I don't know about you guys but I'm pretty stoked for Malick's upcoming film The Tree of Life. So let's have a little discourse on the man whilst we sit in anticipation. If you're not familiar with him (and I suggest you should start familiarizing yourself with his work), what you should at least know is that he has a keen eye for symbolism, his flicks look like they were directed by a wildlife photographer, and he is a master of the oft-dreaded voice over, utilizing it in very expressive ways that not many people have before. Loaded with dynamics -whether they be in script or on screen, his films are philosophical, atmospheric, and overall poetic. There aren't many directors who have perfected the craft of a 'mood piece' quite like this man. And what is so fascinating is that he has perfected his craft with so few films on his resume (the petite number of 4), however it is still enough to proclaim auteur from the rooftops, his concern with culture, nature, individuality and the self are thought provoking enough to warrant a thumbs up from the great philosophers on camera such as Tarkovsky or Bergman. And his filmic language is unique enough to warrant no homage to any other filmmakers, this is what interests me about Malick - He doesn't 'feel' like a filmmaker, rather a genuine intellectual and a poet who uses film only as stomping ground to project his thoughts, he does not seem concerned with his peers in the business, whether past or present (hell, the man even went to film school with David Lynch). However this is my opinion upon a mountain of opinions of this man, each quite diverse due to his reclusiveness resulting in an unwillingness to speak about himself or his work. So let's take a look at the man's mythology - his films.
Badlands (1973)
Malick's lovers-on-the-run film lacks the romanticism that most in the genre have, instead we are faced with a rather melancholy-tinged affair. As we witness the genesis of the style which Malick has become recognized for, we will notice that it hasn't fully come to fruition (as with most debut feature). It feels like Malick is trying to come to terms with the language of film, all of the traditional Malickian traits can be found here, although all in their most basic, primordial form, lacking full definition. This is all of course forgivable, as Malick never punches above his weight in this debut, and the finishing result is a rather beautiful film about youth, marking the teenage ennui that many face, and perhaps not all can relate to the whole killing spree thing (God help you if you can), but it still touches on some very basic, very human ground about the confusion we face when we're on the verge of becoming adults and comprehending just what exactly we're capable of and what we aren't. Recognizing evil and temptation in the world and having the unfortunate amount of just enough naivety to become lured by it. Even on it's rather simple surface, there's quite a lot of profundity to be seen here, and it is as great a prologue as any to found a career upon.
Overall rating: 8.2
Days of Heaven (1978)
Oh me, oh my. This is quite possibly the largest stride forward in any filmmaker's career I've ever seen. We skip straight past the usual sophomoric level of filmmaking and directly into the territory of a true artist. Malick's direction here-forth takes a rather omnipresent turn, side-tracking the main plot and characters for landscapes, bugs, animals, and even takes lesser seen characters and placing them at the forefront of the film, giving them their due time to shine. Malick's meandering has an unusual amount of focus and attention paid to it, giving each and every side-tracking justification for it's being there, so much so that without them, the film would not be whole. It has the characteristic of both turbidity and clarity, of both precision and peregrination. Everything is where it should be, and all of it is pulsating with vitality and mood. The themes are abundant, on the face is another lovers-on-the-run story, however this story is much more broad and all-encompassing than that of Badlands (with quite a few more Biblical overtones), as if Malick were trying to perfect what he originally set out to do. It touches on human emotion and how it can poison rational thought, the nature of love, the nature of guilt, and nature itself, and it's corruption thereof. The film is told through the eyes of young Linda, our protagonist's sister. Her simplistic analysis of the things around her give the films normal moral ambiguity a duality of straightforwardness. Nothing is directly clear in this masterpiece, it is a film ultimately true to the glory and downfall of human existence and the dichotomy of lines and boundaries in which we co-exist, and how we eventually come to cross them in the name of love or fear.
Overall rating: 10.0
Yes, you are seeing those dates correctly, it was 20 years from Days of Heaven until the earth was graced with another Terrence Malick film. And the film we were given was his most ambitious feature yet, doubling the length of his first two films, grander in scope than the two of them combined, and with a cast so large that A-listers like George Clooney are practically extras. Here we are presented with lush green landscapes, overcast skies, and hills abound. Smoke, fog, water and fire all play as vital natural elements here. Malick's perfection of the ephemeral can be found here just as glorious as it was in Days of Heaven (and arguably more-so). But most importantly the films philosophical quest is at the foreground - a meditation on the nature of evil, the purpose of killing and it's justification, and a rather Platonic questioning of reality and how we perceive it both as individuals and a collective whole. Every man has his story to tell, and each is as meaningful and meaningless as the next man's, and in the face of death and war, who are we really, and what permits us to have individuality or personal freedom, do such things even exist? Or are we pawns in God's game? This is heavy stuff, and Malick really shows his boldness in asking such big questions and does so without pretentiousness, it is such daringness that defines this film as his magnum opus. It is the be-all-end-all Terrence Malick film, it is an experience of the highest intellectual and sensory kind and I would pit it up against the greatest films ever made for contention.
Overall rating: 10.0
The New World (2005)
Terrence Malick's take on the story of Pocahontas plays as a companion piece to The Thin Red Line. Whereas Malick's concern in The Thin Red Line was that of death and killing and the dark nature of mankind, The New World is much more concerned the positive end of the spectrum, with that of love and passion, freedom and the fundamental experiences of human relationship. By this point in Malick's career, it is clear that the man is a genuine auteur, his style is utilized here just as much as ever, and for the first time (and you can take this as either a good or a bad thing) he isn't pushing himself, it is clear that this kind poetry flows through him like blood. Overall however the film does fail to impress as much as it's predecessors have. Although I feel that this film was more for Malick's own absolution, expelling the demons that were breeding in The Thin Red Line (and quite possibly his own cranium). It is an offering of peace to the world, because the truth is any colonization film (especially one in the hands of Terrence Malick) could have taken a very sinister turn, however he seems to have made his peace with the demons of this world. The usual duality of man is presented here, returning with themes of emotionally convoluted rationality, however he is fighting it here, as before he was presenting it. John Smith's passion, and his desire for peace parallels Malick's own search for good in the face of evil. The film is quite dry (mind you I've only seen the 172 minute extended cut, not the theatrical cut), and could do with about 20 minutes of footage shaved off, but overall, it isn't too detrimental to this beautiful piece of art. So sit back, relax and get in touch with your inner human.
Overall rating: 8.0
I suggest you invest some time into this man's films if you haven't already, they are deeply emotive, human experiences. Also, what are you looking forward to in his upcoming film The Tree of Life? What direction do you think Malick will take? Will he be able to rival his other two masterpieces with this film?