Days of Heaven (1978)
National Film RegistryAward nominations: Academy Award for Best Costume Design
Academy Award for Best Original Score (Ennio Morricone)
Academy Award for Best Sound MixingAward details: (details at IMDb)
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Days of Heaven is a 1978 American drama film written and directed by Terrence Malick and starring Richard Gere, Brooke Adams, Sam Shepard and Linda Manz. Set in 1916, it tells the story of Bill and Abby, lovers who travel to the Texas Panhandle to harvest crops for a wealthy farmer. Bill encourages Abby to claim the fortune of the dying farmer by tricking him into a false marriage. Days of Heaven was Malick's second feature film, after the enthusiastically received Badlands, and was produced on a budget of $3,000,000. Production was particularly troublesome, with a tight shooting schedule and significant budget restraints. Additionally, editing took Malick a lengthy three years, due to difficulty with achieving a general flow and assembly of the scenes. This was eventually solved with an added, improvised narration by Linda Manz. The film was scored by Ennio Morricone and photographed by Nestor Almendros and Haskell Wexler. The film was not warmly received on its original theatrical release, with many critics finding only the imagery worthy of praise.