Terrence Malick Talks Rossellini's 'Journey to Italy,' Digital Cinema, and Thumbs-Up for 'Smokin’ Aces' in Rare Public Appearance
By Nick Schager, Yahoo Movies
Director Terrence Malick took a 20-year hiatus from filmmaking between producing his masterpiece Days of Heaven in 1978 and The Thin Red Line in 1998. Malick’s output has ramped up considerably since then, such that in just the past few years, he’s delivered The Tree of Life (2011), To the Wonder (2013), Knight of Cups (2016), and this year’s Voyage of Time — a documentary in two versions (a briefer IMAX one narrated by Brad Pitt, and a longer one narrated by Cate Blanchett). With two more films on the way, Malick’s productivity seems to be continuing apace — as does his disinterest in promoting himself or his work. Which is why when the famously shy auteur does speak, it’s news.
Such was the case last Friday, when the 72-year-old director participated in a Q&A following a screening of Roberto Rossellini’s Journey to Italy at Princeton University’s Garden Theater. According to attendee Eli F. of The Film Stage (via Indiewire), the director limited his talk to Rossellini’s film and the current state of digital cinema. With regard to the latter, he reportedly praised new methods of filmmaking technology for their democratizing power (i.e., anyone can now make an HD film), while lamenting the fact that the preponderance of movie-watching devices is threatening to diminish the primary role of the big screen in the cinematic experience — something he feels is vital.
He also, according to The Film Stage, revealed that after a detour into more improvisation-heavy, lyrical storytelling (with To the Wonder and Knight of Cups, in particular), he’s now gravitating back toward more clearly plotted material (ostensibly with his upcoming WWII drama Radegund, starring Matthias Schoenaerts, Michael Nyqvist, Jurgen Prochnow, Bruno Ganz, and August Diehl). Perhaps more unexpected, the movie-loving Malick expressed admiration for Joe Carnahan’s 2006 crime saga Smokin’ Aces, which he dubbed “very well directed” and impressive for its handling of multiple storylines.
Related: ‘Knight of Cups’ Star Christian Bale Never Got a Script for the Terrence Malick Movie
Whether Radegund will be Malick’s next film to hit theaters, or if it’ll be beaten to the multiplex by Weightless, his Austin, Texas, music scene drama featuring Haley Bennett, Boyd Holbrook, Michael Fassbender, Natalie Portman, Christian Bale, Rooney Mara, Ryan Gosling, Cate Blanchett, Val Kilmer, Benecio Del Toro, Clifton Collins Jr., and Holly Hunter — in other words, every other great Hollywood actor — is at this point anyone’s guess.
Terrence Malick’s ‘The Thin Red Line’: Watch the trailer:
