Days of Heaven

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Julian Rex M Perhaps ill-served by Billy Weber's choppy editing, Days of Heaven nonetheless proves to be a beautifully photographed and aptly acted exploration of love, manipulation, death, and what comes after against an arresting backdrop of the post-Leone west. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 05/30/25 Full Review Evan B Every Malick film I've seen is more or less visually breathtaking: poetic, evocative, wondrous. Days of Heaven, Malick's second film is no different, showcasing the rugged beauty of the Texas Panhandle during and after WWI. The locust/wildfire sequence is particularly incredible, a visual and auditory cacophony of masterful practical execution. However, the story flounders, as besides his trademark cinematography, Malick doesn't seem to know what he wants to focus on. The three main characters of the love triangle rarely rise to any compelling drama or emotion, and the result are vaguely drawn characters. Sam Shepard's performance was good, but that seemed to me mainly achieved through facial expression rather than the bloodless script. The girl's voiceover was simply bad: charmless, dull, and spoken with a head scratching attempt at a Chicago accent (maybe the patois has changed significantly over the past century, but as a native Chicagolander, I've never heard anyone speak like she did). When Malick hits, like in The Tree of Life and A Hidden Life, it can be a transcendent experience showcasing the communicative power of film. This one flopped for me, though a Malick flop is still better than almost all the stuff out there. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 05/19/25 Full Review Jason G Saw this on Criterion channel and didn't like it at all. The script is inert and Malick can't handle actors (how many times a day does the Richard Gere character shave?). The massive editing (cutting) prevents the rhythms of nature from coming through, and the clumsy close-ups of the characters look like insets, along with the nature creatures. The music is great (it must be borrowed by Harry Potter) and the cinematography/lighting is well-respected. I suppose it looks better on a big screen, and the blend of noise and silence might be artistic (the locust noises are cool) but I'm glad Malick doesn't make many movies. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 09/12/24 Full Review Luca D One of the most beautiful films you'll see. The fire in the fields scene was amazing. Definitely holds up well, considering it's age. The only part I wasn't to happy about was the lackluster ending. Kind of ended on a weird note. Other than that the sets, costumes, music, and acting were all 10/10. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/08/24 Full Review Hao Ian L While the premise of the love triangle story is rather simple, the poetic and meditative approach is what sets it apart. <i>Days of Heaven</i> is not a film driven by plot, it avoids traditional narrative structures and opts instead for a dreamlike quality that invites viewers to immerse themselves in the world on screen with visual poetry that is unparalleled. Malick captures the vastness and beauty of the Texas Panhandle with breathtaking imagery, the golden fields of wheat, fiery sunsets, and imposing thunderstorms create a visual symphony that complements the film's emotional depth, it's an experience much more magical than a synopsis would ever allow. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/01/24 Full Review David C I saw it last night at Music Box theater. It is a beautiful film to look at with a solid cast but the story is just lacking and the ending was so bad that I heard people laugh out loud. Good but not best ever film. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/28/24 Full Review Read all reviews

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