Terrence Malick's Days of Heaven is one of the most beautiful movies I've seen. It has a kind of poetic rhythm to it that washed over me and held me spellbound. It is not for the impatient viewer, however, as there is practically no storytelling at all. There's a story, but it grows organically as a natural consequence of the film's atmosphere.

That's what you get with a Malick film, but he's never done it better than here. It's wonderful at conveying the impression of being in particular moments. In fact, the whole movie seems to be a series of sequences like that: here's what it's like to work on a hay farm. Here's what it's like during leisure time. Here's what it's like when the cicadas hit. Here's what it's like when the fields catch fire. Here's what it's like when a bunch of people are beating through the bushes on a manhunt. That's the sort of thing you get with a Malick film, but he's never done it better than here.