Thursday, April 18, 2013

the Directors: Terrence Malick


The notion of the auteur theory exists for filmmakers like Terrence Malick. You don’t even have to watch a Malick movie to know you’re watching a Malick movie. Choose most any still shot from his six feature films, and you’ll immediately recognize who crafted it. Hear a clip from one of his films – the obscure classical movement, the delicate sound of nature in work, the gentle narration – and you’ll be aware of its creator.

In short, Terrence Malick’s uniquely unparalleled vision, mixed with his J.D. Salinger-like reclusiveness, makes him one of the most enigmatic artists currently flexing his craft. And, best to get this out of the way now, I dig the man’s vision. I enjoy his shifting narratives, his puzzling structures, his ceaseless narration, his visual poetry. When I recently reviewed Malick’s latest film, To the Wonder, I noted that his films have a way of making us uncomfortable. They abandon the three act structure we’re all used to, and adopt an idea all their own. I respect that. I’m inspired by that. Which is about all I can think to ask from a filmmaker.

(Note: If there was ever a filmmaker in which assigning mere grades to their films was deemed an exercise in futility, then it certainly is Malick. I love all of his films, despite what I’ve plused and minused today.)

Badlands (1973)
I’m not sure what motivated Malick to base his first film on teenage serial killer Charles Starkweather, who famously murdered 10 people during a two-month road trip in the Midwest. Perhaps it was the overall mysticism surrounding Starkweather’s motivations – the James Dean ideation, the desire to impress a young love, the bizarre thirst for blood. Whatever Malick’s inspirations, he took a deeply disturbing wave of crime and transformed it into a lyrical work of art. A film that, and I feel this is inarguable, stands as one of the finest debut features for any filmmaker in cinematic history.

There’s a confidence to Badlands that consequently gives it the look and feel of a seasoned pro. Stepping effortlessly into the role of Kit Carruthers, Martin Sheen personifies Starkweather’s sensibilities, while making the character all his own. He murders hastily, instinctually, prematurely, without much care as to the repercussions. By himself, Kit would be a monster that the audience could easily disregard, but because Malick juxtaposes Kit’s psychosis with the tenderness and false hope of his lover, Holly (Sissy Spacek), Badlands is given a unique sense of depth and humanity. A kind of humanity that continues to haunt, inspire and puzzle, all these decades later. A

Days of Heaven (1978)
After a heated argument leads to murder, Chicago steel worker Bill (Richard Gere) flees with his girlfriend Abby (Brooke Adams) and younger sister Linda (Linda Manz) to Texas, where they are soon hired to work on a large wheat farm. To avert controversy, Bill and Abby say they are siblings, which causes the farm’s young, shy owner (Sam Shepard) to take a liking to Abby. The Farmer soon relents that he’s terminally ill, and Bill encourages Abby to marry the Farmer as a means of collecting his inheritance.

Now, that’s a love triangle of Shakespearian proportions – one of my absolute favorite tales of turbulent affection ever captured on film. So it speaks very highly for Days of Heaven that its plot comes secondary to its scope.

Simply put, Days of Heaven is one of the best-looking films of all time. Shot almost exclusively during magic hour, the film’s constant, gorgeous natural backlighting acts as the perfect environment for the romantic turmoil in the foreground. With this picture, Malick gently asserted himself as an auteur in search of truth through emotion. Instead of grand monologues, he lets a swarm of locusts say what no film character could possibly articulate. Pain on the surface, with beauty brimming just below. The Malick method at its finest. A

The Thin Red Line (1998)
A few years ago, I wrote an essay in which I compared the power of Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan to Malick’s The Thin Red Line. And I wrote it for a few reasons. Mainly, up until drafting that post, I honestly was not aware which film I liked better. They were famously released just months apart, and depicted the same war in very different ways. Perhaps comparing them in the first place wasn’t fair to either film, but those were the notions I wanted to expand upon.

Penning that essay is the reason I write. Through writing, a love was realized, developed and cemented. A love for a film that I now consider to be the finest, most shattering war picture ever made. A love that allowed me to comprehend my full appreciation for such an obscure director. In short, my love for The Thin Red Line is boundless. There isn’t a weak link to be found in the Who’s Who of notable faces from the cast. John Toll’s cinematography is as lyrical as it is conscious, and Hans Zimmer’s score is so iconic that sound bites from it are still being used in film trailers.

There’s nothing I don’t admire about this film. It’s a 171 minute long beautiful mystery that continues to evolve, and never hints at fading away. A+

The New World (2005)
Slightly more obscure in execution than his first three features, The New World is a moody, atmospheric romance that captures one of the most studied failed romances of all time. And, again, this being the transcendental world of Malick, it isn’t so much the love between John Smith (Colin Farrell) and Pocahontas (Q'orianka Kilcher) that attracts us, but rather, how the love is achieved. Everything just feels so new. When we watch “The Naturals” watching those three massive ships inch toward the mainland, it feels as though we’re learning about it for the first time. When we watch Smith and Pocahontas (who is amusingly never referred to by her name, until it is changed to “Rebecca”) interact, it isn’t as if they’re discovering love, but rather being overcome with it.

With the help of cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki (whose effortless motions and stark images were born to be scrutinized by Malick), composer James Horner (crafting one of the finest movie scores of all time), production designer Jack Fisk and many more, The New World is able to morph preconceptions into revelations. It flows and blossoms seamlessly, never ceasing to desist its emotional complexity.

The final 10 minutes of this film, in which Malick shows Rebecca at her happiest before sealing her fate, all scored perfectly to Wagner’s “Das Rheingold,” is the most moving thing Malick has ever put on screen. Its physical and emotional beauty continues to bring tears to my eyes. A+

The Tree of Life (2011)
Moving full tilt to the land of purposeful obscurity (where, it appears, his next several projects will remain), The Tree of Life documents a young man’s turbulent upbringing at the hands of his strict father and graceful mother. Before the film’s 20-minute mark, it has traced the confusion of Vietnam-era Middle America, the hustle bustle of the corporate 21st century, the stillness of the 1950s, and, finally, the dawn of time. No small feat, but Malick had grand aspirations here. Whether or not he achieved them is up to the individual watching, but I’ve always considered The Tree of Life to be an epic poem of moving images in which life, youth, and death are reconstructed spectacularly.

It has been said that The Tree of Life is Malick’s most autobiographical film yet. But because the man is so notoriously timid, we only have the notions of other people to go off of. No matter how personal the film is to him, The Tree of Life is an undeniably unique vision. It presents common themes in profound ways, and dares its viewer to ride along. I haven’t a clue what it all means, but The Tree of Life isn’t something that necessarily wants to be solved, but rather, consumed. Consider me completely overcome. A+

To the Wonder (2013)
For me, Malick’s latest visual sonnet is best represented in the still above. To the Wonder is about two people who want to love, but, for reasons unknown to us (and possibly to them), simply cannot. In a way, it’s as if they’re both going in the same direction, but there are miles of space between them. When Neil and Marina are on, everything works. Life makes sense – the space and time and circumstance in which they exist matters none, because they exist together. But when they’re off, life’s off. Everything falters – habits annoy, stepchildren irritate, suburbia suffocates – nothing can be won.

Emotional pain (usually as it relates to love, romantic or otherwise) is a common theme in all of Malick’s films, but I’m not sure I’ve seen him portray it as devastatingly as he does here. But don’t get me wrong, To the Wonder isn’t a film enamored with its own agony. Working with Malick for the third consecutive time, Emmanuel Lubezki redefines how to tell a story with fluid imagery. Nature is as much of a character here as Neil and Marina. A subtle glance is as telling as a verbal lashing out, a sherbet sunset encapsulates a mood, and a stairwell says more about separation than any character possibly can. A-

In Summation
Masterful
The Thin Red Line
The New World
The Tree of Life

Great
Badlands
Days of Heaven
To the Wonder

Good
None

Eh
None

Just Plain Bad
None



34 comments:

  1. Great post.
    I have a thing for visual filmmakers and Malick is certainly one of the best. Having said that, I do like slightly more coherency and focus, so even if I love a Malick film at the first watch, I am not extremely keen to revisit it unless I am in the right mood.

    I have seen all except To The Wonder, which should be hopefully be watched this weekend. For some reason, I don't remember Badlands so well, even though I have watched it and I remember liking it too. I loved Days of Heaven, Thin Red Line and Tree of Life. The New World was actually the only one I felt that tested my patience.

    Can't wait for his next few films, though admittedly for all the "wrong" reasons (Fassy and Gos in one movie!! If he doesn't edit them out that is).

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    1. Thanks!

      I completely understand what you're talking about in terms of visual aesthetic vs. narrative structure. That seems to be the underlying battle that most everyone has with his films, and that's a very fair point.

      I never remember Badlands as much as the others either, probably because I've seen it the least out of all of them. But I rewatched it for this post and was once again blown away.

      Whatever he's doing with The Gos, Fass and Rooney is going to be something special. Can't wait!

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  2. Great post Alex! I am ashamed to say I haven't seen a single Terence Malick film. *hangs head in shame*. One of those directors I keep meaning to get into though so hopefully this will give me the kick I need.

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    1. Thanks man! Actually, I'd kill to be where you are right now. Discovering Malick for the first time was one of the most influential movie moments of my life. Plus, it'll be so interesting to start at the beginning and trace your way down - watching his sloooow progression into the obscure.

      Enjoy! Can't wait to hear what you think of them.

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  3. Damn! You hate Terrence Malick films! haha. Nice stuff as always man. I've seen all of his flicks, with the exception of Badlands which I'm still trying to make my rounds to.

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    1. Ha, no doubt! Love this guy.

      If you can get ahold of the recent Criterion Badlands, then definitely do. It's GORGEOUS.

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  4. Dude, this is a great article (I was actually thinking the other day if you were going to do one of these for Malick). I really have to go out and watch Days of Heaven and The New World based on these reviews of them. I definitely have to re-watch Tree of Life because I'm still pretty mixed on that one, but every other film from Malick I have loved to pieces. I think he is probably one of my favorite filmmakers working today.
    Also, like Nikhat said, I can't wait for Knight of Cups and the film he's doing with Fassbender, Gosling, Bale, Portman, Mara, etc. Is it just me or does it seem like those might actually be more "narrative" driven films based on the ideas?

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    1. Thanks man! I definitely think the music industry film he's working on could have a more narrative structure, but who the hell knows.

      Days of Heaven is fantastic, and bloody gorgeous. The New World... that's one I like a lot more than most people. Very very slow movie.

      Glad you're a fan of his, hope you get around to watching the rest soon!

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  5. I must say I only liked Thin Red Line. Tree of Life was one of the few movies that I'd consider unwatchable. I'd not see it again even if someone paid me for it. I'll see To the Wonder soon but only because the run time seems short and I heard amazing things about Kurlyenko's performance.

    That said, Christian Bale's performance in the New World is one of the most tender and beautiful performances I've seen.

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    1. That's the mysticism of Malick - some love, some hate, others love/hate. I am really happy to hear that you like Bale's work in The New World. I didn't have a chance to mention it here, but that's one of my favorite acting performances ever.

      Kurlyenko is solid in To the Wonder, but if you hated The Tree of Life that much, I honestly don't think you'll like To the Wonder at all. We shall see.

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  6. Malick is a future Auteurs subject but I'm going to wait out for the slate of new films he's making as I know there's more to come. Plus, I really want to see his short Lanton Mills that he made in 1969 but it's only accessible to members of the AFI.

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    1. I'd love to see Lanton Mills, but yeah, he made AFI promise it'd never be available for public consumption. Sucks.

      Oh also, I'd be really curious to see how you'd grade his films...

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    2. Well, I usually don't grade things as it's even more difficult when it comes to Malick as I love everything he's done so far as I will see To the Wonder this weekend.

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    3. Oh okay gotcha. I completely understand. Hope you dig To the Wonder.

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  7. Great post! I still need to see To the Wonder but I've seen the rest of his films. As for me I stll think Badlands is Malick's best film and also one of the greatest movies of all time. I've enjoyed the rest as well except for The New World which I really tried to like but it just didn't work for me.
    -Dan

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    1. Thanks Dan! The more I watch Badlands, the more I love it. Such a goddamn gem, that one. The New World is the flick that really splits people, and that's fair enough. Very different, even for Malick.

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    2. I only watched the theatrical release of New World though. Do you think the extended cut would make a difference if I decide to give it another go?

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    3. The extended cut of that film is one of the very few extended cuts I've seen that is far less effective than the theatrical cut. So, definitely stay away from the extended cut.

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  8. Awesome post! I'm a huge Malick fan and this is one of the rare "The Directors" posts where I've actually seen all of the films mentioned. In my mind, the ratings go:

    Badlands: A+
    Days of Heaven: A+
    Thin Red Line: A
    The New World: A
    The Tree of Life: A+
    Into The Wonder: A

    Either way Malick has a remarkably consistent body of work. Can't wait for the inevitable masterpieces that Knight of Cups and his untitled project with Gosling, Bale, and Fassbender will be.

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    1. Hey Ethan, great to hear from you!

      Awesome ratings man - you really are a fan! I'm so pumped for his next two flicks as well. I seriously can't get enough of his work. A one of a kind auteur.

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  9. Brilliant man. Malick hasn't let me down yet. The man just doesn't make bad films (so far?). With To the Wonder still on my mind, I'm actually going to go through his filmography again soon. Can't wait!

    At the moment, I'd say:

    The Thin Red Line, The Tree of Life - A+
    Badlands, Days of Heaven, To the Wonder - A
    The New World - A- (REALLY need to rewatch this though)

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    1. Thanks dude! I agree he can do no wrong. I traced back through all of his films before To the Wonder. Loved it. Reaffirmed how much he means to me as an artist.

      Love your grades by the way!

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  10. His first two films were good, the third one was bearable, but New World and Tree of Life suck big time.

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  11. Tree of Life is the only film of Terrence Malick's I've seen and sadly I was in the camp that just didn't enjoy it. I can definitely appreciate it on some level, but it didn't make me want to search out more of his films. He has incredible vision and there's no denying the film is beautiful, but it felt far too self important. I couldn't get into it.

    I do want to watch The Thin Red Line and Badlands - have heard nothing but good things. But think I'll be giving To The Wonder a miss as I've heard it's very much in the same vein as Tree of Life, and well, yeah... not for me!

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    1. Hey Jaina, thanks for stopping by and commenting!

      I understand what you're saying about The Tree of Life, but if it's any consolation, Badlands, Days of Heaven and The Thin Red Line play out much more like regular movies. Not obscure like Tree of Life and To the Wonder. So I still recommend checking them out!

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  12. Great choice Alex, I am supposed to watch To The Wonder ASAP, my brother is getting mad at me waiting for my portion of the review. Glad to hear it is worth a watch.

    A Thin Red Line might be my favorite war film of all time.

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    1. Thanks man. Better get on that review - brothers can be tough! haha

      The Thin Red Line is definitely my favorite war film of all time. It so brilliantly captures the true hell of war. Ah, just devastating.

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  13. I'm not sure what to make of Malick. I loved Days of Heaven and enjoyed most of The Thin Red Line, but The Tree of Life did nothing for me. I would really like to see Badlands though.

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    1. I do think you'll like Badlands... it's the most unMalick of Malick's flicks. Also, if The Tree of Life didn't work for you, I'd recommend that you DON'T see To the Wonder. It's very similar in tone.

      Thanks so much for stopping by, always appreciate your comments my friend.

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  14. If the man made no other movie besides 'Thin Red Line' I would still consider him one of the finest visual storytellers out there. One of my favorite images of all-time is that house on the great rolling plains in 'Days of Heaven'. The little silver of civilization in the great frontier, is just awe-inspiring. It took awhile but I do consider 'Tree of Life' to be one of the most fluidly poetic films ever made. It is about a man coming to terms with his inner conflicting personas, that of the caring, warm, kind and earthy taught to him by his mother, and the stern, stoic, cold, and detached instilled by his father. Both sides are in conflict over dealing with his younger brother's death, how is he supposed to feel? There is no structure to feelings, so the film has no conventional structure. As the laste great Roger Ebert loved to say "Film is not about what it is about, it is HOW it is about what it is about"

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    1. I love that Ebert quote, and I think it applies so well to Malick's films. Obviously, I'm a huge fan of his work, but I agree, if The Thin Red Line was his only movie, I would still consider him one of the all time best.

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  15. I saw the trailer for Knight of Cups. I was just too ????? I never saw a Malick film and now I can't say I want to do it. The trailer is just too ????? and probably the film too.

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    1. That's one of the best trailers I've seen in years. Malick is one of my all-time favorite filmmakers.

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