"We didn't have to work... I'll tell you the rich got it figured out" -Linda,

- 5x5 Director's Challenge (Malick 3/5): boxd.it/48AW4

Malick managed to do it... I'm physically attracted to wheat now.

What price would you be willing to pay and what hardships would you take on in order to spend your days in heaven on earth? A Chicago steel worker who accidentally kills his boss fleas to the Texas panhandle to sack wheat... He brings his girlfriend and little sister with him. It's people working in fields for an hour and a half but it's beautiful. You also get a love triangle and some content on the dignity of workers mixed in there for flavor but it's mostly just shots that linger on wheat in a sensual way and it works really well. Days of Heaven is a beautiful film with a compelling story... you should watch it.

There are some that will say this is one of the prettiest movies ever made and that's not something I'm ready to say but I get the argument. The talk of this film's beauty partially revolves around Malick's decision to shoot much of the film during the 20 minutes or so a day that is referred to as magic hour, a dedication that really paid off. The cinematography is impressive beyond the light, with beautiful landscapes and beautiful shots of beautiful people. In particular I really like the costumes and sets in Days of Heaven and I want to live in that house. Specifically, Malick's filming of a locust attack is one of the cooler things I have seen in a film recently and I watch a shit ton of films.

This movie where a relatively small amount of things happen has this ability to keep you tense and invested. To me, the narration is really effective because it adds context to the story that you wouldn't be able to get just with visual cues. The love triangle creates an interesting predicament for the audience because of how effectively it's crafted and executed. Both relationships seem to work in their own way, the chemistry is there, and the performances of Richard Gere, Brooke Adams, and Sam Shepard are fantastic.