Among the worst

Rating: 1/10 (12 February 1999)

This movie is quite simply one of the worst I have ever had the displeasure of enduring. With the possible exception of the cinematography, this film has no redeeming qualities. The arrogance of the director and cast that they might actually pass this movie off as "deep" is sickening. Basically, in the three LONG hours of this film, only about twenty minutes of dialogue are spoken: hardly enough to offer any hope of character development for the movie's endless cast leading men. Another third of the movie is occupied by long pauses voiced-over with "poetic" inner monologue which sounds like it was written by an over-ambitous (and overly confident) college film major. (e.g. "The closer you get to Caesar, the more you fear.") And as for the critical praise of the film, I am baffled; I guess Terrence Mallick should be congratulated for his modern-day version of "The Emperor's New Clothes".