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List Price: $39.95 | | Label: Criterion
Salesrank: 23715
Released: October 23, 2007 |
| Our Price: $24.37 |
| Used Price: $19.99 |
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MPAA Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
One-of-a-kind filmmaker-philosopher Terrence Malick has created some of the most visually arresting movies of the twentieth century, and his glorious period tragedy Days of Heaven, featuring Oscar-winning cinematography by Nestor Almendros, stands out among them. In 1910, a Chicago steel worker (Richard Gere) accidentally kills his supervisor and flees to the Texas panhandle with his girlfriend (Brooke Adams) and little sister (Linda Manz) to work harvesting wheat in the fields of a stoic farmer (Sam Shepard). A love triangle, a swarm of locusts, a hellish fire—Malick captures it all with dreamlike authenticity, creating at once a timeless American idyll and a gritty evocation of turn-of-the-century labor.
Description of Days of Heaven - Criterion Collection:
Richard Gere works in a Chicago steel mill at the turn of the century, but must flee the city after accidentally killing a man. Heading for the wheat fields of Texas, he packs up his girlfriend (Brooke Adams) and his younger sister (Linda Manz). Instead of a better life, they head straight into tragedy when a wealthy farmer (Sam Shepard) falls for Adams. Believing him to be dying and expecting to inherit a fortune, she agrees to marry him. Their plans change when Shepard fails to die and Gere takes matters into his own hands. Aesthetically flawless, this film about a romantic love triangle is diminished by the small scope of video. Originally shown in 70mm, it is an eye-catching period piece that won its cinematographer, Néstor Almendros, a 1978 Oscar. Texture and color are the unbilled characters in this tragic tale, and are just as important as the players. The story, sadly, fades somewhat when compared to the glory of the visuals. --Rochelle O'Gorman
Days of Heaven - Criterion Collection Reviews:
Gobble gobble 
2009-10-06 - There's a moment in this movie where we get to see extended close-ups of wild turkeys frolicking in wheat. An ironic metaphor for this bird.
Check the reviews - "visually stunning", "compelling imagery", and "pictures of fields and animals" - that's a clue for all of you who aren't interested in a National Geographic documentary about wheat harvesting in Alberta. Even the good reviews acknowledge that the best part of the flick is the scenery, and the plot is pathetic. Sorry, but I don't buy or rent movies to watch unending scenes of wheat harvesting, shots of people walking through wheat fields talking about nothing, and shots of people walking in wheat with no dialogue at all.
The girl narrator has an accent that makes her sound like she's from Flatbush, Brooklyn, yet she's supposed to be from Chicago. Yo, great casting!
Richard Gere parades around despertaely trying to channel Al Pacino, reminding me why I never liked him at all and basically embarrassing himself in a leading role. The guy can. Not. Act.
The plot is simplistic and morose, and goes nowhere. It's just something to tie you over to the next extended wheat-harvesting scene. Seriously, 30 minutes into this film, nothing had taken place at all. I guess I was supposed to be so transfixed by the shots of wheat fields that things like plot and character development were unimportant.
Of course, art-flick aficionados call this "texture", but I call it a yawnfest. I guess I don't "get it", and you can all razz me for having a short attention span or whatever, but this movie is about as exciting as harvesting wheat for 90 minutes.
Passable Story with Compelling Imagery 
2009-08-07 - I saw this movie twenty-five years ago, and had enough positive memories that when I saw that Criterion had re-released it I picked it up again. I'm not a fan of Richard Gere, but director Terrance Malick (The Thin Red Line) and cinematographer Néstor Almendros (who won an Oscar for his camera work) made such a visually intriguing movie that the actors are only co-equals with the camera lens. In fact, the love triangle that develops seems like an afterthought - a framing device for Malick's preoccupation with the hordes of migrant workers and the steam threshers attacking the waving sea of wheat.
Richard Gere is Bill, who flees Chicago after killing a man. With him are his lover Abby (Brooke Adams) and sister Linda (Linda Manz). They hop a train to Texas, where they find work on a mammoth wheat farm. They learn that the wealthy owner (Sam Shepard) is dying, and Bill urges Abby to get closer to him, as he's already shown an interest in her. Eventually Abby and the farmer marry, and Bill sits on the sidelines, waiting for him to die.
Mr. Malick's storytelling style won't suit everyone - as with 'The Thin Red Line', he leaves gaps for the audience to fill. Most viewers won't have difficulty with this, but it causes the movie to unfold at a different pace than some may be used to. And, again as in 'Thin Red Line', he uses voice over narration that often has little to do with the onscreen action. The ending, though it resolves the conflicts initiated in the film, carries on a bit further, which leaves it with an open-ended feel, but no more than real life.
However, the beauty of this film is the scenes of the workers in the fields, and the steam powered machinery, and the startling vistas of wheat and sky. Mr. Malick's illusion is very effective - I'm persuaded it had to have been much as he presents it. The rhythm and manner of the migrant workers feel authentic, and even though the work must have been extremely hard and tiring, there is a subtle attraction to the natural pace of it. Very subtle - I can recognize it but I have no desire to do it.
Lastly, though the storyline may slump at times, there is also powerful imagery throughout - enough to balance the flaws and still come out ahead. Four stars.
DAYS OF HEAVEN 
2009-07-07 - Days of HeavenDays of Heaven, released by Paramount Pictures in 1978 is a breathtaking beautiful film. Richard Gere is the brother, Brooke Adams is his girlfriend {they tell everyone they are brother and sister], and Linda Manz as Geres real younger sister. They travel across the country looking for different types of workand finally get hired on working in the wheat fields. Sam Shepherd owns the farm where they work and is immediately taken with Adams. You see Shepherd is sick and is dying so Adams agrees to marry him expecting upcoming wealth with his passing. Except he starts getting better. Enough of the storyline because that definately takes a backseat to the beautiful Oscar winning cinematography of Nestor Almendros. One of the most beautiful films ever. Credit must be given to Director Terrence Mallick, Whose only previous feature 'BADLANDS' another excellent film. Mallick I think is a genius. There is very little dialogue, the film relies on imagery and music to tell a simple-very simplestory masterfully. Linda Manz and Sam Shepherd stand out in the cast but adams and Gere are good as well. Directed by Terrence Mallick. Color. 94 minutes. Rated PG. Paramount
Possibly the best film ever made...
2009-06-25 - Terrence Malick is the best filmmaker of all time. He style is so refined it is hard for other movie makers to ever copy his style, that's how unique this guy's vision is. Just like any other film he has made, this is a masterpiece. See it. Love it.
The best film ever from our greatest living director
2009-06-24 - This is Malick's most perfect film so far, made even more perfect with this new restoration. And if any film could benefit from or deserves to receive the full criterion makeover it is this one. As probably the most visually evocative picture ever in terms of cinematography, the new print makes the beauty here even more enjoyable. The sound was sort of muddled in the original release making it very difficult to understand the voice over clearly and is greatly improved here. It is now much easier to understand everything Linda Manz says, even without resorting to the new subtitles, which were strangely absent from the original DVD release. The extras on this disc are very well done and are historically valuable. This restoration along with Criterion's earlier redo of Ikiru are at the top of my personal list of favorite DVD's.
