Year: 1973
Director: Terrence Malick
Country: US
Language: English
In 1967 Arthur Penn Directed the controversial Bonnie and Clyde. In 1994 Oliver Stone was at the helm for Natural Born Killers. In-between those was a film called Badlands. It was the iconic American film-maker Terrence Malick's debut feature film, and it was incredibly impressive. Though he would go on to make such wonders as Days of Heaven, Thin Red Line and Tree of Life, they wouldn't be able to match the enormous reputation gained by his first film .
The plot concerns Kit Carruthers (Martin Sheen), a young garbage collector and his girlfriend Holly Sargis (Sissy Spacek) who are from from Fort Dupree, South Dakota. They are on the run after killing Holly's father who disagreed with their relationship. On their way towards the Badlands of Montana they leave a trail of dispassionate and seemingly random murders.
Though there are plenty of alterations, the biggest difference between Bonnie and Clyde and Badlands is the treatment of the main characters. Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow are likeable characters, with their catchphrase "we rob banks", the anti-authoritarian couple stand for the oppressed people during the great depression. Kit Carruthers and Holly Sargis are far from that. Malick treats them without kindness, they are impulsive and child-ish figures who are emotionally detached from the rest of the world. This couple has no moral crutch to blame their irrational behavior on, which makes the film all the more disturbing.
Badlands is great because it doesn't try to give a reason for violence, it is up to the viewer to interpret "motivation" if there is any. Malick's film shows the pointlessness in causing violence, after viewing it one will definitley re-consider their own violent thoughts. It also explores the nature of masculinity, strongly implying that society's ideals of what a "man" should be is incredibly self destructive. There are plenty more topics that Malick analyzes, such as "romanticism" and German sociologist Max Weber's "Rationalization's disenchantment of the world"
In conclusion, Badlands is the second film I have seen starring Martin Sheen, the first being Apocalypse Now. He is a phenomenal actor who can turn a seemingly normal character like Kit into a cold psychopath. Sissy Spacek is also astounding in this film as the naive Holly. Badlands has a vast amount to teach about life, though not all can be noticed within the first viewing. It is an extraordinary film that demands to be seen over and over again. Buy the great Criterion Collection edition. Praise it! 5/5
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