teelworker Bill (Richard Gere) flees Chicago for Texas, alongside his girlfriend Abby (Brooke Adams) and his younger sister Linda (Linda Manz). To avoid questions and gossip, Bill and Abby pretend that they’re siblings (though it’s not enough to quell suspicions over their closeness). Once there, among the vast wheat fields, they begin work for a wealthy and quiet farmer (Sam Shepard), who can’t help but notice Abby’s attractiveness, which leads to relationship complications and a distinct power imbalance, particularly after a tragic lifespan diagnosis.

“I love it out here.” An inescapable realism and simplicity permeates the introductory sequences of “Days of Heaven,” narrated by Linda as she observes her surroundings and the behaviors of fellow laborers (from her perspective, the aloofness of the presentation is somewhat clearer). With an experimental feel, the picture moves through its setting and seasons without a distinct sense of a plot, concerned more with capturing a time and place and its period-piece inhabitants rather than conspicuous dramatic developments. Utilizing convincing costumes, props, and locations, the focus is on arduous routines, though it presents a calming beauty in the primitiveness.

Written and directed by Terrence Malick, with a score by Ennio Morricone (making excellent use of the eeriness of Camille Saint-Saens’ “Carnival of the Animals – The Aquarium”), serenity through tremendous landscapes and random shots of nature (the cinematography by Nestor Almendros is exquisite), rousing celebrations, casual interactions, and lullaby-like music are the first priority. The acting is natural and the dialogue sounds as if mostly improvised; conversations are spontaneous, unrehearsed, and notably trivial (even the scene transitions suggest that various interactions are purposefully transitory, fading away almost too soon into the next moment). Expressions often convey more than spoken words. This is very much a project of reproducing and ruminating over an era and its people (incorporating historical events as well); a study more than a story. And with essentially only three main characters, plenty of attention is given to them; they are fully fleshed-out, understandable, and relatable personas.

Significant developments do occur, however, when Bill and Abby hatch a scheme to separate the farmer from his fortunes. But even with this revelation, Malick is unrushed; he’s never pressured into forcing sudden drama or action for the sake of presenting a specific sense of cinematic expectations. There’s entertainment value here, along with stunning visuals, but this type of filmmaking definitely isn’t for mainstream audiences, especially with its lack of traditional excitement (indeed, it was a commercial failure). Its examination of people and a love-triangle relationship won’t be enough for many viewers. A cryptic yet symbolic occurrence toward the finale intensifies the scenario, suggesting that repercussions for evildoing just might be unavoidable – and ushers in further tumult. By the conclusion, it ends as vaguely as it begins, yet with a distinct sense of satisfaction and unexplainable resoluteness (perhaps these characters’ stories are entirely resolved), as if something profound has unfolded amid the odd plainness of it all.

– Mike Massie