Days of Heaven

Following the story of Bill (Richard Gere), a hard working laborer in the early 19th century, Days Of Heaven is a cinematic masterpiece. Accompanied by his girlfriend, Abby (Brooke Adams) and sister (Linda Manz), Bill departs on a steam engine for a lone wheat farm in Texas for work. The journey is a long one, but director Terrence Malick makes the ride pleasant with beautiful shots of nature at its best. The rest of the movie follows suit. Although once at the farm the labor is arduous for the three characters, they find solace in being surrounded by the natural aesthetics. Everything is made even better when Bill, against his better judgment, convinces Abby to marry the owner of the farm. Life becomes carefree. The common thread that ti...

Outstanding. My second favourite Malick film next to Badlands. I'm not sure anyone has ever been better at photographing fire. The only other of his films I have seen thus far is 'To the Wonder', but it's films like this that make me such a lover of cinema. I'm not a Richard Gere fan in the slightest (though I have always loved Brooke Adams), but it's roles like this that cement his reputation as a cinematic icon in my books. I didn't say 'actor' because I'm not really sure that's his strength--it's more a presence, such as Alain Delon in 'Le Samourai'.

I wasn't ever really a fan of Richard Gere. Maybe it was just all that hair? Anyway, in this rather poignant story he is "Bill" who works in a smelter in Chicago whilst living with "Amy" (Brooke Adams) and his younger sister "Linda" (Linda Manz). He's not happy, and after the latest in a series of lively squabbles with his foreman, the three decide to quit the city and head to Texas where they find casual work on farm. As the season progresses, it soon becomes clear that the owner of the farm (Sam Shepard) has taken a bit of a shine to "Abby". He is poorly and "Bill" reckons that he isn't destined to be long for the world, so "Abby" agrees to marry him so that, in due course, they can inherit the whole shebang! Thing is, though, someone's b...