Days of Heaven
"Nobody's perfect. There was never a perfect person around. You just have half-angel and half-devil in you."
—Linda
Days of Heaven is a 1978 Terrence Malick film.
Set in 1916, a steelworker named Billy (Richard Gere) kills a foreman out of anger. Fearing reprisals, he runs away with his sister Linda (Linda Manz) and girlfriend Abby (Brooke Adams). Pretending that Abby is his sister so as to avoid gossip, Billy and his crew hitch a train to the Texas panhandle, where they find work in the wheat fields of a rich but sick farmer (Sam Shepard). When the farmer falls in love with Abby, Billy convinces her to marry him, thinking that he will die within the year and they can inherit his money. Of course, things don't work out quite so well...
While critics were unable to figure it out when it was released, it has gone on to be considered one of the greatest films of all time, praised for its lush cinematography and meditative, haunting tone. Days of Heaven was added to the National Film Registry in 2007.
- Faux Symbolism: There are the obvious Biblical references (lovers pretending to be brother and sister to avoid trouble, locusts and fire wiping out fields), as well as the seemingly random cuts to shots of animals and plants.
- Fauxlosophic Narration: For lack of a better term. Linda's voice-overs both comment on what's happening story-wise and veer off into philosophical rambles.
- No Name Given: The farmer, the foreman... pretty much every character apart from the three leads, and even they aren't given last names.
- Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping: Happens a few times, particularly with Brooke's Chicagoan accent.
- Scenery Porn: Many arguments could be made that this is the most beautiful film ever shot.
- Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: The farmer vs. Billy.