Review of Days of Heaven (1978) by Davey M — 21 Jan 2009
Malick's best. And movies don't get better than that. The shattering images (one is tempted to call it one of the great nature documentaries), the gritty earthiness (it's as much documentary as it is fiction), the poetry (visual and aural--Manz' reading of Malick's narration is heartbreaking and ethereal, and Morricone's score, some of it adapted from Saint-Saens, more than lives up to his reputation), the archetypal simplicity, and the pounding sense of cosmos in this epic, aching moral tragedy make me want to call this the greatest biblical epic ever made, except that (in spite of some very biblical references and symbolism and overtones) it's not technically a biblical epic.
Still, more than anything "Days of Heaven" recalls for me the power, poignancy, and mystery of the book of Genesis.
This review of Days of Heaven (1978) was written by Davey M on 21 Jan 2009.
Days of Heaven has generally received very positive reviews.
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