Give me a break, or at least my money back

Rating: 3/10 (2 February 2006)

How this picture ever got made is beyond me. Terrence Malick should be stripped of his director's beret, and reduced to filming programs for the WB or UPN. Approximately two hours and 20 minutes of the principal actors basically staring at each other in abject silence with hanged-dog looks on their faces, just about had me heading for the exit. The story line was so thin, it's obvious why Malick took the writing credit as opposed to spending a little bit of production money on a decent screen play. I must say, the cinematography, locations, set design, and costuming were first rate. However, having the "naturals" dancing around like inquisitive apes for the first part of the picture was a low blow to the integrity of native Americans, at the cost of cheap thrills for the audience. Yes, most Americans DO want entertainment, not Malick's overindulgent, self aggrandizing wet dreams. If I want to be depressed, I can always jump on the LA freeway system and get stuck in traffic.