Set in 1916, Terence Malick's 1978 classic Days of Heaven follows a migrant laborer named Bill (Richard Gere), his little sister Linda (Linda Manz), and Bill's girlfriend Abby (Brooke Adams), who flee to the Texas panhandle from Chicago, after Bill accidentally kills a steel mill foreman. Posing as brother and sister, Bill and Abby work the fields of a farmer (Sam Shepard) who has an eye for Abby, but both human nature and Mother Nature exact a huge price for the couple's deception. In this gorgeous-looking Criterion Collection release, Nestor Almendros' Oscar-winning cinematography looks awe-inspiring, while Ennio Morricone's haunting score sounds beautiful in Dolby Digital 5.1. DVD extras include an audio commentary (with editor Billy Weber, art director Jack Fisk, costume designer Patricia Norris, and casting director Dianne Crittenden); new interviews with Gere (who was initially unhappy with the final cut, due to the fact that some dialogue-heavy scenes were axed), cinematographer Haskell Wexler, and camera operator John Bailey, as well as a 2002 interview with Shepard; and a booklet featuring essays by critic Adrian Martin and Almendros. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (R. Pitman)[Blu-ray Review—Mar. 16, 2010—Criterion, 94 min., PG, $39.95—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1978's Days of Heaven sports a decent transfer with DTS-HD sound. Blu-ray extras include audio commentary (by editor Billy Weber, art director Jack Fisk, costume designer Patricia Norris, and casting director Dianne Crittenden), interviews with camera operator John Bailey (21 min.), costar Sam Shepard (13 min.), and cinematographer Haskell Wexler (12 min.), an audio interview with costar Richard Gere, and a booklet featuring an essay by critic Adrian Martin as well as a chapter from cinematographer Nestor Almendros's autobiography. Bottom line: a fine Blu-ray debut for a contemporary classic.]
Days of Heaven
Criterion, 94 min., PG, DVD: $39.95 Volume 23, Issue 2
Days of Heaven
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: