Days of Heaven (Terrence Malick, 1978, U.S.A., 94 minutes)

Terrence Malick's Days of Heaven is a painterly film, both precise and lyrical in its presentation of its world, in the way that it looks at its characters and their environments. Long, silent takes mark the film's gaze, as it were, as does the episodic structure of its narrative. We fade in and out to specific points in the story—set at a very precise point in time—some of these episodes consisting of just one shot lasting only a minute or so, quickly setting the tone of the moment as well as the season: both mood and time. As I mentioned in class, much of the film's farm sequences were shot during the "golden hour," the period between sunset and night, which also contributes to the film's painterly quality, as well as to its symbolic overtones. From its opening sequence of black and white stills and shots in a dirty, smoky mill in Chicago, Days of Heaven weaves together a kind of network of epic and personal symbols—beautiful, tragic, and terrifying. Add to this Linda Manz's oblique voice over and you have what feels like a very personal recollection whose stark elements—a house, a field, two men, a woman—almost unwittingly imply a much grander narrative about human nature. For this week's post, I'd like you to talk about the visual and literary qualities of the film, how they work together to create this grander narrative. What images or moments in the film struck you as literary in terms of their figurative qualities: motif, metaphor, symbol, allegory, to use Gianetti's terms. What did these moments suggest (maybe this more than mean—let's allow them to be more implication than definition)? You might also, or alternatively, consider the implications of situating this symbol-rich narrative as a recollection of Linda's. I'm including the images below to provoke thought, not to suggest that you should focus on these moments. Looking forward to your comments!