It's somewhat depressing to think that the two best films on offer this summer, by far, were made over three decades ago. Robert Altman's epic "Nashville" came out in the torrid summer of 1975, while Terrence Malick's sophomore film, "Days of Heaven," was released in '78 after two years in the editing room. On the other hand, it's rather heartening to see the cream of American cinema's '70s renaissance getting some big-screen revivals.
"Days of Heaven," without a doubt, should be seen on the big screen or not at all. The cinematography of Nestor Almendros (who was going blind during the shoot) and Haskell Wexler is legendary, breathtaking in its naturally lit beauty and for Malick's perfectionist obsession with capturing the Texas Panhandle during "magic hour," brief 20-minute periods at dawn and dusk where the sky and light were just so. You'll sink into this film and never want to come out.
The story is pure Malick mythic: It's the year 1916, and we meet Richard Gere's ne'er-do-well Bill working in an infernal Chicago steel mill. After a violent altercation with his boss, Bill hits the road with his 12-year-old sister, Linda (Linda Manz), and his lover, Abby (Brooke Adams). They hop a train with some migrant laborers, and find harvest-season work on the open plains of the heartland.