of any publicity, Malick’s philosophy professor character (has taught at Oxford and Harvard, no joke) is certainly on display in all of his films, always evoking intellectual, interpretive stimulation with thought provoking characters, story, and most importantly and prominently, imagery.
CAUTION: NOT FOR EVERYBODY; NARRATION AND CINEMATIC POETRY ABOUND!
Days of Heaven
Oddly enough this used to be my least favorite out of his oeuvre, but I now definitely could regard it as his best. A pre World War I piece about a meandering couple pretending to be brother and sister (played by Richard Gere and Brooke Adams respectively), this gorgeous (understatement) drama from 1978 shows the class and cultural differences between lowly workers on a farm and their employer. As the couple attempts to con the owner along with a real sister (oops, forgot to mention Gere’s character’s younger sibling along for the ride), we see beautiful landscapes, visions of biblical plagues, and dialogue extremely toned down in exchange for something intellectual, thought provoking, and altogether exhilarating (if this tickle’s your fancy, the next few movies may work too).
The Thin Red Line
Malick took a small break before making this film, giving some of you the chance to age about twenty years or so… just a tiny hiatus, that all. But if the time was necessary to bring this quality to the screen, that be ok with me.
The film that might be the most accessible as it is understandably labeled a war film, The Thin Red Line is truly unlike any other. With a remarkable cast, massive vistas, and breathtaking natural lighting and settings, Malick has used the same style from Days of Heaven here, to create what may be the most cerebral war film ever made; it not only deals with the conflict between soldiers, but ostensibly with human nature, the environment, and God himself.
The New World
What has appeared to me as his least appreciated film by general audiences, the retelling of the Pocahontas cartoon features most of the same enigmatic and yet natural style featured in Malick’s previous film (so if you’ve made it this far, you MIGHT make it through the sometimes annoying romance story on display here).
…At this moment (after recently viewing it for the first time), in simple terms, it is Pocahontas meets John Smith, the story that most in the United States already have learned as younglings. It truly is beautiful, complete with narration and a lack of on screen dialogue (essentially MALICK), yet filled with dealings of a love triangle I have trouble avoiding a “scoff cough” at (the love triangle in Days of Heaven is much more enticing). That’s not to say it isn’t an enthralling picture; it truly is an amazing look at the first encounter between two worlds (see his other films for more class/culture clashing).
Final note: I LOVE MALICK
P.S.- left out important and well regard Badlands… because I have not yet seen it; will soon.
P.P.S – look for Malick’s new film Tree of Life this April!
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