FILM MARATHON #2: Terrence Malick – A Perfectionist’s Oeuvre as Marathon

And the marathon series continues. Entry one ended up being somewhat of an enlightening experience, opening my eyes to the fact that when Julia Roberts is given a good role, she really can nail it. With a couple clunkers turned gems after rewatching, as well as a couple seen for the first time shocking me with their quality—Pretty Woman ending up being quite the enjoyable film—I have no complaints with my friend Christa’s selections. Roberts was not someone I necessarily wanted to open up my time towards, but she surprised me, changing my opinion of her for the better.

The second marathon I am going to partake in concerns the ever-reclusive and secretive Terrence Malick. I’ve heard for too long about his greatness, kicking myself for still having not discovered it for myself. With the release of his newest looming, The Tree of Life, a film that has supposedly completed shooting almost two years ago and is still not quite ready to screen, I desperately need to catch his back catalog. His career has been prolific in its grandeur and also it’s scant size, inching closer and closer to forty years, yet having this winter’s release be just his fifth feature length work. So, to complete the Malick journey, I must view 1973’s Badlands, 1978’s Days of Heaven, 1998’s The Thin Red Line, (which I have seen, but so long ago I couldn’t tell you a single detail), and 2005’s The New World.

This series has the makings of the most gorgeously shot foursome one could view sequentially. I’m excited for the sheer brilliance I’m told each contains, with an unrivaled attention to detail. But, the part I’m anticipating most is finally joining the conversation and having the ability to recommend the auteur to others.

[fb-like-button]

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.