Days of Heaven (1978)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

Terrence Malick

Writer:

Terrence Malick (written by)

Release Date:

13 September 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Your eyes... Your ears... Your senses... will be overwhelmed.

Plot:

A hot-tempered farm laborer convinces the woman he loves to marry their rich but dying boss so that they can have a claim to his fortune.

Plot Keywords:

Farmer | Love | Farm | Harvest | Wedding

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 10 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Richard Gere	...	Bill
Brooke Adams	...	Abby
Sam Shepard	...	The Farmer
Linda Manz	...	Linda
Robert J. Wilke	...	The Farm Foreman (as Robert Wilke)
Jackie Shultis	...	Linda's Friend
Stuart Margolin	...	Mill Foreman
Timothy Scott	...	Harvest Hand (as Tim Scott)
Gene Bell	...	Dancer
Doug Kershaw	...	Fiddler
Richard Libertini	...	Vaudeville Leader
Frenchie Lemond	...	Vaudeville Wrestler
Sahbra Markus	...	Vaudeville Dancer
Bob Wilson	...	Accountant
Muriel Jolliffe	...	Headmistress
John Wilkinson	...	Preacher
King Cole	...	Farm Worker

Directed by
Terrence Malick

Writing credits
Terrence Malick		(written by)

Produced by
Jacob Brackman	....	executive producer
Bert Schneider	....	producer
Harold Schneider	....	producer

Original Music by
Ennio Morricone

Cinematography by
Néstor Almendros		(as Nestor Almendros)

Film Editing by
Billy Weber

Casting by
Dianne Crittenden

Art Direction by
Jack Fisk

Set Decoration by
Robert Gould

Costume Design by
Patricia Norris
Jerry R. Allen		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Jamie Brown	....	makeup artist
Bertine Taylor	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Coulter Adams	....	second unit manager
Les Kimber	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jacob Brackman	....	second unit director
Skip Cosper	....	first assistant director
Rob Lockwood	....	second assistant director
Martin Walters	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Johnny Lattanzio	....	painter (as John Lattanzio)
Alan Levine	....	property master (as Allan Levine)
Barry Merrells	....	assistant propmaster

Sound Department
Philip Boole	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Robert Burton	....	special audio assistant
Allen Byers	....	special audio assistant
Charles L. Campbell	....	sound effects editor (as Charles Campbell)
James Cox	....	special sound effects
Peter Gregory	....	sound crew: Glen Glenn
Louis Hogue	....	boom operator
Stephen Katz	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby (as Steve Katz)
Glen Lambert	....	boom operator
Jean Marler	....	sound crew: Glen Glenn
Clyde McKinney	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Colin C. Mouat	....	sound effects editor (as Colin Mouat)
John T. Reitz	....	sound effects mixer (as John Reitz)
George Ronconi	....	sound mixer
Alan Splet	....	special audio assistant
Robert Thirlwell	....	sound crew: Glen Glenn
Barry Thomas	....	sound mixer
Joe Wachter	....	sound crew: Glen Glenn
John Wilkinson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Sharron Miller	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Mel Merrells	....	special effects
John Thomas	....	special effects

Stunts
Erin Talbott	....	stunt flyer
Joe Watts	....	stunt flyer

Camera and Electrical Department
John Bailey	....	camera operator
Edie Baskin	....	special still photographer
Edie Baskin	....	title photographer
James F. Boyle	....	gaffer (as James Boyle)
Robert Eber	....	special assistant camera (as Bob Eber)
Chansonetta Emmons	....	title photographer
Bruno Engler	....	still photographer
Henry Hamilton Bennett	....	title photographer
Clyde Hart	....	key grip
Lewis Hine	....	title photographer
Frances Benjamin Johnston	....	title photographer
Malcolm Kendall	....	best boy
Frank Merrells	....	dolly grip
Ken Middleham	....	time-lapse photographer
William Notman	....	title photographer
Rod Parkhurst	....	camera operator
Kent Remington	....	special assistant camera
Paul Ryan	....	photographer: second unit
Haskell Wexler	....	additional photographer
Andrew D. Wilson	....	electrician (as Andy Wilson)
Eric Van Haren Noman	....	panaglide operator (uncredited)

Casting Department
Terry Bolo	....	casting assistant
Barbara Claman	....	casting assistant
Gino Havens	....	casting assistant (as Geno Havens)
Judith Lamb	....	casting assistant (as Judy Lamb)
Karen Rea	....	casting assistant (as Karen Grossman)
Elinor Renfield	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jered Green	....	wardrobe: men

Editorial Department
Caroline Biggerstaff	....	additional editor (as Caroline Ferriol)
Roberta Friedman	....	assistant editor
Tikki Goldberg	....	editorial consultant
Dessie Markovsky	....	editorial consultant (as Dessy Markovski)
Susan Martin	....	additional editor
Bob McMillian	....	color consultant
Barbara Morrison	....	negative cutter
Jeffrey Schneider	....	editorial consultant
Marion Segal	....	additional editor
George Trirogoff	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Gabriella Belloni	....	music coordinator
Denny Bruce	....	music coordinator
Daniel Allan Carlin	....	music editor (as Dan Carlin Jr.)
Enrico DeMelis	....	music coordinator
Sandro Fois	....	music recording engineer
Robert W. Glass Jr.	....	music mixer (as Robert Glass Jr.)
John Iles	....	music recording engineer
Leo Kottke	....	composer: additional music
Sergio Marcotulli	....	music recording engineer
Ennio Morricone	....	conductor
Ted Roberts	....	music editor
Rick Smith	....	musician: harmonica

Transportation Department
John Brumby	....	driver
Don Nablo	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Blue André	....	executive assistant: Bert Schneider (as Blue Andre)
Wally Bennett	....	script supervisor
Peter Broderick	....	special assistant to director
Michael Burns	....	assistant to producer
John Chesko	....	assistant to producer
Leslie Cox	....	assistant to producer
Joe Dodds	....	wrangler
Reg Glass	....	wrangler
Michie Gleason	....	assistant to producer
Dixie Gray	....	wrangler
Edward Hill	....	senior accountant
Nancy Coan Kaclik	....	special assistant to director (as Nancy Kaclik)
Chet Luton	....	supervising engineer: MGM
Irene Malick	....	researcher
Heather McIntosh	....	location accountant
Isabella Miller	....	wrangler
Peter Neufeld	....	researcher
Clenton Owensby	....	technical advisor
Dan Perri	....	title designer
Rosalia Purdum	....	researcher
John Scott	....	wrangler
Nathalie Seaver	....	researcher
Michelle Shapiro	....	production secretary
Marilyn Tasso	....	production secretary
Susan Vermazen	....	researcher
Bob Wilson	....	wrangler

Thanks
Chris	....	dedicatee
Dauna	....	dedicatee
Deborah Eisenberg	....	special thanks
Redd Foxx	....	special thanks
Jill Jakes	....	special thanks
Joseph D. Kelly	....	special thanks (as Joe Kelly)
Tom Kobayashi	....	special thanks
Stuart Margolin	....	special thanks
Roger Mayer	....	special thanks
Patrick Norris	....	special thanks
Gordon Radley	....	special thanks
Bob Rafelson	....	special thanks
Greta Ronningen	....	special thanks
Walter Rosenblum	....	photos courtesy of
Wallace Shawn	....	special thanks
Susan	....	dedicatee
Ian Underwood	....	special thanks
Wallace Wolf	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1978) (USA) (theatrical)
• Cinéma International Corporation (CIC) (1979) (France) (theatrical)
• Cinema Internazional Corporation (1979) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1979) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Cinéma International Corporation (CIC) (1979) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2002) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2007) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Syntonic Reserach Inc.  special environmental sound recording
• Neiman-Tillar Associates  sound effects
• Get Set  set construction (as Get Set)
• Overdrive Music  used by permission of: "Enderlin"
• American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP)  used by permission of: "Endrlin" (as A.S.C.A.P.)
• Tree Pubshing Co.  used by permission of: "Swamp Dance"
• Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI)  used by permission of: "Swamp Dance" (as B.M.I)
• Wiener Philharmoniker  music performed by: "Carnival of the Animals-The Aguarium" (as the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra)
• Polydor International  used by permission of: "Carnival of the Animals-The Aguarium" (as Polydor International GmbH)
• Library of Congress  courtesy of
• Chicago Historical Society  courtesy of
• New York Public Library  courtesy of
• International Museum of Photography  courtesy of (as International Museum of Photography - George Eastman House)
• Metropolitan Museum of Art  courtesy of
• Ewing Galloway Archives  courtesy of (as Ewing Galloway)
• Bennett Studios  courtesy of (as H.H. Bennett Studios)
• Culver Pictures  courtesy of
• FPG Photoworld  courtesy of
• FPC Inc.  courtesy of
• Metrocolor  prints
• Panavision  lenses and panaflex camera
• Glen Glenn Sound  sound re-recording
• Lethbridge Hutterite Communities  special thanks

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby (35 mm prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | Iceland:12 | Netherlands:16 | Australia:PG | Brazil:12 | Sweden:15 | USA:PG (certificate #25199) | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-16 | Spain:18 | UK:PG | West Germany:12 | Portugal:M/12

Filming Locations:

Raymond, Alberta, Canada

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

The shot of locusts ascending to the sky was shot in reverse with the helicopter crew throwing peanut shells down, and actors walking backwards.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The Texas flag is displayed upside down.

Quotes:

[last lines]
Linda: I was hopin' things would work out for her. She was a good friend of mine.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Edward Hopper (2007) (V)

Soundtrack:

Carnival of the Animals - The Aquarium

Up there with Casablanca & Citizen Kane

I can understand why Malick didn't make another movie after he made Days of Heaven. The film was panned by the majority of the critics who could only find the cinematography worthy of praise. However, Malick was hugely misunderstood by these dumb critics.

They complain that the film is ponderously slow. This was the intention. Malick used pause to convey that the characters think. Too many actors rattle off their lines without letting their characters think of them. It also conveys the slow pace of their lives.

Critics complain that the characters are too remote - one feels removed from them and can't get involved. Hello! It is narrated by a 13 yr old and is essentially her view of the events that transpired. Naturally she does not grasp most of the more adult moments between them and thus is herself removed from being fully involved in Bill and Abby's relationship and that is what has to come across.

Then Malick, in a moment of genius, allied the four main characters to the four elements; Earth, Air, Fire & Water. Bill is Fire - he is seen at first in front of the furnaces of a foundry where he works. We can see his temper is volatile. Abby is water - in the very first shot she is scavenging(?) by a stream and she is seen against the backdrop of the river. Linda is Earth - In her narration she says that she is close to the "Oith". The Farmer is Air - constantly tinkering with his weather vane, and his fields of wheat are often seen waving in the wind.

All in all a severely mies-judged film and the critics owe Malick a huge apology. The work is pure genius!