Badlands was a mild disappointment. Any film by Terrence Malick that scores so highly on this site should have been better. That's certainly not saying its a bad film, but there are more than enough flaws to prevent it from reaching "classic" status. The film is of course based on the Starkweather-Fugate killings of the 1950s. We are told the story of a young man and his much younger girlfriend who go on a random killing spree and generate a massive manhunt. Martin Sheen (looking very much like Charlie) plays the young man named Kit. Sissy Spacek plays Holly, his young girlfriend. The two give terrific performances in front of a typically beautiful natural backdrop that you would expect from a Malick film. It's ultimately the script that comes up short.
The story begins with Kit working as a garbage man and quickly being fired from that job. Probably for talking too much and trying to take home some of the things people are throwing out. One day he notices Holly twirling a baton in her yard, and he quickly begins to charm her. The two have to sneak around because her father (Warren Oates) can tell right away that Kit is too old, and a little weird for his daughter. The tension between Kit and Holly's father boils over quickly, sparking the spree of violence and destruction that makes the two young lovers famous. Much of the movie has the two of them driving aimlessly around the countryside. This gives Malick the chance to do what he does best by showing us some beautiful shots of nature, but somewhere along the way, the narrative gets lost along the side of the road.
There are some scenes that just play completely unconvincingly. One scene has Kit and Holly showing up at the home of one of his old garbage collection buddies named Cato. After the three have lunch, Kit gets the idea that Cato may try to turn them in. Kit shoots Cato through the back, causing a very serious wound. What happens next? Cato GETS UP and walks back inside the house with Kit and Holly! Yes! Then he kind of casually sits down on a bed and explains to Holly that he feeds flies to his pet spider! There is no anger, there is no anguish, and there is no logic! Despite the fact that Kit and Holly are known and wanted killers, nobody ever seems to be really afraid of them. Two friends of Cato show up shortly after he is killed. They show virtually no fear as they are led into an exterior cellar at gunpoint. We don't even hear them scream as Kit sends two rounds through the door once they're inside! Later on, Kit and Holly invade the home of a "rich man" at gunpoint. Once again, their victim seems to show no fear. Hardly even a sense of being forlorn as he and his maid are held against their will. And no sense of thanks after their lives are spared later on for the price of his Cadillac.
One of the goals this film had was to show a detachment in the way Kit kills his victims. Okay, I get it. But if you don't project terror from your victims, then the whole premise rings false. I highly doubt these victims would have all gone so quietly. That said, Sheen is pretty good as Kit. He is not outwardly angry or threatening most of the time. He acts overtly polite, but there is an edginess that you can see festering just below the surface. Sissy Spacek is wonderful as the young lady originally enthralled by this guy who looks like James Dean, but then gradually pulls away from him as his spree continues.
The film has some disturbing scenes of animal cruelty. In one, Kit steps on, then over a dead or dying cow at a feedlot where he works for a time. Another shows Holly throwing out a pet catfish into a melon patch and leaving it to die. And worst of all, her father punishes her for dating Kit by shooting her dog and dumping it into a river. Perhaps the film is trying to reinforce the notion of cruelty to animals leading to cruelty to humans later on. It's an old notion. Another old notion the film reinforces is that of celebrity coming to our most deviant criminal figures. Even in 1973 this was an archaic idea, going back in this country at least as far as the outlaws of the Old West. We have always glamorized our most dangerous criminals in this country. Badlands has nothing new to offer us in that regard.
Overall, this is a beautiful and well-acted film. The script might think it has a little more to say than it actually does, but if you're a die-hard fan of Malick, you'll probably love the film, anyway.
6 of 10 stars.
The Hound.
The story begins with Kit working as a garbage man and quickly being fired from that job. Probably for talking too much and trying to take home some of the things people are throwing out. One day he notices Holly twirling a baton in her yard, and he quickly begins to charm her. The two have to sneak around because her father (Warren Oates) can tell right away that Kit is too old, and a little weird for his daughter. The tension between Kit and Holly's father boils over quickly, sparking the spree of violence and destruction that makes the two young lovers famous. Much of the movie has the two of them driving aimlessly around the countryside. This gives Malick the chance to do what he does best by showing us some beautiful shots of nature, but somewhere along the way, the narrative gets lost along the side of the road.
There are some scenes that just play completely unconvincingly. One scene has Kit and Holly showing up at the home of one of his old garbage collection buddies named Cato. After the three have lunch, Kit gets the idea that Cato may try to turn them in. Kit shoots Cato through the back, causing a very serious wound. What happens next? Cato GETS UP and walks back inside the house with Kit and Holly! Yes! Then he kind of casually sits down on a bed and explains to Holly that he feeds flies to his pet spider! There is no anger, there is no anguish, and there is no logic! Despite the fact that Kit and Holly are known and wanted killers, nobody ever seems to be really afraid of them. Two friends of Cato show up shortly after he is killed. They show virtually no fear as they are led into an exterior cellar at gunpoint. We don't even hear them scream as Kit sends two rounds through the door once they're inside! Later on, Kit and Holly invade the home of a "rich man" at gunpoint. Once again, their victim seems to show no fear. Hardly even a sense of being forlorn as he and his maid are held against their will. And no sense of thanks after their lives are spared later on for the price of his Cadillac.
One of the goals this film had was to show a detachment in the way Kit kills his victims. Okay, I get it. But if you don't project terror from your victims, then the whole premise rings false. I highly doubt these victims would have all gone so quietly. That said, Sheen is pretty good as Kit. He is not outwardly angry or threatening most of the time. He acts overtly polite, but there is an edginess that you can see festering just below the surface. Sissy Spacek is wonderful as the young lady originally enthralled by this guy who looks like James Dean, but then gradually pulls away from him as his spree continues.
The film has some disturbing scenes of animal cruelty. In one, Kit steps on, then over a dead or dying cow at a feedlot where he works for a time. Another shows Holly throwing out a pet catfish into a melon patch and leaving it to die. And worst of all, her father punishes her for dating Kit by shooting her dog and dumping it into a river. Perhaps the film is trying to reinforce the notion of cruelty to animals leading to cruelty to humans later on. It's an old notion. Another old notion the film reinforces is that of celebrity coming to our most deviant criminal figures. Even in 1973 this was an archaic idea, going back in this country at least as far as the outlaws of the Old West. We have always glamorized our most dangerous criminals in this country. Badlands has nothing new to offer us in that regard.
Overall, this is a beautiful and well-acted film. The script might think it has a little more to say than it actually does, but if you're a die-hard fan of Malick, you'll probably love the film, anyway.
6 of 10 stars.
The Hound.