Badlands (1973) // dir. Terrence Malick

Sheen and Spacek attempt to outrun the law in Malick's debut feature.

Inspired by the Starkweather-Fugate killings of the 50's, Badlands follows young lovers; Kit (Martin Sheen), a desensitised and reckless James Dean wannabe, and Holly (Sissy Spacek), an impressionable girl absorbed in the literary fantasies she constantly reads. After Kit's fatal shooting of Holly's disapproving father (Warren Oates), the couple flee into the surrounding South Dakotan badlands. With an increasing body count, the couple detach themselves from society and live a life of solitude until the inevitable final showdown. Badlands, on the surface, resembles a less savvy version of 1967's Bonnie and Clyde. But beneath the lovers on the lam exterior, it is a wholly different affair. In terms of plot and characters, Badlands is a very minimalist and simplistic film. The story, told almost exclusively by Spacek's voiceover, tends to float along at an even pace and seemingly keeps in tune with the deserted South Dakotan backdrop. The character development is similarly uncomplicated. Badlands boasts a cast of very few characters who (bar Kit and Holly) are elaborated upon very little, beyond inadvertently acting as accessories to Kit's nonsensical crimes. The performances are relatively emotionless; from their naive and often childlike relationship, to the added pathos of Spacek's fanzine-style commentary that glosses over the brutality of their crimes - it all adds to the theme of disconnectedness. But where Badlands truly outshines its 1967 counterpart, is through Malick's poetically visual style of filmmaking. The use of endless, panoramic horizon shots gives it a relaxed and dreamlike feel, whilst subsequently acting as a metaphor for Kit and Holly's isolation. However, for some, this may be seen as a weakness. Instead of the couple's crimes being dealt with so casually, sometimes you feel it might benefit from a bit more action, and a little less focus on the mise-en-scene - after all, it is based on a real life killing spree.

Badlands isn't just a pretentious Bonnie and Clyde rehash; it is artistic and evocative, and has definitely earned its understated, yet iconic status.

The Tree of Life (2011) // dir. Terrence Malick

Pitt and Malick take a transcendental look at family values and the emergence of the cosmos.

The Tree of Life attempts to chronicle the origin and meaning of life through a middle-aged man's (Sean Penn) childhood memories. Visionary Malick, presents us with his interpretation of the Big Bang - from the creation of the planets, the forming of the oceans, and the tale of evolution (even including dinosaurs). Eventually, we arrive at Penn's suburban childhood home in 1950's America, where we meet his amiable, nurturing mother (Jessica Chastain), and his overbearing, austere father (Brad Pitt). With an excellent film-making reputation preceding the reclusive Malick (Badlands, The Thin Red Line), coupled with endless 5 star reviews and awards buzz, I went into this film with extremely high expectations. Malick's notoriety for precision during the editing process (it spent almost 3 years in the cutting room until The Tree of Life made it to the big screen) only added to the anticipation. Unfortunately, I was extremely disappointed. There was a distinct lack of dialogue throughout, meaning that character development and interaction was minimal. Additionally, there was an absence of a structured storyline, making the film very ambiguous and subjective, partly as a result of the aforementioned lack of dialogue. The Tree of Life is inundated with biblical undertones and references, which are somewhat rendered obsolete by Malick's highly contradictory, excessively long interpretation of the creationist theory. It all seemed a little bit bizarre and inconsequential thus far. The films pace is painfully slow, and when we finally arrive at Penn's childhood memories, we encounter a large number of scenes illustrating different aspects of the same family dynamic - it soon becomes a little tedious. By the time we reach the incongruous final scene, the levels of pretentiousness are unbearable.

Having said that, The Tree of Life is a brave and innovative film, it just didn't personally resonate with me, but give it a watch and draw your own conclusions.