Film Analysis of Malicks Badlands (1973) Essays -- Cinematography Fi

The reclusive film director Terrence Malick has to date, only directed a small number of films. His twenty class hiatus between directing Days of Heaven (1978) and The Thin Red Line (1998), may provide the explanation for such a sparse anchor catalogue. Malicks refusal to talk with the media, has led to hearsay, as to how he occupied his time during the hiatus. Malicks directing debut Badlands (1973) is a collection of concepts, all carefully moulded unitedly to create one iconic piece of film. This process draws in and also alienates the audience. Malicks style is positively noned by critics to be influenced by European philosophy. This is clearly due to Malicks study of philosophy at Harvard and Magdalen College Oxford. There is no given explanation to the mindless violence featured within the film, primarily due to the films resistance to the straight forward approach. The familiar and the unknown are carefully merged together. The only way of gaining an understanding into th e hidden meanings within Badlands is by breaking down the film, by looking at the characters, the use of sound, the visual setting and the films genre. The illusionary effect of Malicks style means that all is not as it seems. The films protagonists Kit Caruthers (Martin Sheen) and Holly (Sissy Spacek) are loosely based on the real life adolescent criminals Charles Starkweather and his girlfriend Caril Ann Fugate. Starkweather and Fugate become infamous after their murder crack through Nebraska and Wyoming in the 1950s, however the story of two young fugitives in love is not one that is unfamiliar with audiences the most notable is Arthur Penns Bonnie and Clyde (1967). The character of Kit also bears a resemblance to Jim Stark, James Deans character i... ...ames Dean. Available at http//panicon4july.blogspot.com/2010/01/doing-his-best-james-dean-terrence.html (Accessed 19/12/2010) fool reference Badlands. Available at http//www.filmreference.com/Films-Aw-Be/Badlands.html (Accesse d 19/12/2010)FilmsAbsence of Malick (2003) Dir. David Gregory DVD. USA Warner Home Video.Badlands (1973) Dir. Terrence Malick DVD. California Warner Home Video.BooksElizabeth Weis, John Belton (1985) Theory and Practice Film Sound, reinvigorated York Columbia University Press, pp 346.Hannah Patterson (2007) The cinema of Terrence Malick poetic visions of America, London Wallflower Press, pp 6.John Gibbs and Douglas Pye (2005) Style and meaning studies in the detailed analysis of film. Engalnd Manchester University Press, pp 42-52.Lloyd Michaels (2009) Terrence Malick, New York University of Illinois Press.