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John Bailey on shooting Days of Heaven

Terence Malick’s Days of Heaven (1978) is one of the most visually stunning films ever made, a poetic tale of a couple (Richard Gere and Brooke Adams) who migrate to the Texas panhandle in order to work for a farmer (Sam Shepherd) in 1910.

Beautifully shot by Nestor Almendros, it is famous for its cinematopgraphy, especially the way in which it captures the magic hour between dusk and dawn.

In this video cinematographer John Bailey, who served as a camera operator on the film, sheds some light on how Alemendros and Malick managed to give the film its unique look.

> Days of Heaven at the IMDb
> Buy the Region 2 DVD or the Criterion Blu-ray (Region 1 only)

Categories
Interesting

Terence Malick’s cameo in Badlands

Terence Malick made one of the great debuts in US cinema with Badlands (1973), but the famously reclusive director also had an unexpected cameo in the film.

In the film a teenage girl (Sissy Spacek) goes on the run with a rebellious young man (Martin Sheen) as they embark on a cross-country killing spree.

Whilst filming a scene set in house the couple temporarily take over, Malick realised that the actor he hired to play ‘Caller at Rich Man’s House’ย had not turned up.

Malick himself had to play the uncredited role and although he wanted to eventually re-shoot the scene with someone else, Martin Sheen reportedly persuaded him not to.

> Terence Malick at the IMDb
> Senses of Cinema essay on Terence Malick