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The Magic Hours: The Films and Hidden Life of Terrence Malick

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Re: The Magic Hours: The Films and Hidden Life of Terrence Malick

#32

I watched Tree of Life in the cinema. I was spellbound. It spoke directly to me, no mental processing of a story, I was tuned to this film. I didn't feel its time. As the film ended a girl behind me said to her friends 'this was the biggest piece of shit I have ever seen'. I understood her and it was a perfectly fine opinion. She didn't 'get it', but it didn't have to do with taste or intelligence or anything like th…

I am with you. I wept uncontrollably at times watching Tree of Life.

Re: The Magic Hours: The Films and Hidden Life of Terrence Malick

#33

I watched Tree of Life in the cinema. I was spellbound. It spoke directly to me, no mental processing of a story, I was tuned to this film. I didn't feel its time. As the film ended a girl behind me said to her friends 'this was the biggest piece of shit I have ever seen'. I understood her and it was a perfectly fine opinion. She didn't 'get it', but it didn't have to do with taste or intelligence or anything like th…

I think I loved everything about The Tree of Life except for the scenes with Sean Penn. Whatever mysterious antipathy the girl behind you in the cinema felt for the movie, I felt for Sean Penn. The kind and probably accurate interpretation is that actors are at the mercy of their directors and editors in movies like this, but his scenes don't feel like they're part of the same movie.

Re: The Magic Hours: The Films and Hidden Life of Terrence Malick

#34
post #18

The guy to go to if you want an awful boring movie

So, you've seen Days of Heaven, too? (actually, I only lasted through the first 20 minutes)

His secret to success was doing nothing for 20 years and letting idiots build him into a genius in the void of anything which would have demonstrated otherwise

Re: The Magic Hours: The Films and Hidden Life of Terrence Malick

#35
post #5

Like the first line says, he is probably the least known famous director. That is, he is not an activist and not flashy, doesn't make a lot of movies, and the general public simply doesn't know about him. But all the other movie directors and famous actors know him and kind of idolize him. When Thin Red Line came out in 1998 he hadn't done a movie since 1978 (Days of Heaven) and yet he snagged all the famous actors t…

His movies may be "artsy" but he had a big influence on cinema. I watched Badlands for the first time a couple of years ago and I kept having to remind myself that it was made in 1973, not 1993 or 2003. It just seems like a film that's out of place in time, but that seems to be because it influenced later films.

> His movies may be "artsy" but he had a big influence on cinema

Of course, that's why all the movie directors and actors and people who are into film like him. But take a person off the street and put in front of a Malick movie and don't be surprised if they walk out. Someone in the sibling threads said that much.

But yeah, I watched The Thin Red Line in the cinema twice when it came out, but also acknowledge that I am probably in the minority.

Re: The Magic Hours: The Films and Hidden Life of Terrence Malick

#37
post #18

The guy to go to if you want an awful boring movie

So, you've seen Days of Heaven, too? (actually, I only lasted through the first 20 minutes)

While The Thin Red Line is fantastic, I share your dislike of Days of Heaven. Lauded as a masterpiece, when I finally watched it I couldn't understand how.

Re: The Magic Hours: The Films and Hidden Life of Terrence Malick

#38
post #18

The guy to go to if you want an awful boring movie

So, you've seen Days of Heaven, too? (actually, I only lasted through the first 20 minutes)

I lasted through the film only because of the cinematography, the other parts are overrated.

Re: The Magic Hours: The Films and Hidden Life of Terrence Malick

#39

I watched Tree of Life in the cinema. I was spellbound. It spoke directly to me, no mental processing of a story, I was tuned to this film. I didn't feel its time. As the film ended a girl behind me said to her friends 'this was the biggest piece of shit I have ever seen'. I understood her and it was a perfectly fine opinion. She didn't 'get it', but it didn't have to do with taste or intelligence or anything like th…

The Tree of Life was one of the only films I’ve ever considered walking out of, I hated every moment of it. I’m delighted to hear you were spellbound by it.

Re: The Magic Hours: The Films and Hidden Life of Terrence Malick

#40
post #5

Like the first line says, he is probably the least known famous director. That is, he is not an activist and not flashy, doesn't make a lot of movies, and the general public simply doesn't know about him. But all the other movie directors and famous actors know him and kind of idolize him. When Thin Red Line came out in 1998 he hadn't done a movie since 1978 (Days of Heaven) and yet he snagged all the famous actors t…

There have been other war films with uncannily twinkly star studded cast lists.

The Longest Day (1962) claims Sean Conery, John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Henry Fonda, and Robert Mitchum amongst it's cast members.

A Bridge Too Far (1977) Includes Anthony Hopkins, Robert Redford, Sean Connery, James Caan, Gene Hackman, Ryan O'Neil and Lawrence Olivier amongst it's ensemble.

A Thin Red Line is notable for the number of high profile actors whose parts got whittled down to almost nothing in the editing room.

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