Days of Heaven

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Days of Heaven

PG

1978

1h 35m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

94%

Tomatometer

105 Reviews

89%

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10,000+ Ratings

A screen poem about life in America at the turn of the century. A story of love and murder told through the voice of a child and expressive images of nature in 1916. A steelworker flees Chicago after a fight with his boss; he takes his little sister and girlfriend with him.

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Critics Consensus

Illuminated by magic hour glow and wistful performances, Days of Heaven is a visual masterpiece that finds eloquent poetry in its spare scenario.

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Frank Rich

TIME Magazine

6m

There is enough beauty here for a dozen movies; yet the total effect is far from pretty. Slowly but surely the sharp images carve away at the audience's guts.

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Joe Pollack

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

10m

Malick's studied shots, perfectly composed and with the effect of paintings, often make a viewer wish for an instant replay capability, and the slow-paced story, with sparse dialogue, fits not easy category, but the film is gripping.

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Desmond Ryan

Philadelphia Inquirer

14m

Days of Heaven is a film that is not as good as it looks, but because almost every frame offers an image of startling beauty, that hardly is damning criticism.

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Robert W. Butler

Kansas City Star

3m

Days of Heaven is, quite simply, a magnificent, strikingly American film -- a work, which, for expanding the possibilities of cinema and tapping uniquely American themes must be ranked with the likes of Birth of a Nation and Citizen Kane.

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Catherine Chapin

Charlotte Observer

8m

In Days of Heaven, Malick acts as a painter -- carefully pairing colors and textures. He allows the actors to intrude on the setting rather than the scenery serving as background for the actors.

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George Anderson

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

12m

Cinematographer Nestor Almendros' ravishing photography rolls over you like a visual symphony, touching the emotions with a directness that Malick's script avoids.

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Hector I

4d

Following the brilliant "Badlands," Terrence Malick’s "Days of Heaven" tells the story of Bill and Abby, a couple fleeing Chicago in 1910 to work as seasonal laborers on a Texas wheat farm. The work is harsh, and, unmarried, they must pose as siblings. This deception changes their fate: the dying wealthy landowner falls for Abby and proposes marriage. They play along, hoping for a small paradise. Yet fate, like Greek tragedy, catches up. Love sustains the owner until he discovers the truth, triggering rage and destruction. Bill kills him in self-defense, and they flee, echoing Adam and Eve leaving paradise. Bill dies, leaving Abby alone to return to civilization. The film is contemplative and impressionistic: earth, sky, and labor are almost actors. Inspired by Hopper and enhanced by Saint-Saëns, Malick transforms the ordinary into the mystical, exploring destiny, love, and the divine.

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Jakub V

@SirJames Dec 15

Eart, fire, air, water. One of the best movies ever made. It has everything.

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Patrick S

@PatrickStruik Dec 13

An absolute masterpiece.

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Richard W

@rdwoolf Sep 25

Another long and drawn out story from Terrence Malick. it looks extremely good. But it's hard to get through without becoming distracted. Still, it's 100 times better than Tree of Life.

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STEVEN M

Aug 30

Terrance Malik makes everything big on this film. The bridge crossing is iconic.

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Blobbo X

@Blobbo Jul 8

Visually is masterpiece, think Blobbo.

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Terrence Malick

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Richard Gere

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Brooke Adams

Abby

Sam Shepard

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Synopsis

A screen poem about life in America at the turn of the century. A story of love and murder told through the voice of a child and expressive images of nature in 1916. A steelworker flees Chicago after a fight with his boss; he takes his little sister and girlfriend with him.

Director: Terrence Malick
Producer: Bert Schneider, Harold Schneider
Screenwriter: Terrence Malick
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Paramount Pictures
Rating: PG
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 1, 1978, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 22, 2016
Runtime: 1h 35m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby Stereo
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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