Moe_Syzlak
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Badlands. Having just seen Malick’s most recent film, A Hidden Life, I decided to check out one glaring omission I have in his filmography: his debut Badlands. It’s an interesting experience because I couldn’t simply watch it at face value. I bring with me the “baggage” of my knowledge of Malick’s other work and the work of other filmmakers this movie inspired. The young couple on the run story was certainly not new even then. In fact, I’d wager the recent success of Bonnie and Clyde helped this film get made. That said, it does feel like this movie marks a line of before and after for this kind of movie and its influence is deep.
Much of Malick’s trademarks are present, though of course to audiences in 1973 they wouldn’t have been known. It’s a personal story, a road movie, but the characters are set against the grandeur of nature in such a way as to suggest that all that is happening means naught in the grand scheme of things. This is a constant theme for Malick and I admit to looking for it. But it’s definitely there. The voiceover is there too. But it’s less metaphorical, less spiritual than usual for Malick. It comes in the form of 15 year old Holly (Sissy Spacek) and while it’s more of a straightforward voiceover, it also seems a little mature for her 15 years. And it left little doubt in my mind that it was the basis for Alabama’s voiceover in True Romance.
True Romance is clearly inspired by Badlands as is Natural Born Killers. There’s the same sense that these people are caught up in the romance of it all; they are relishing the infamy. Of course this was also present in Bonnie and Clyde. Matin Sheen’s Kit is told by Holly and others that he looks like James Dean and he seems to need to play that out as the Rebel Without a Cause. There’s no real other reason for what Kit and Holly do. They really aren’t portrayed as young lovers; this is not a romance. There’s nothing else driving them. It’s not as on-the-nose in its meta-criticism of media/Hollywood/celebrity as Natural Born Killers, but it’s definitely there. With both Natural Born Killers and True Romance penned by Tarantino, we see another instance of him wearing his influences nakedly on his sleeve.
It was impossible for me to view this movie without thinking of the works that followed, both the movies and filmmakers inspired and Malick’s own developing style. That’s not necessarily a bad thing but it made for a different viewing than if I didn’t have that knowledge. Still, it is a must see if you’re a fan of any of the above.
Much of Malick’s trademarks are present, though of course to audiences in 1973 they wouldn’t have been known. It’s a personal story, a road movie, but the characters are set against the grandeur of nature in such a way as to suggest that all that is happening means naught in the grand scheme of things. This is a constant theme for Malick and I admit to looking for it. But it’s definitely there. The voiceover is there too. But it’s less metaphorical, less spiritual than usual for Malick. It comes in the form of 15 year old Holly (Sissy Spacek) and while it’s more of a straightforward voiceover, it also seems a little mature for her 15 years. And it left little doubt in my mind that it was the basis for Alabama’s voiceover in True Romance.
True Romance is clearly inspired by Badlands as is Natural Born Killers. There’s the same sense that these people are caught up in the romance of it all; they are relishing the infamy. Of course this was also present in Bonnie and Clyde. Matin Sheen’s Kit is told by Holly and others that he looks like James Dean and he seems to need to play that out as the Rebel Without a Cause. There’s no real other reason for what Kit and Holly do. They really aren’t portrayed as young lovers; this is not a romance. There’s nothing else driving them. It’s not as on-the-nose in its meta-criticism of media/Hollywood/celebrity as Natural Born Killers, but it’s definitely there. With both Natural Born Killers and True Romance penned by Tarantino, we see another instance of him wearing his influences nakedly on his sleeve.
It was impossible for me to view this movie without thinking of the works that followed, both the movies and filmmakers inspired and Malick’s own developing style. That’s not necessarily a bad thing but it made for a different viewing than if I didn’t have that knowledge. Still, it is a must see if you’re a fan of any of the above.