Kit (Martin Sheen) murders his girlfriend Holly's (Sissy Spacek) father in a fit of passion, and the two elect to run away – venturing across the countryside, they continue to kill and survive on the edges of society, though Holly begins to have serious doubts about the sense in running away from their pasts.
Sheen and Spacek Dominate
Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek are the two leads, and arguably hold the movie together. What little support there is doesn't really warrant much attention, as the film is their story. Sheen shows why he was such an acclaimed actor in the dawn of New Hollywood; his drawling, carefree Kit goes from drifter to cold-blooded killer in an instant, and those who cross him soon realise he is not at all as he seems to be. Sissy Spacek plays the young, lithe Holly, innocently swept up into a life of hiding and running by the influence of Kit. Spacek portrays the character with a real sense of growth – she moves from the innocent, girl-next-door type to someone who feels they can stand up to the one they love.
Director Terrence Malick Visualises America's Beauty and Horror
Terrence Malick is infamous for the visual acumen he brings to every movie, and in his debut he doesn’t disappoint. What is perhaps more striking here is that the story actually grips the viewer more than in any of Malick's other efforts – a rarity from the reclusive, opulent director. Malick provides a slow-burning but involving story concerning the two fugitives; the conflict between the two grows slowly and with tension, whilst the action is befitting of such a movie. If Malick's other films were more like 'Badlands', he would perhaps be held in higher regard. Malick's visual skills are perhaps his greatest asset on-screen, and in visualising the murders and the beauty of the Badlands themselves, the director presents a movie that defines a strong sense of place.
Haunting, Sparse Soundtrack
The dialogue is sparse, but when it needs to be, effective in its use. Martin Sheen's drawl, foregrounded against Sissy Spacek's impressive Southern girl narration, provides a brash yet gripping voice to Kit's random bouts of shocking violence. Gassenhauer, by Carl Orff, dots the film with a sense of detachment; this impressive piece of music seems to jarr with the Southern settings and quite cleverly presents the detached nature of the two leads as they run from their actions.
This film requires a certain amount of patience to get through, but it's definitely worth watching.
Will Roszczyk - Nearing the conclusion to a Bachelors degree in English, I am a twenty-one year old writer who aims for a career in professional writing, ...
