Gripping and Awesome Visual Poetry

Rating: 10/10 (2 February 2006)

I've been a big fan of Malick going back to the 70s, so I expect certain things from his work. A strong story line with all dots connected is not one of the them. I enjoy the open-ended nature of the story. It goes against the grain of Hollywood films where every little twist of the plot gets smacked against your head. So, freed from the "constraints" of a narrative (and, in this case, excessive dialog) the film's strength is a visceral, emotional impact; pure visual wonder, fantastic scenes of things that have never before happened. Has any filmmaker better captured the fear, confusion, apprehension & excitement of the clash of civilizations? It felt unscripted, like anything could happen with the slightest misconstrued gesture or expression. The indians not only looked right, but we get inside of their culture in a way that's more immediate than has been previously depicted. (one part Coppola/Apocalypse + one part Herzog/Aguire + one part National Geographic) Theirs was indeed a paradise ... soon to be lost. One has to have a thick hide not to feel a pang of regret, knowing what was about to happen to them - no matter whether they chose fight or flight. I also loved the use of the two themes from Mozart and Wagner? Brilliant. Too often music gets in the way of the experience.