Terrence Malick remains somewhat of an enigma. His film career started in 1973 and since then he has only made four films, averaging one film every 9 years. To put this in perspective Martin Scorsese has directed over 25 features and documentaries in the same amount of time. Malick is also infamously private, frequently turning down interviews and insisting that his name mustn’t be used for promotional purposes. Therefore it’s no surprise that he hasn’t achieved the widespread recognition and appreciation that he unquestionably deserves.
His career began in 1973 with Badlands, the tale of a young couple who embark on a killing spree across Dakota. This was no doubt a subtle attack on the youth culture of the time, portraying them as superficial and delusional after being exposed to the mass media, an idea which still seems relevant today. Tarantino’s scripts for True Romance and Natural Born Killers are no doubt indebted to Malick’s debut. After this came Days of Heaven in 1978, a drama set in the Deep South at the turn of the last century. Here Malick’s eye for cinemtography took over, with the main characters playing second to the mesmerising landscapes. The Thin Red Line came out almost twenty years after, in the same year as Saving Private Ryan. Unlike the latter, The Thin Red Line, was not just realistic but also poetic in its depiction of war, contemplating the very nature of life and death. Malick’s retelling of the Pocahontas story followed in 2005 with the release of The New World, a film which was appreciated critically but sadly not by audiences.
What makes Malick’s films so distinctive is his eye for cinematography. No other director has quite captured the American Landscape as beautifully as he has, often optioning for shooting it in widescreen and deep focus. His use of lighting is also very unique, choosing natural light over artificial. This works best when he shoots in the ‘magic hour’ before dusk and after dawn, and Days of Heaven is nearly shot entirely in this manner. Although a time consuming method of filming, it certainly pays off creating a spiritual feel in all of his works. This is in stark contrast to the bulk of bland Hollywood films, which feel the need to CGI in everything from landscapes to people and even mundane objects such as cigarettes.
But what’s next? Well after large breaks between projects he now has two films being released in the next two years. First is The Tree of Life, which has been described as a science fiction drama and stars Brad Pitt and Sean Penn which has been delayed now until Cannes. After this will come The Burial which is set for a 2012 release, but typical to Malick, he has kept the details very close to his chest. Hopefully these films will serve as a reminder of his unique style and help him to get a larger audience. Perhaps one day his name can be placed alongside John Ford and Francis Ford Coppola, as one of the great American Directors.
