Cast and crew of Terrence Malick's debut film "Badlands" shares reminiscenes from making the movie and also the memories of its director/writer/producer of whom
they're all friends and began their careers with him. Actors Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek, her husband and art-director Jack Fisk, and editor Billy Weber had plenty of
good memories about making the critically acclaimed film inspired on the Starkweather homicides in the 1950's, and they also have plenty of good stories about the mystique
behind the reclusive Malick and what's it like to be in his presence. At the time of this documentary, "Badlands" was turning 30 years of its release and Malick only had three
films under his helm; now as of this review it's already 50 years later and it still considered one of the greatest films ever made, and Malick became a more popular name due
to its rise from the ashes after "The New World" and "The Tree of Life". I considered one of the last American film authors still in activity, and one that still didn't get
the recognition he deserves and even the audiences he wanted to have (hence why he disappeared in the 1980's due to lack of commercial return to his projects).
Even though "Badlands" speaks for itself through the performance of Spacek and Sheen, largely unknown actors at the time of its release, and the beauty, the poetry and the violence of its images, I always find it interesting when the people involved with the film talk about the experience of doing the work rather than explaining reasoning or revealing the inside nature of the story or the images. Audiences can figure those, but they don't know about the experience of behind the scenes unless someone is showing it or talking about it - and usually most Hollywood films have some of the greatest curious stories behind the scenes. Spacek, Sheen, Fisk and Weber have plenty to share and their admiration for Malick is enormous and you can feel they're great friends through all of these years. Truly great. 9/10.
Even though "Badlands" speaks for itself through the performance of Spacek and Sheen, largely unknown actors at the time of its release, and the beauty, the poetry and the violence of its images, I always find it interesting when the people involved with the film talk about the experience of doing the work rather than explaining reasoning or revealing the inside nature of the story or the images. Audiences can figure those, but they don't know about the experience of behind the scenes unless someone is showing it or talking about it - and usually most Hollywood films have some of the greatest curious stories behind the scenes. Spacek, Sheen, Fisk and Weber have plenty to share and their admiration for Malick is enormous and you can feel they're great friends through all of these years. Truly great. 9/10.
