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Terrence Malick!

post #1 of 17
4/26/09 at 11:54am
Thread Starter 
What's the general attitude 'round these parts regarding Mr. Malick? Slack-jawed amazement? Furrowed-brow scorn? Cult-like devotion? Disgust? Apathy?

No, it could never be apathy. I've found that there is generally never any middle ground for this guy. People either absolutely love him or they see him as a pretentious douche who could use a bit of reigning in.

I am in the former camp. I think his work is mind-blowing. The opening ten minutes or so of Thin Red Line are just about cinematic perfection. When the actual movie starts, I always get a little disappointed. I want to just hang out on that island for three hours, swimming with the locals and playing with smooth rocks. Yea, he meanders around like a blind man at times, but I don't really see his movies for a taut and brisk plot. I love that he meanders.

Tree of Life is going to rock my world. Does anybody remember hearing that he was going to direct a film based on Sir Gawain and the Green Knight? What happened with that? That shit would be nuts.

Anyway, Terrence Malick is the truth like Paul Pierce.
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post #2 of 17
4/27/09 at 6:11am
I am surprised at the lack of replies thus far. Huge fan of Sir. Malick and all of his films. Tree of Life is probably my most anticipated film out of any film right now.
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post #3 of 17
4/27/09 at 6:22am
I only saw the Thin Red Line recently, and it's the only of his films i've seen so I couldn't possibly comment on what I think of him as a director yet.

There's some beautifully composed scenes and i'm under the impression it's a highly revered film, but it just felt overindulgant throughout. Ending's quite good though.
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post #4 of 17
4/27/09 at 2:20pm
Maybe people who claim not to like him should start with his first picture, Badlands. Not quite as meandering as his later work, great martin sheen performance.
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post #5 of 17
4/27/09 at 3:03pm
I loved Badlands, sooo beautiful and very very influential. I thought the thin red line was good (and stunning to look at) with a great cast giving great performances but that it was just a bit too long and indulgent, not that there's anything wrong with that (if i made a film it would be very long and exceptionally indulgent) i just felt that it would have flowed better if a few scenes were cut. I doubt i'll see the new world any time soon but Tree oflife could be go-er.
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post #6 of 17
4/27/09 at 3:08pm
I like him a little:

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post #7 of 17
4/27/09 at 9:33pm
I vastly prefer the Thin Red Line to Saving Private Ryan. The latter is a technical marvel, but frankly the script is terrible in comparison. I don't mind in the least that tTRL meanders, and would love for a longer cut to see the light of day. The all star cast works for the most part surprisingly. Cavaziel and Chaplin often look similar(always a problem with war films), and the only truly distracting cameo is George Clooney.

The Koteas/Nolte stuff is the highlight though. So good. Such a beautiful film.

I'm also one of those assholes who has ONLY seen Thin Red Line, I'll be correcting that soon.
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post #8 of 17
4/27/09 at 10:06pm
Thread Starter 
Rad poster. I'd like to get one of the same.

Nexus, all of his movies are brilliant. ALL. I don't care what anyone says about The New World.
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post #9 of 17
4/28/09 at 6:14am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nexus-7 View Post
I vastly prefer the Thin Red Line to Saving Private Ryan. The latter is a technical marvel, but frankly the script is terrible in comparison. I don't mind in the least that tTRL meanders, and would love for a longer cut to see the light of day. The all star cast works for the most part surprisingly. Cavaziel and Chaplin often look similar(always a problem with war films), and the only truly distracting cameo is George Clooney
I'd say Travolta's moustache is pretty distracting.
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post #10 of 17
4/28/09 at 8:24am
The New World is my favorite film of the past decade. No caveats, no allowances, no compromises in my choice. Malick is on a different plateau than most filmmakers, actually using the medium in a very creative way to tell a story. I'll see anything he does.

And I love all of his films: Badlands, Days of Heaven, The Thin Red Line, and The New World.

In 2005, I didn't expect to like TNW nearly as much as I did. But the film blew me away.
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post #11 of 17
4/28/09 at 8:33am
Quote:
Originally Posted by First Class 782 View Post
The New World is my favorite film of the past decade.
Aren't there a couple versions on home video? Got a preference?
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post #12 of 17
4/28/09 at 8:53am
Lovely selections, Phil. Like Bees?! with ...Red Line, I recently saw Badlands. Captivation happened.
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post #13 of 17
4/28/09 at 10:22am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nexus-7 View Post
Aren't there a couple versions on home video? Got a preference?
There isn't a huge noticable difference between the two. The extended does contain one scene involving Smith saving a native child which is beautifully shot, that's really the gist of it, more beautiful shots. Rolfe and Rebecca / Pocahontas relationship is explored a little bit more. The original release is dead cheap so i'd go with that as you don't know whether you'll like it or not. If you can rent the extended go with that.

Me and my mates went to see The Thin Red Line at the cinema and walking out we all pulled faces but then making our way home we were still discussing it, certain scenes that we liked and really the only negative comments that kept recurring was that it was slow. For the next fews days it stuck with me, it's a film that really got under my skin and now it's one of my favourites of it's genre. The script is pure poetry. I would have liked more of Koteas's character but no biggie.

Days of heaven would be my least favourite out of his small body of work but it's still impeccable film-making.
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post #14 of 17
4/28/09 at 10:48am
I posted in the war thread, but

Quote:
Originally Posted by Phil View Post
Check out Beach Red and see if it doesn't remind you of The Thin Red Line in more ways than one.
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post #15 of 17
12/8/10 at 6:02am
I've heard Malick referred to as a "philosopher with a camera" rather than a filmmaker, I can easily see why.
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post #16 of 17
12/8/10 at 11:20am
Days of Heaven, just because it hasn't been mentioned yet. The only Richard Gere performance I buy. Brooke Adams is ravishing, and Sam Shepard is so intense that I can't take my eyes off him whenever he's on screen. I haven't looked at wheat fields in the same way since seeing it for the first time.
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post #17 of 17
12/8/10 at 4:42pm
Malick fans eager to see another side of the filmmaker should check out the bizarre road comedy DEADHEAD MILES (1972), which Malick wrote for director Vernon Zimmerman.

It has been rumored that Alan Arkin (in an absolutely brilliant, hilarious performance as a paranoid trucker) is doing an impersonation of Malick for the entirety of the film.

DEADHEAD MILES is not available on DVD but you can find it through Netflix Instant View.

Malick's comic screenplays have a very distinctive, offbeat approach entirely different from his self-directed projects. I also highly recommend POCKET MONEY (starring Paul Newman & Lee Marvin, available on DVD) and, if you can find it, THE DION BROTHERS.
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