FILMS. 4th EDItION DAYS OF HEAVEN Days of Heaven Bedoya, R, in Hablemos de Cine (Lima), November 1980 focus-shifts as an instant signifier of"beauty"(flowers in focus in Donough, M, West of Eden: Terrence Malick's Days of Heaven the foreground, out-of-focus lovers in the background shift focus to in Post Script (acksonville, Florida), Fall 1985 the lovers behind a foreground of out-of-focus flowers). Bo widerberg Taubin, A, in Village Voice(New York), 8 June 1993 use of this in Elvira Madigan(the decisive influence) had a certain Wondra, Janet, "A Gaze Unbecoming: Schooling the Child for authenticity and originality, but it quickly lapsed into automatic Femininity in Days of Heaven, in Wide Angle(Baltimore), vol. cliche. Within such a context the sharp-etched, crystal-clear, depth 16. no 4 October 1995 of-field images of Malick and his magnificent cameraman, Nestor Sequences(Haute-Ville), March/June 1997. Almendros, in Days of Heaven assume the status of protest and Positif (Paris), March 1999 manifesto. They restore the concept of"beauty" from its contempo- There is a further consequence of this-what one might call the resurrection of mise-en-scene theorized in the 1950s and 1960s as the essential art of film, and seemingly a lost art since. In place of the Of Terrence Malick's two feature films to date, Badlands is "one-shot-one point""of the flat, perfunctory images derived from perhaps the more satisfying, Days of Heaven the more remarkable. television, Malick suddenly has a frame within which to compose in Malick's achievement must be seen first and foremost in terms of its depth, where every segment of the image potentially signifies. The opposition to the dominant Hollywood shooting and editing codes of desire for precision and definition within the image here combines es are centred on the television-derived naturally with a most delicate feeling for nuances of emotion and and overuse of the telephoto(plus zoom)lens, in the interests of speed interchange between the characters. Joseph Conrads description of and economy rather than from any aesthetic interest in its intrinsic Henry James as"the historian of fine consciences"comes to mind properties; this is seconded by the lyrical use of shallow focus and Aptly enough; for what is Days of Heaven but a re-working of theFILMS, 4 DAYS OF HEAVEN th EDITION 293 Days of Heaven Bedoya, R., in Hablemos de Cine (Lima), November 1980. Donough, M., ‘‘West of Eden: Terrence Malick’s Days of Heaven,’’ in Post Script (Jacksonville, Florida), Fall 1985. Taubin, A., in Village Voice (New York), 8 June 1993. Wondra, Janet, ‘‘A Gaze Unbecoming: Schooling the Child for Femininity in Days of Heaven,’’ in Wide Angle (Baltimore), vol. 16, no. 4, October 1995. Séquences (Haute-Ville), March/June 1997. Positif (Paris), March 1999. *** Of Terrence Malick’s two feature films to date, Badlands is perhaps the more satisfying, Days of Heaven the more remarkable. Malick’s achievement must be seen first and foremost in terms of its opposition to the dominant Hollywood shooting and editing codes of the period. Those codes are centred on the television-derived misuse and overuse of the telephoto (plus zoom) lens, in the interests of speed and economy rather than from any aesthetic interest in its intrinsic properties; this is seconded by the lyrical use of shallow focus and focus-shifts as an instant signifier of ‘‘beauty’’ (flowers in focus in the foreground, out-of-focus lovers in the background, shift focus to the lovers behind a foreground of out-of-focus flowers). Bo Widerberg’s use of this in Elvira Madigan (the decisive influence) had a certain authenticity and originality, but it quickly lapsed into automatic cliché. Within such a context the sharp-etched, crystal-clear, depth￾of-field images of Malick and his magnificent cameraman, Nestor Almendros, in Days of Heaven assume the status of protest and manifesto. They restore the concept of ‘‘beauty’’ from its contempo￾rary debasement. There is a further consequence of this—what one might call the resurrection of mise-en-scène, theorized in the 1950s and 1960s as the essential art of film, and seemingly a lost art since. In place of the ‘‘one-shot—one point’’ of the flat, perfunctory images derived from television, Malick suddenly has a frame within which to compose in depth, where every segment of the image potentially signifies. The desire for precision and definition within the image here combines naturally with a most delicate feeling for nuances of emotion and interchange between the characters. Joseph Conrad’s description of Henry James as ‘‘the historian of fine consciences’’ comes to mind. Aptly enough; for what is Days of Heaven but a re-working of the