Terrence Malick

A detailed Summary of Terrence Malick

Terrence Malick's film, Badlands, is a film dealing with "blurred boundaries." Malick's film is based on real life characters and true events that took place in 1958. I must say that throughout the movie, the two main characters, Holly and Kit, grew together yet apart at the same time. Both of them found themselves crossing boundaries and pushing them away. It is as if the child never seemed to grow out of them. However, in some ways, this is ironic since the more-adult role model in the film I find to be Holly. Strangely enough, she was a child needing to find her niche in the world. Kit, on the other-hand stayed basically the same only growing more obnoxious in my eyes. In a review, it is discussed that Malick's intentions throughout Badlands was not to get the viewer involved with the characters; I do not necessarily believe this. It is apparent to me that the viewer could and probably will get involved with or have feelings toward one or both characters of Badlan!

Holly narrates the film, which offers no insight into the depths of Badlands. It simply gives insight into the story itself. In the beginning, there was structure and organization to Kit's and Holly's world. The film begins with Holly going to sch

past, and she fantasized about movie stars, such as Frank Sinatra and Rita Hayworth. A viewer can certainly feel a soft spot for her from this behavior. What person doesn't feel something about their past or future? I think society as a whole epitomizes movie stars and glamour. When Holly used the stereopticom she wondered what life would be like if her mother had not met her father or if Kit had not killed anyone. Kit and Holly had different views about life, past and present. As a viewer, I found myself feeling sorry for both of them. Holly, in a strange way, was stagnant in a bad relationship. She did not have anything left except Kit, especially after her father was murdered. For both of them, life was hopeless.

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Kit had a naive, uncontrolled outlook on life. After his fall from a somewhat organized way of life, Kit's behavior became a destruction to both himself and Holly. I found Kit's way of thinking appalling. He had to create monuments to remember instances in his life. He would take rocks from places he wanted to remember, launch a balloon, record his voice. "Let's crush our hands to remember this day" is an example of things that Kit would try to persuade Holly into doing. He wanted to do this the first time they had sex. He was a romantic and Holly was a skeptic. How one help but feel sorry for these two lives that were in the middle of a downward spiral, I don't know. I believe Malick had some thought for the viewer's feelings toward Kit and Holly. I am not sure how a viewer could not feel somewhat emotional towards these two characters.

Kit and Holly had a nonchalant attitude toward violence. Violence in the film, Badlands is shown as an emotio

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Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

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