Days of Heaven

Days of Heaven (1978)

  • 93% of critics liked it
    (45 reviews)

  • 88% of users liked it
    (13,320 ratings)

Terrence Malick's Days of Heaven, the long-awaited follow-up to his 1973 debut Badlands, confirmed his reputation as a visual poet and narrative iconoclast with a story of love and murder told through the jaded voice of a child and expressive images of nature. In 1916, Chicago steelworker Bill… More

PG, 1 hr. 35 min.
Directed By
Terrence Malick
Written By
Terrence Malick
Genres
Drama
In Theaters
Sep 13, 1978 Wide
On DVD
Mar 30, 1999
Paramount Pictures

Critic Reviews

  • Variety Staff, Variety

    One of the great cinematic achievements of the 1970s.

  • Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune

    Perhaps the most typical example of a '70s American art film -- daring, romantic, rebellious but also filled with longing for the beauty of the past.

  • Harold C. Schonberg, New York Times

    Days of Heaven never really makes up its mind what it wants to be.

  • Michael Atkinson, Village Voice

    Almost incontestably the most gorgeously photographed film ever made.

  • Andrew Ross, Salon.com

    It is the closest to poetry in motion that I have ever seen.

Read all 23 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Dan S


    A simple and beautifully shot story of a young couple who flee from their home after steelworker Bill (Richard Gere) accidentally murders his boss and he takes his girlfriend Abby (Brooke Adams) up work in a ranch occupied by a rich but dying farmer (Sam Shepard), who happens to fall… More

  • Melvin W


    Linda: Nobody's perfect. There was never a perfect person around. You just have half-angel and half-devil in you.  "Your eyes... Your ears... Your sense... will be overwhelmed." Days of Heaven is a film of just sheer beauty. Every single shot is the definition of… More

  • Chris W


    Terrence Malick is at it again, perhaps making his most "Malicky" film yet. All of his usual trademarks and themes are in place, and I've come to realize that, expcept for specific plot info, all of his movies are pretty much the same. That's not necessarily a bad… More

  • paul o


    Your eyes...Your ears...Your senses...will be overwhelmed. This film has the cinematography of a fantastic matiesse painting. The story is calm and its characters are calmer. The general atmosphere can only be described as surreal. A one of a kind film!

  • Liam G


    The way Malick tells this compelling romance set in 1916 through images rather than dialogue is beautifully executed. His direction combined with superb performances, gorgeous cinematography and Ennio Morricone's brilliant score make Days of Heaven one of the best films of the… More

Read all 20 featured audience ratings

Cast

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