In 1916, Industrial change takes on, man moved by the will to undo their poverty became the hand that moved the machine in exchange for money, their employers became more richer and powerful, they don’t need you, if you go, they can have someone else do your job. Harvest is sanctified, Amen, beginning the masses to account the vast fields of corn with naked hands in summer and in winter, sun and ice aside your specified work, you are sweating in heat or shaking in cold, your brothers and sisters, your father and mother are here to stay as long as the fields are giving their fruit. Micro cells of friendship are made, you are their companions and they are yours, play with them, she becomes your wife, your son is born here, and so you must work today and tomorrow, everybody looks back, every day before seems alike today. At last, harvest season is over and you go empty handed, it wasn’t worth it, the money will last for some small luxuries, not enough to break away form this miserable life, new world of profits for the already rich, you have nothing, next year you will be back to barely support your self with the low payment, isn’t your back broken and wasted?
Days of Heaven is made out of three essential masterful patterns; first the smooth and haunting photography created by the great Nestor Almendros (winner Best Photography, 1979 Academy Awards assisted by Jack Fisk). The vast golden fields shot with the Magic Hour technique enlightened with a sensual slow camera movement makes every frame both delightfully exuberant and elegant. The second essential pattern is the music, Camille Saint Saen’z Aquarium (from Carnival of the Animals) is not only used as the main theme, Ennio Morricone conveys smooth variations and tempos recomposing the piece with such a delicate taste that the visuals manifest the narration explicit of silent films. The poetic result of celluloid impressions, plus Leo Kottke’s music is used to transmid the flavor of this people’s lives. Finally (and most important), director Terrence Malick (winner Best Directorial Achievement, Cannes Film Festival, 1978), takes this two patterns, and magnifies them with his unconventional direction, slow pace with an lyrical structure of landscapes in between the characters delivering a modest masterpiece of film History. Just like every great director, his the mastermind behind this, and Malick’s narration becomes aware of the simple lives of its characters who won’t be missed by no one else but then selves. The cast exposes the loneliness and perils of such a forgotten social class, Bill, Abby, the Farmer, and Bill’s little sister, are representative of their time and its people’s personalities, some family for sure experienced what they experienced as the very low working class, unlimited free and in love, caught in misery by God’s will, money unfortunately in this conditions, is the difference, you lack of it and so you are mark as disposable; What else can you do? Accept it.
Days of Heaven is a very simple but very beautiful story composed in a real cinematographic terms, the right images with the right music and sound (with just the enough speeches from the actors to expose the plot), resulting in more than visual potency, only this time is both a film and poem.
Pale Autumn days, streams of water aside golden corn landscapes, hell by outcasts of heaven, next season will come no, matter what.