Days of Heaven

Starring: Richard Gere, Brooke Adams, Sam Shepard, Linda Manz, Robert J. Wilke, Stuart Margolin
Directed by: Terrence Malick
Rating: PG
Genre: Drama, Romance
1978

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A farm laborer (Richard Gere) convinces his love (Brooke Adams) to feign love for a rich man (Sam Shepard) so they can obtain his wealth when he dies.

Review:

Tim: I've generally been very critical of Terrence Malick over the years. He undoubtedly has some level of talent as a director, but his movies always feel unnecessarily convoluted, ambiguous, and dull. I appreciate the man has a unique vision, but it's one that rarely enjoy going along with. I recognize this, but from time to time, I subject myself to his films regardless. That being said, I was surprised how much I enjoyed Days of Heaven. It's the earliest of his films I've seen, and perhaps the most accessible. It has some definite Malick quirks, enough to make me seriously consider the film in different ways, but I do feel like the film is exceptionally well made and mostly enjoyable. I give credit where credit is due, and Malick deserves quite a bit for this film.

The story takes place in 1916, in the Texas Panhandle. For Malick to write and direct a romantic period drama that shines a light on a people and a place that doesn't often grace our screens. I found the narrative and the characters compelling. We see these hardworking laborers, who pour their sweat (and occasionally) blood into the land to harvest crops for richer men, then move on when the time is right. Our characters- a makeshift family- want to break the cycle and find a better path forward. This takes the form of a long con- the woman will pretend to love the rich man, even though it's the laborer she loves. There's also a random younger woman, who exists on the periphery, but also oddly narrates the film. This is a Malick movie, after all. The film takes on the feeling of a Biblical parable, something Malick leans into with his film. None of this feels typical in Hollywood movies- everything about this film and Malick's vision for it sets it apart from what we're used to seeing.

Malick's movies always seem to have production troubles and this film was no exception. It took Malick years to finish the film and he struggled with developing the overarching narrative. That's long been my biggest complaint of his films- they're usually beautiful to look at but hard to follow. There's definitely some of that here- Malick's solution was for the younger woman character to narrate the film. This works better in theory than in practice- her narration isn't always helpful. We don't hear much from her in the film, so it's odd and jarring to hear her in this role. I picked up on it as one of the bigger oddities of the movie. I suppose it helps ground things at times, but there's definitely a element of looseness and ambiguity in the way the story is told.

On the plus side, Malick directs a technically stunning film. Most noteworthy is the absolutely gorgeous cinematography. It's dated by today's standards, but it's still one of the more beautiful films I've seen. The natural light, the landscape shots, the way the sky and weather shows up- you would be hard pressed to find a more incredible film from a visual perspective. This movie won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography, which is a well-deserved win. If you're looking for a reason to watch this film, the cinematography by itself makes this a must-see. It's that wonderful. The film was also nominated for Best Costume Design, Best Sound, and Best Original Score. Four technical nominations and one win show that Malick is exceptional in his craftsmanship.

Narratively, the film is weaker. However, it's helped by strong performances. Richard Gere has rarely been better than he is in this film. His character isn't always likeable, but it's hard to take your eyes off him in this film. Gere leans into the complexity and the flaws of this character and he comes to life on screen. It's a strong performance. I'm not sure Brooke Adams is a great actress, but I always seem to like her when I see her. I thought she gave a strong performance here, putting a ton of effort into helping us understand this woman. She works exceptionally well with her costars and brings out different sides of this character. Sam Shepard adds a great performance, too- he might deliver the best pure acting performance of the film. To see Gere, Adams, and Shepard in this love triangle is an absolute highlight and it's a major reason why I liked this movie so much. The drama is compelling, they showcase a range of emotions, and they pull the audience into this situation. It works, and so the whole movie works. I wasn't a big fan of Linda Manz or her narration. It's memorable, but she feels disconnected from the broader film.

Malick tells a lot of story in a tight 1 hour, 34 minutes. The story drags occasionally, as Malick films usually do. However, the cinematography and the drama make this film feel more epic than maybe it actually is. You get caught up in the human drama set against this expansive landscape. The environment feels as much as a character as any of the humans do. Days of Heaven isn't an easy movie to watch- Malick is always going to challenge the audience and subvert expectations. However, of the now-four of his films I've seen, this was the least obnoxious. I really appreciated the craftsmanship of bringing this movie to life. It's his best film I've seen, undoubtedly.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



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