Terrence Malick behind the camera during the production of Days of Heaven, 1978
Terrence Malick, film director, is 79 years ago today.
In a career spanning over four decades, Malick has directed six feature films. He made his directorial debut with the drama Badlands in 1973. His second film, Days of Heaven, was released in 1978. After that, he took a long hiatus from directing films.
His third film, the World War II drama, The Thin Red Line, was released in 1998. Seven years later, he released his fourth film, The New World, which was followed by the critically acclaimed and 2011 Palme d'Or winner, The Tree of Life. The following year saw the release of the sixth film directed by Malick, To the Wonder.
Malick has received consistent praise for his work and has been regarded as one of the greatest living filmmakers. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director for The Thin Red Line and The Tree of Life, and the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Thin Red Line.
He won the Golden Bear at the 49th Berlin International Film Festival for The Thin Red Line, the Palme d'Or at the 64th Cannes Film Festival for The Tree of Life, and the SIGNIS Award at the 69th Venice International Film Festival for To the Wonder.
More than any other active filmmaker, Malick belongs in the visionary company of homegrown romantics like Herman Melville, Walt Whitman, Hart Crane and James Agee. The definitive writings of these authors did not sit comfortably or find universal favor in their own time. They can still seem ungainly, unfinished, lacking polish and perfection.
This is precisely what makes them alive and exciting: "Moby Dick," "Leaves of Grass," "The Bridge" and "A Death in the Family" lean perpetually into the future, pushing their readers forward toward a new horizon of understanding.
While the common conception of Malick as a recluse is inaccurate, he is protective of his private life. His contracts stipulate that his likeness may not be used for promotional purposes, and he routinely declines requests for interviews.
As of 2011, Malick resided in Austin, Texas.