Just a quick blog here because I’ve been kind of busy. I meant to review Up in The Air, and I probably still will, but writing this late kinda destroys the point of seeing a film the first day it was released. Anyway, to keep your appetite suitably whetted, here is a slightly older review I wrote to kick off a series talking about Classic Films that you must* watch.
The work of Terence Malick is certainly an acquired taste. To some it may be dull, pretentious and far too slow. For others it’s captivating, beautiful, and probably a bit too slow. Having seen three of his four films, I stand firmly in the latter category. Days of Heaven is not so much a film, more of an ode to nature, a testament to the beauty of America and a deep, involving study of love. All of which either adds up to a mesmerising experience, or a butt-numbing one.
It tells the story, in a rather roundabout way, of two lovers, Bill (Richard Gere) and Abby (Brooke Adams) posing as brother and sister, and the Bill’s little sister, Linda (Linda Manz), who follows them as they find work in the fields of the USA. But problems arise when the farmer they are working for (Sam Shepard) falls for Abby, thinking her only to be the sister of the Bill. Bill thinks the farmer is dying, so persuades Abby to marry him to gain the fortune. It’s a fairly simple plot, but as opposed to the even looser The New World, it’s reasonably compelling, especially come the climax. Naturally it’s downplayed to the extreme but enough happens to actually make you feel for the characters.
The main character (excluding nature), despite the billing, is actually Linda. An exceptionally mature performance elevates her character from a girl with an irritating, whiny voice, to a hugely sympathetic, profound and intelligent leading lady that is the drive behind the whole story. Leading the story onwards with a thoughtful, literary narrative, we see the world through the eyes of a child. She makes observations on the situation that surpass her years, making her a slightly odd but irrepressibly likeable protagonist. It’s easily the strongest aspect of the plot, but that does nothing to detract from the main theme of the love triangle. Gere and Adams are attractive leads with not much to do, yet still manage say so much through a lingering touch, or a longing glance. Sam Shepard (recently seen looking a lot older as Frank James, Jesse’s brother) is the standout of the three. His is an agonising, heartbreaking that clearly expresses exactly who the victim of the whole plot is. As biblical judgement is wreaked on his farm, and he begins to realise the motives of the whole sorry story, anyone who doesn’t feel sorry for him should probably check in with a psychiatrist. It’s a marvellous performance.
But in spite of the surprisingly gripping story with slow building tension, and an array of strong actors, that’s not really why anyone would watch Days of Heaven. It’s quite clearly for the cinematography, and if you go into the film expecting this then you will not be disappointed. Terence Malick is truly a master of the landscape, finding beauty everywhere he points his camera. Well, with the obvious help of cinematographer Nestor Almendros. You can feel the sense of awe the two of them have for what it is they are filming. Nothing is taken lightly here – it took Malick a year to film it, and this dedication pays off remarkably. Rarely has a film been so beautiful, or something as simple as a field of wheat been so lovingly portrayed. Not only this, but it is accompanied by a haunting score from the master composer Ennio Morricone. It’s almost as if they were trying to test the limits of how much splendour and elegance they could cram into one film.
It’s really not to everyone’s tastes, but for those who enjoy a slow burning plot playing second fiddle to the landscape it takes place in, then this is quite simply one of the most magisterial, moving and beautiful films ever made.
In Short: Sublime.
*well, you don’t have to.
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