Days of Heaven (1978)

Taglines: You’ve got to go through Hell before you get to Heaven.

Days of Heaven movie storyline. Terrence Malick’s second feature film, an original, lyrical and gorgeously-photographed work of art. A tragic, turn-of-the-century tale of a hot-headed Chicago steel worker (Richard Gere) who flees to the wheat fields of the Texas Panhandle following the accidental murder of the mill foreman, with his lover-girlfriend (Brooke Adams) and his younger 13 year-old sister (Linda Manz) (who provides the film’s raw commentary).

He takes up itinerant work for the fall harvest with a wealthy and prosperous but terminally-ailing and lonely farmer (Shepard). When an unusual love triangle develops, the farm-hand pretends that his girlfriend is his sister and encourages her marriage to the farmer, hoping that they can escape from poverty. The plot includes a plague of locusts, fire, and the tragic consequences of greed and jealousy.

Days of Heaven is a 1978 American romantic drama film written and directed by Terrence Malick and starring Richard Gere, Brooke Adams, Sam Shepard, and Linda Manz. Set in 1916, it tells the story of Bill and Abby, lovers who travel to the Texas Panhandle to harvest crops for a wealthy farmer. Bill encourages Abby to claim the fortune of the dying farmer by tricking him into a false marriage.

Days of Heaven was Malick’s second feature film, after the enthusiastically received Badlands (1973), and was produced on a budget of $3,000,000. Production was particularly troublesome, with a tight shooting schedule and significant budget constraints. Additionally, editing took Malick a lengthy three years, due to difficulty with achieving a general flow and assembly of the scenes. This was eventually solved with an added, improvised narration by Linda Manz. The film was scored by Ennio Morricone and photographed by Néstor Almendros and Haskell Wexler.

Directed by: Terrence Malick
Starring: Richard Gere, Brooke Adams, Sam Shepard, Linda Manz, Robert J. Wilke, Jackie Shultis, Stuart Margolin, Timothy Scott, Gene Bell, Doug Kershaw, Richard Libertini, Frenchie Lemond
Screenplay by: Terrence Malick
Cinematography by: Néstor Almendros
Film Editing by: Billy Weber
Costume Design by: Patricia Norris, Jerry R. Allen
Set Decoration by: Robert Gould
Art Direction by: Jack Fisk
Music by: Ennio Morricone
Distributed by: Paramount Pictures
Nelease Date: September 13, 1978