Posterized: Terrence Malick on his 75th Birthday and his new film "Radegund"
Friday, November 30, 2018 at 12:00PM We did this Posterized episode five years back but who would have thought that Terrence Malick of all people would need regular "updates" in filmography respective. Until this decade, Malick was like a ghost of the cinema, or perhaps more appropriately the Brigadoon of auteurs, emerging from the ether after long intervals only to vanish again just as quickly. But he's been working non-stop this decade so time's have changed.
To date Malick has made nine films with a tenth nearing completion. The posters and a still from his next project after the jump. How many have you seen?
Badlands (1973) | Days of Heaven (1978) | The Thin Red Line (1998)
The New World (2005) | The Tree of Life (2011) | To The Wonder (2013)
Knight of Cups (2015) | Voyage of Time (2016) | Song to Song (2017)
What do you think accounts for this recent burst of activity? And do you wish he'd slow down again since this decades movies have been less awesome then what came before?
In other news, Malick is currently in post-production of his new film tentatively titled Radegund. Since it's Malick we're guessing we'll see it in 2020 instead of 2019? The movie is about a conscientious objector in Austria who refused to fight for the Nazis in World War II. Since it's a war movie in Austria it's heavy on famous European men. Since it's Malick we don't know if any of them will still be in it when it's finished since the enigmatic auteur sometimes leaves name actors on the cutting room floor! But at least in terms of who was in it at the film of filming you can look forward (maybe) to a bevvy of European thirst-traps (Matthias Schoenaerts, Alexander Fehling, Franz Rogowski), character actor regulars (Michael Nyqvist) rising stars (Joel Basman) and two enduring international treasures (Bruno Ganz, Jürgen Prochnow).
First still from "Radegund"
In other news, Malick is currently in post-production of his latest tentatively titled Radegund. Since it's Malick we're guessing we'll see it in 2020 instead of 2019? The movie is about a conscientious objector in Austria who refused to fight for the Nazis. Since it's a WW II movie it's heavy on famous European men. Since it's Malick we don't know if any of them will still be in it when it's finished since the enigmatic auteur has infamously left name actors on the cutting room floor in the past! But at least in terms of who was in it at the film of filming you can look forward to a bevvy of European thirst-traps (Matthias Schoenaerts, Alexander Fehling, Franz Rogowski), character actor regulars (Michael Nyqvist) rising stars (Joel Basman) and two enduring international treasures (Bruno Ganz and Jürgen Prochnow).
August Diehl in "Inglourious Basterds"One person we know WILL be in it, because you can't leave your protagonist on the cutting room floor, is August Diehl. The name might not ring a bell but you'll recognize him as soon as you see him because he's had memorable small roles in not one but two Brad Pitt World War II movies Inglourious Basterds (2009) and Allied (2016), as well as the Angelina Jolie picture Salt (2010), and a leading role in the Oscar-winning Austrian film The Counterfeiters (2007).
So... Malick! DISCUSS.
Reader Comments (25)
People make excuses for this director. And for someone who doesn't understand the fuss with Kubrick I'm in shock you're team Terry.
"One person we know WILL be in it, because you can't leave your protagonist on the cutting room floor,"
Tell that to Adrien Brody in The Thin Red Line.
Seriously, he was one of the protagonists of the movie but almost all his scenes were cut and he did not know it until he saw the movie.
Seen 'em all -
wish I hadn't seen the last 4 movies - they are devastatingly bad.
But his first 5ive movies are remarkable, masterpieces - but you have to seek out the director's cut of The New World though.
With Tree Of Life he took voice over and loose narrative to the extreme - but it worked.
But the following 4 are just watered down versions of that movie. Plus they were not nearly as beautiful to look at as Tree Of Life. And the voice overs were more insipid, banal.
I really despise To The Wonder, Voyage Of Time, Knight Of Cups and Song to Song -
perfume commercials ( and not even good ones at that!) stretched to two hours plus - unbearable! and sad to see a filmmaker take a nosedive like that.
Still, I'm curious about Radegrund - him returning to narrative storytelling again.
Fingers crossed it's him returning to form.
/3rtful: Kubrick is a 70s industrialist, Malick is a 70s spiritualist. To make a music comparison? I'd be surprised someone super into Malick wasn't into Jim Croce, and I'd be surprised someone super into Kubrick wasn't into King Crimson. But if someone said they were very into Malick but not at all into Kubrick...? I'd draw some character conclusions about them from that, but I wouldn't act surprised or resent their perspective.
I've seen 6 of his movies, with Tree Of Life as my fav.
I'm with 3rtful. He's VERY HIT and miss with more misses then I'd like from someone of his acclaim (like, what the actual fuck was Song To Song!?).
I've seen 4. I never saw Days of Heaven so maybe someday I'll check out that supposed classic, but after sitting through Knight of Cups I don't see myself watching any more of his current films.
Something - everything - about that still makes me feel Malick is about to return gloriously to form with "Radegund". I sense another masterpiece to join "Days of Heaven", "The Thin Red Line" and "The Tree of Life".
I’ve seen everything up to and including To The Wonder (I’m one of the few who really likes that movie). The New World is probably my favourite, but I’m a big fan of everything I’ve seen. The reviews of the last few have made me steer clear, though...
I've seen them all and enjoyed them all to varying degrees (although he's my favourite filmmaker so I'm biased). The back half is not nearly as strong as the front half, but here's hoping Radegund is a return to form (fingers crossed).
I haven't seen his last three movies. I guess I will someday. I think he has said what he had to say so I don't need him to do more. There's enough beauty in Days of Heaven and in Tree of Life.
His last four are all tremendously forgettable. I even literally forgot I saw three of them already. I don't know if it's because of the pace he's working at (it's not like he's making one every year). He seems to have adopted a specific approach/thematic that began with The New World, worked with Tree of Life and then just amped it up to the max. They're not horrible movies but they're soooo forgettable and a chore to sit through.
Which is a shame because before that he probably had the best output for a director maybe ever? I think his first 5 films are all tremendous in their own way and all time worthy to an extent.
I tried with "Days of Heaven" and took a 5 hour nap during "The Thin Red Line". He's just not my cup of tea.
Duh. All of them.
And sue me but I love every. single. one.
Even after Knight of Cups and Song to Song (granted, his least 'fresh' visions) I left the cinema on a high, grateful to be alive. And I'm sure if either was playing on TV and I walked past, I would sit down in a trance and not get up til the movie's done.
I don't want him to slow down, having so many new Malick movies this decade has been a gift.
For what it's worth both he and Kubrick are in my all time top 20 directors. I must be stupid or racist or delusional or uninformed or something.
With the exception of Song to Song and Voyage of Time as I haven't seen them. I'm someone that loves all of his films so far... the man is a master.
^I wish he had called it quits after Tree Of life
- then he would've had a flawless filmography.
1. Badlands.
2. Tree of Life
3. The New World
4. Days of Heaven.
---
5. The Thin Red Line
6. Knight of Cups
Hate the last two.
Only one I have missed is VOYAGE OF TIME.
I believe he works better in period eras because his very particular kind of narrative form doesn't quite work in the contempory age. His characters in KNIGHT OF CUPS, SONG TO SONG and to a lesser degree TO THE WONDER come off as privileged and his point of view somewhat surface. Like, yeah, of course people are desperate for connection. Like, no shit. That period disconnect serves him well because audiences are less inclined to look for contemporary issues to be explored. But that's just a theory I have.
DAYS OF HEAVEN is in my top five of all time so I'll always see his stuff. THE NEW WORLD is a masterpiece, too. And I think BADLANDS and THIN RED LINE are brilliant. Less enamoured by TREE OF LIFE, but it has incredible moments.
"Because you can't leave your protagonist on the cutting room floor." We might have to ask Adrien Brody, ostensibly the lead of A Thin Red Line during the shoot -- cut to a very small cameo in the final film.
I have seen the first five, and I consider all of them to be classics. I am not a fan of war movies but the Thin Red Line is so beautiful and poetic. My grandfather served in the Navy in the South Pacific during World War II And I always sensed a certain sadness about the reality of war when talking with him about it. That sadness is such a powerful take away from this film.
When I was a young man I saw Days of Heaven at the Ghiradelli Square Cinema in San Francisco. It was my 1st “art house” experience and it opened my eyes to what film could be. That performance by Linda Manz was so haunting and real.
I consider The New World to be his greatest film. The over arching sadness of the story coupled with the beauty of the cinematography brings me to tears every time I watch it.
I thought Badlands and The Thin Red Line are cinematic masterpieces even if it wasn't Malick who directed them. They were flawless in my eyes. Both pull at my emotional heart strings and I don't know why only these two films of his can do that. Remember when Sissy voicing Holly said in that deadpan way "if the piano didn't keep me off the streets, maybe the clarinet would." I love Sissy's luminous presence in this movie.
Malick's films can be mesmerising or soporific. I liken his films to the acquired taste that is slow cinema where it can reward those who are into this type of cinematic storytelling: slow build that moves in a glacial pace. To some they can be hypnotic; downright boring and unwatchable for others.
And may I just say that Q'orianka Kilcher's face is made for cinema. She has this expressive melancholy look that reminded me of Jodhi May especially in The Last of the Mohicans.
Volvagia, such a Malick answer.
Seen Tree of Life (twice - excellent film!) and finally caught Badlands this past summer - really liked it. Days of Heaven has been on my list forever - but it seems like one of those movies that should ideally be seen on the big screen so I've never gotten around to it. And still have yet to see Thin Red Line - one of a dozen BP Oscar nominees from the last 20 years that I managed to miss.
In that still, I thought they were Fassbender and Vikander. Bitch where are those two now?!
ulrich you are 100% correct with all your points, though I might be slightly less forgiving to Tree of Life
Oh, God. I hate his films. Every single one of them is like watching paint dry.