In 1978, Terrence Malick was regarded as one of the most promising newcomers in Hollywood. His sophomore film Days of Heaven was a pure masterpiece following his outstanding 1973 first album Badlands . Malick had endless possibilities for his next project. However, according to the Hollywood legend, he vanished from sight instead.
Malick astonishingly returned to the big screen after two decades with his third movie. The Thin Red Line Today, this mysterious director has become highly productive. From 2011 to 2019, they produced six movies. This marks quite a shift from the long gap between their second and third releases.
Despite the higher productivity, Malick still remains an enigma. His last known interview was with the French newspaper Le Monde back in 1979. Since then, he hasn’t provided any direct quotes to media outlets, and the sole photograph permitted for public release is a blurry image of him at work directing. The Thin Red Line .
The scene is enveloped in the warm glow of late afternoon. That magical time. His father, Emil Malick, captured this moment. Despite their disagreements, Terry continued to perceive himself through his dad’s perspective," states the biography accompanying the photo. Appearing midway through the narrative, this excerpt encapsulates part of John Bleasdale’s significant challenge: shedding light on both Malick’s human qualities and his distinctive style within the realm of cinema.
"The Magic Hours: The Films and Hidden Life of Terrence Malick" offers an extensive look into the filmmaker's journey, backed by thorough research evident through detailed insights into managing large teams both in front of and behind the lens. Bleasdale enriches this narrative with snippets from newspapers, comments from colleagues, and his own reflections on Malick’s body of work.
This marks the first time Malick has been the subject of a biography. Consequently, one must wonder if Bleasdale managed to secure direct access to Malick. Although he readily mentions discussions with longtime associates including production designer Jack Fisk and actors like Sean Penn, he dismisses the idea of spending significant time with Malick by stating they only exchanged "very courteous emails."
However, "The Magic Hours" explores more aspects of Malick’s private life than any previous individual source has managed to do. Can we confirm whether some details come directly from him, despite not being explicitly attributed to him with his approval? The most I can obtain from Bleasdale regarding this matter is: “If they did, I wouldn’t be able to disclose that.”
Even though the detailed account of Malick’s career is fascinating—especially the part about his difficult period known as the "wilderness years" and how his challenging times with producers Bobby Geisler and John Roberdeau fueled his creativity—it serves more as background information. Knight of Cups - The most compelling parts of the book delve into how Malick’s personal life intertwined with his professional journey.
Bleasdale’s biography portrays Malick as an affable and highly engaging individual, equally likely to be found jesting with others as he is delving into profound philosophical discussions. Despite acknowledging Malick’s reserved nature, it becomes evident that this depiction helps dispel the myths perpetuating his image as a recluse in Hollywood.
When the legends are set aside, details regarding Malick’s personal life emerge. His difficult connection with his father, the absence of his siblings, and his romantic entanglements all influence Bleasdale’s interpretations of his movies and how they correlate with their respective release times.
"He observes that tragic brothers and troubled fathers recur throughout his films." However, even though aspects of his marriage to Michèle Monette shed some light on these themes. To The Wonder Bleasdale makes it evident that his body of work is not merely concealed autobiography.
I believe he strongly wishes to conceal aspects of his personal life," Bleasdale states. Similar to how his philosophical background and interests frequently provide entry points into interpreting Malick’s work, Bleasdale argues this approach may be misguided. "He likely believes that if people view these elements as the ultimate keys to understanding all myths or as the sole means to deciphering his films, they might cease engaging with them deeply and extracting their own meanings.
If Malick deliberately avoids public attention akin to a Barthes-like 'Death of the Author' approach aimed at preventing his personal life from overshadowing audience interpretation of his movies, wouldn't a biography contradict his creative intentions? Bleasdale suggests this might be a misinterpretation of Malick’s distancing from media exposure.
Bleasdale states, "He will never pick up this book." He once mentioned that he wouldn’t attend therapy as it would drain his energy. Instead of sharing insights through interviews, he prefers exploring within himself in his films.
Similar to his AFI classmate David Lynch’s well-known reluctance to explain the meanings behind his movies, Malick’s primary focus regarding his public persona is solely on his films themselves.
Engaging with these films, be it through a post-screening discussion or even reading a biography about them, allows his work to become part of our lives. "Ultimately, the purpose of any film-related literature should be to encourage readers to revisit the movies and appreciate them with greater depth and nuance," explains Bleasdale.
"The Magic Hours" lives up to this expectation. It fully immerses itself in how Malick integrates his personal story into a filmmaking approach that pushes the boundaries of the medium. The fact that it achieves this with his most controversial works is even more remarkable compared to what he does with his well-loved films. As Bleasdale outlines in his section on this topic, To The Wonder There is much more to his approach to filmmaking than just the apparent link between the story and his second wife.
"It's peculiar. The film is ostensibly autobiographical yet narrated entirely through Marina's [Olga Kurylenko]'s perspective. Ben Affleck barely has three lines throughout the entire movie; it's virtually centered around her and Javier Bardem, who plays a roving priest." According to Bleasdale, even when Malick delves into autobiography, he remains creatively innovative. "An autobiography doesn’t always mean exposing one's personal reflections. Instead, it involves attempting to understand others' viewpoints that have shaped your life. That’s quite a noble endeavor," she explains.
If Malick’s initial trio of films were deemed masterpieces and his fifth – which was equally autobiographical – The Tree of Life solidified his comeback with the Palme d'Or at Cannes and Academy Award nominations; however, his subsequent movies have mostly received criticism for being tedious and lacking focus, filled with monotonous spiritual themes and visually appealing but shallow cinematography akin to a perfume advertisement.
Bleasdale contends that despite being highly indirect, his work still embodies an avant-garde artistic approach which remains just as impactful on cinema as his previous productions.
Out of Malick's seven films produced in this century, five have been shot by cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki (known as Chivo). Their collaboration has shaped a distinctive visual style that characterizes their work together.
Over Chivo's debut collaboration with Malick on his first film, The New World , they established a "dogma" for filming that involved utilizing "natural available light," strictly prohibiting underexposure, along with other guidelines that disallowed zooms and advised against pans and tilts in favor of movements "along the z-axis." This set of rules has become characteristic of Malick's movies—sometimes even leading to caricature-like imitations—but these techniques have also seeped into mainstream modern cinematography. Lubezki received his third Academy Award for his contributions to this project. The Revenant , a movie featuring distinct bear claw marks inspired by Malick’s work.
Bleasdale identifies several films and directors influenced by Malick’s work, with particular clarity seen in those directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. There Will Be Blood and The Master owe a significant debt to Malick’s period pieces. From last year’s Oppenheimer , "You won't find that level of editing with two scenes split throughout the entire film; instead, most of the narrative relies on individual shots rather than complete scenes, excluding 'The Tree of Life.' This also applies to one of this year's Best Picture nominees. Nickel Boys is “totally The Tree of Life in its handling of montage and subjective camera techniques.
If his work doesn’t appeal to a general audience, it’s because he’s pushing boundaries by experimenting with cinematic storytelling techniques, according to Bleasdale. The aim remains to narrate tales that resonate with viewers through innovative approaches.
As someone not previously swayed by Terrence Malick’s work, Bleasdale presents compelling arguments in "The Magic Hours," portraying Malick as both a captivating filmmaker and an intriguing individual when stripped of the enigmatic veil maintained by media coverage.
As he cites one of Malick’s colleagues: "We truly thought each day at work that our aim was to revolutionize the cinematic language."
"Terrence Malick's Hidden Life and His Films: The Magic Hours" by John Bleasdale is out now.
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