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Richard Gere, Brooke Adams, Sam Shepard, Linda Manz, Robert J. Wilke ... see more see more... , Stuart Margolin , Jackie Shultis , Gene Bell , Doug Kershaw , Muriel Jolliffe , Frenchie Lemond , Richard Libertini , Sahbra Markus , Timothy Scott , Bob Wilson , John K. Wilkinson

Terrence Malick's Days of Heaven, the long-awaited follow-up to his 1973 debut Badlands, confirmed his reputation as a visual poet and narrative iconoclast with a story of love and murder told through... read more read more... the jaded voice of a child and expressive images of nature. In 1916, Chicago steelworker Bill (Richard Gere, stepping in for John Travolta) flees to Texas with his little sister Linda (Linda Manz) and girlfriend Abby (Brooke Adams) after fatally erupting at his boss. Along with other itinerant laborers, they work the harvest at a wealthy, ailing farmer's ranch, but the farmer (playwright Sam Shepard) falls in love with Abby, and, believing her to be Bill's sister, asks the three to stay on at his elysian spread. Seeing it as his one real chance to escape perpetual poverty, Bill urges Abby to marry the sick man. Marriage, however, has more restorative powers, and the farmer has more magnetism, than Bill had planned. "Nobody's perfect," Linda impassively observes in one of her many voiceovers, after their brief paradise is erased by plagues of locusts, fire, and lethal jealousy. ~ Lucia Bozzola, Rovi

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45 critics

PG, 1 hr. 35 min.

Directed by: Terrence Malick

Release Date: September 13, 1978

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DVD Release Date: March 30, 1999

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Flixster Reviews (1,233)

  • fb619846742
    April 22, 2012
    fb619846742
    A simple and beautifully shot story of a young couple who flee from their home after steelworker Bill (Richard Gere) accidentally murders his boss and he takes his girlfriend Abby (Brooke Adams) up work in a ranch occupied by a rich but dying farmer (Sam Shepard), who happens to ... read morefall in love with Abby, and Bill convinces her to marry the farmer so they can inherit his fortune. The sheer beauty of this film can not be denied, as director Terrence Malick has proved time and time again that he has an eye for scenery and how to shoot a film. Like "Badlands", another visually stunning and solid film, the film never soars into greatness due to its characters seeming too restrained and detached. The performances are all very good with the material the actors are giving regarding their muted characters. If only Malick had given a little more character detail, his ending would have seemed more powerful instead of sad but inescapably unmoving. With all that said, Malick remains one of my favorite directors given his incredible photography and his willingness to insert his style successfully into whatever material he decides to sink his teeth into.
  • blkbomb
    April 20, 2012
    blkbomb
    Linda: Nobody's perfect. There was never a perfect person around. You just have half-angel and half-devil in you. 

    "Your eyes... Your ears... Your sense... will be overwhelmed."

    Days of Heaven is a film of just sheer beauty. Every single shot is the definition of beautiful. Thi... read mores, like all of Malick's films, will not be appreciated by the casual film goer. Malick's movies are for film buffs, and even some of them can't stand his slow, methodical, visual style. There's nothing here that leaps out at you or in anyway should be exciting. Yet, if you're a fan of Malick's style, there is so much to appreciate. The film is an endless trove of dazzling images. Not one shot of this movie was looked over. All the care in the world was put into each and every one, and it shows. 

    If you know Malick, you know that story isn't always the most important thing. In Days of Heaven, there is a story though. A steel worker accidentally kills a man and flees to the country with his little sister and his girlfriend, who he tells people is his sister. He starts working for a rich man, who sees and falls in love with his "sister." So they can get out from under their poverty, he allows her to marry the rich man(who is also dying) so that they can get a piece of his fortune. I really like the story, but in the end it just really doesn't matter. If you watch this movie, it shouldn't be for the story, but once again for the beauty of it.

    The film is absorbing, mesmerizing, and is a visual masterpiece. It still isn't my favorite film from Malick, but it is one I really appreciate watching. Watching a Malick film has a feeling all its own. It's like watching a Kubrick film. Their so undeniably well made, yet they will be hated by many. It's not a film of pure entertainment and I can see why and how that could turn a lot of people off to it, but I just loved it.
  • cosmo313
    January 3, 2012
    cosmo313
    Terrence Malick is at it again, perhaps making his most "Malicky" film yet. All of his usual trademarks and themes are in place, and I've come to realize that, expcept for specific plot info, all of his movies are pretty much the same. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but perh... read moreaps it's time for him to do something really radical, like, ya know, less Malicky.

    Anyways, moving on. This film is set in 1916 and follows a manual laborer named Bill (Richard Gere) who, after hitting and killing his boss at a Chicago steel mill, goes on the run with his kid sister Linda (Linda Manz) and his girlfriend Abby (Brooke Adams). To dispel any sort of gossip, Bill and Abby decide to masquerade as boroher and sister. The trio end up in the Texas panhandle where, along with a bunch of other hobos and itinerant workers, they get jobs working for a shy weathy unnamed farmer (Sam Shepard) who is dying of some unnamed disease.

    Bill hatches a scheme to cash in on the farmer's fortune to help get the trio permenantly out of poverty, but things get compicated as a love triangle develops and it becoems harder and harder to conceal Bill and Abby's true relationship.

    Storywise, that's pretty much it. It's in the execution of things though where this film really shines. The film is absolutely gorgeous to look at, and ay just be one of the most beautiful and greatest shot films of all time. It was shot during specific hours of the day, and the results are phenomenal. The visuals are very stunning and look like something straight out of a classic American rural landscape painting or something. The film is also a fairly easy one to sit through. It's not that long ,and, even though the film unfolds slightly gradually, it never drags and none of the shots really linger all that long. The music is also quite nice as well. Morricone's score is wonderful, and does an excelelnt job of doing variations on Saint-Saens's "The Aquarium".

    This is a really nice and absorbing romantic drama. Yeah it has shades of conventional plot poitns and ideas, but I think what really sells it on a story point is how all of the narration is done by Linda, presenting a very mature and adult story through the perspective of a detatched and weary girl. Good stuff. The performances are nicely understated as well, and it seems weird to think that a (now) big name like Gere's could fit into something like this and not really stick out. Besides the visuals, the real highlught for me probably has to be the locust swarm sequence: that's just awesome and I love how it all comes together and can be both taken at face value and seen as symbolic.

    All in all, this is lyrical, poetic, and brilliant stuff. Plenty of films came out in the 70s that were visually arresting and moving, but this one basically takes the cake. Hats way off.
  • paulkoh110
    December 2, 2011
    paulkoh110
    Your eyes...Your ears...Your senses...will be overwhelmed.

    This film has the cinematography of a fantastic matiesse painting. The story is calm and its characters are calmer. The general atmosphere can only be described as surreal. A one of a kind film!
  • fb100001050230219
    June 25, 2011
    fb100001050230219
    The way Malick tells this compelling romance set in 1916 through images rather than dialogue is beautifully executed. His direction combined with superb performances, gorgeous cinematography and Ennio Morricone's brilliant score make Days of Heaven one of the best films of the 70... read mores for me.
  • aliceinpunderland
    June 14, 2011
    aliceinpunderland
    Why do Bill and Abby tell everyone they're brother and sister instead of lovers? Linda says it's because "people talk," but it's evident that people talk more when they see how inappropriately intimate Bill and Abby are.

    The movie hinges on this implausible and unnecessary lie ... read moreas well as other must-happens. Abby has to be free to marry The Farmer and ultimately gain his inheritance. The Farmer has to live longer than expected. Abby has to develop feelings for The Farmer but keep deliberately oblique about them to Bill. Bill and Abby have to be careless about their stolen kisses. The Farmer has to go into a jealous rage and start a freakin' fire. Bill has to kill The Farmer. The story is just too easy.
  • axadntpron
    June 12, 2011
    axadntpron
    Terrence Malick's 1978 Days of Heaven is a masterstroke of visual storytelling. While the story and acting are both very strong, this film would most likely not stand the test of time if it were not for the extraordinary hands involved. While I am not fully convinced of Malick's ... read moredivinity as some critics are, his direction in this film is awe-inspiring. The elements seem to bend to Malick's will and what his camera captures is truly breath taking. Ennio Morricone (well known for his Leone scores) brings together an atmospheric score that is equal parts enchanting and foreboding. While there could have been changes made to the script to capitalize more on the tension that Malick builds throughout the film, this fault is not significant enough to damage a film in which most of the visuals stir you to the very core of your being.

    (Update: I have had time to digest this film a little more and I am now starting to believe in Malick's divinity.)
  • FilmFanatik
    May 26, 2011
    FilmFanatik
    Obviously, Days of Heaven is one of the most beautifully shot and executed films ever made. Like the rest of Malick's work, it plays very slow with very little dialogue (except for the narration, of course). Actors play out their characters without actually saying anything and ... read moreI think that's mostly where the power of Malick's work comes from. Set in a beautiful world with, at times, ambiguous thoughts of the characters seen on screen. You can read a lot into it and make your own story in a way. Looking at it today, I'm reminded of the terrible Hallmark movies that are in constant rotation on that network. I'm not saying that this is what this is, but those movies feel very much like this film - in style, story, and look. I think this is a gorgeous film, and for that alone, it gets a high rating.
  • stevenecarrier
    March 28, 2011
    stevenecarrier
    I think "Days of Heaven" should be remembered for it's visuals rather than it's story. The way Terrence Malick chooses to tell this simple story is odd. On one side, you can see narrative techniques emerging that he will later use in "The Thin Red Line" (in terms of voice over an... read mored exposition). But on the other side the actual narrative is so fractured that it's hard to keep up with the emotions the characters are feeling. They always seem to be one step a head, which is not a good thing. Still, "Days of Heaven" is great for it's themes of nature and human emotions colliding (again, something developed further in "The Thin Red Line") and that insanely gorgeous cinematography. Ultimately, what makes "Days of Heaven" worthwhile are the performances. They solidify the images and the themes, regardless of the narrative being left behind. I think for this films storytelling shortcomings, "Days of Heaven" proves that Malick is quite the craftsman.
  • ythelastman89
    March 16, 2011
    ythelastman89
    As it's been said before, this is one of the most beautifully shot movies ever made. Even if you feel that the story itself is lacking, which I personally don't, the visual presentation is completely worth a viewing. Terrence Malick is a director that I've had to grow to love. On... read morece you understand his style and what he's trying to say, it's hard to say he's not a genius and visual mastermind. Now there's nothing fancy about Days of Heaven, no special effects or elaborate set pieces. However, that's what makes it so beautiful. There's so much beauty in nature that there's no need for anything else. This is probably one of the greatest representations of American landscape in that it's so naturalistic and sets a mood that is completely unique. Now as far as acting, plot and characters go, everything is pretty flawless. If there's ever one movie that Richard Gere did that won't piss someone off, it's this. I personally really like him as an actor and basically everything I've seen him in. Sam Shephard's supporting role is great and his character is one of the most interesting parts of the entire movie. Brooke Adams also gives one of her select performances in this, it's really a shame she never did much in her career. The story, much like the visuals, is very particular to American culture and the mindset of the early 1900s. For me, this is the most easy to enjoy in Malick's very small library and just as deep as his more epic ventures.

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Critic Reviews

Variety Staff
October 23, 2007
Variety Staff, Variety

One of the great cinematic achievements of the 1970s. Full Review

Michael Wilmington
July 27, 2006
Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune

Perhaps the most typical example of a '70s American art film -- daring, romantic, rebellious but also filled with longing for the beauty of the past. Full Review

Harold C. Schonberg
May 21, 2003
Harold C. Schonberg, New York Times

Days of Heaven never really makes up its mind what it wants to be. Full Review

Michael Atkinson
January 1, 2000
Michael Atkinson, Village Voice

Almost incontestably the most gorgeously photographed film ever made. Full Review

Andrew Ross
January 1, 2000
Andrew Ross, Salon.com

It is the closest to poetry in motion that I have ever seen. Full Review

James Berardinelli
January 1, 2000
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

One thing that certainly can be said about Terrence Malick's Days of Heaven: it's not sentimental or manipulative. Unfortunately, it's also not particularly involving. Full Review

Roger Ebert
January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

This is a movie made by a man who knew how something felt, and found a way to evoke it in us. Full Review

David Sexton
September 2, 2011
David Sexton, This is London

Simply one of the most ravishing films ever made, luminous in a way that no other movie has been. Full Review

Peter Bradshaw
September 1, 2011
Peter Bradshaw, Guardian [UK]

A rich and rewarding experience, then as now celebrated for its intricacy and slowness. Full Review

John Bleasdale
September 1, 2011
John Bleasdale, Electric Sheep

The writing is witty, the story is told with a beguiling simplicity and the period is meticulously realised, not only in farming equipment and costume, but in attitudes and faces. Full Review

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    • Linda: The rich have it all figured out.
    • Linda: This girl, she didn't where she was gonna go or what she was gonna do. Maybe she'd meet up wit her character. I was really hopin things would work out fo' her. She was a good friend o' mine.
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Days of Heaven Trivia

  • He made Badlands in 1973, Days of Heaven in 1978, The Thin Red Line in 1998 and this film in 2005.  Answer »
  • Who sang Show Me Heaven from the Days of Thunder soundtrack?  Answer »
  • "Days of Heaven" is well known for what?  Answer »
  • Richard Gere and Brooke Adams pretended to be __________ in Days of Heaven?  Answer »
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