Upcoming Terrence Malick Films Thread

[Henry Gale]

Not sure which thread this belongs in but, Criterion releasing The Tree of Life including a new cut running 50 minutes longer.

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[transmogrifier]

Hard pass.

[baby doll]

"The film that he presented in Cannes is the film that he wanted to make, but just for giggles, he's gone to enormous trouble and expense to make a radically different version of it."

I'm beginning to think Malick never knew, and is never going to know, what film it was he wanted to make.

[Grouchy]

I'm beginning to think Malick never knew, and is never going to know, what film it was he wanted to make.

I think he recently decided that it's a series of very banal reflections on life starring famous people staring into empty spaces.

[Dukefrukem]

This news automatically negates his Matchie.

[PURPLE]

I, for one, am super excited about a... new film? New cut? It fits with three of my deepest held feelings:

1. All great films are too short. (probably with certain exceptions that I choose to ignore)
2. Filmmakers waste so many opportunities with their footage. One editor can make 12 different films from Malick's footage, some great and some terrible (and others will find the great ones terrible and the terrible ones great) - why do so few filmmakers take advantage of the limitless possibilities of the footage they assemble?
3. Films' finality is a missed opportunity. Musicians get the chance to rework their songs at every performance, often completely reworking every element. For the audience, each reworking is both an opportunity to have a new experience and to view the new performance in comparison with the previous version for an even deeper understanding/connection.

The article says, "The film that he presented in Cannes is the film that he wanted to make." What it implies, though, is, "But now he wants to make something else!" Who am I to begrudge him the opportunity to change? I loved Song to Song, deeply. The thing I would love more than a Song-to-Song version of The Tree of Life is a post-Song-to-Song version of Tree of Life from a potentially better artist. And perhaps I will hate it and think he has ruined everything - but it seems like a low-risk venture on my part with some potentially great rewards.

[Watashi]

I'm still waiting for my 5 hour cut of The Thin Red Line.

[baby doll]

I'm still waiting for my 5 hour cut of The Thin Red Line.

I can't imagine how making the film longer would somehow magically solve the massive structural problem in the film, where the plot grinds to a complete halt in the final third.