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Days of Heaven
1978 94 min United States of America PG 16+
★8.5
Drama, Romance
Director: Terrence Malick
Trailers
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Description
In 1916, a Chicago steel worker accidentally kills his supervisor and flees to the Texas panhandle with his girlfriend and little sister to work harvesting wheat in the fields of a stoic farmer.
Budget:
$3M
US Gross:
$3.45M
Worldwide:
$3.7M
Starring
Richard Gere
Actor
Brooke Adams
Actor
Sam Shepard
Actor
Awards
Academy Awards 1979
— Best Cinematography
Cannes Film Festival 1979
— Best Director
BAFTA 1980
— Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music
Academy Awards 1979
— Best Original Score
Golden Globe 1979
— Best Picture (Drama)
Golden Globe 1979
— Best Director
Cannes Film Festival 1979
— Best Director
Cannes Film Festival 1979
— Palme d'Or
BAFTA 1980
— Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music
Key opinion
Days of Heaven is widely regarded as a visual masterpiece that prioritizes atmospheric poetry and stunning landscape cinematography over traditional narrative complexity. While critics praise its artistic rigor and evocative power, some viewers find the plot thin, the characters underdeveloped, and the sparse dialogue detached.
| Cinematography | Nestor Almendros’s cinematography achieves legendary status, utilizing natural light and meticulous frame construction to create breathtaking, painterly imagery. | |
| Screenplay | The minimalist, sparse script and heavy reliance on voice-over narration leave some viewers feeling emotionally disconnected from the characters. | |
| Acting | Richard Gere's performance is highly contentious, with some finding his presence captivating and others viewing his acting as wooden or flat. | |
| Screenplay | The simple, straightforward narrative lacks sufficient psychological depth, leading some to characterize the film as an empty exercise in style over substance. | |
| Pacing | The contemplative, slow-moving pace is lauded by fans as an immersive, poetic experience but viewed as tedious or empty by those seeking a more robust story. |