Terrence Malick and the Examined Life

by Martin Woessner

Terrence Malick is one of American cinema’s most celebrated filmmakers. His films—from Badlands (1973) and Days of Heaven (1978) to The Thin Red Line (1998), The Tree of Life (2011), and, most recently, A Hidden Life (2019)—have been heralded for their artistry and lauded for their beauty, but what really sets them apart is their ideas. Terrence Malick and the Examined Life is the most comprehensive account to date of this unparalleled filmmaker’s intellectual and artistic development.

Utilizing newly available archival sources to offer original interpretations of his canonical films, Martin Woessner illuminates Malick’s early education in philosophy at Harvard and Oxford as well as his cinematic apprenticeship at the American Film Institute to show how a young student searching for personal meaning became a famous director of Hollywood films. Woessner’s book presents a rich, interdisciplinary exploration of the many texts, thinkers, and traditions that made this transformation possible—from the novels of Hamlin Garland, James Jones, and Walker Percy to the philosophies of Stanley Cavell, Martin Heidegger, and Søren Kierkegaard to road movies, Hollywood Westerns, and the comedies of Jean Renoir. Situating Malick’s filmmaking within recent intellectual and cultural history, Woessner highlights its lasting contributions to both American cinema and the life of the mind.

Terrence Malick and the Examined Life suggests it is time for philosophy to be viewed not merely as an academic subject, overseen by experts, but also as a way of life, open to each and every moviegoer.

Genres: Film, Biography, Nonfiction, Philosophy

411 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 25, 2024

Reviews

[Kerry Pickens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terrence Malick made some beautiful films including Badlands, Days of Heaven, and The Thin Red Line. His early films included a strong emphasis on the role of the landscape in storytelling as well as the increasing mindless violence in our society. He was a cinematographer’s filmmaker. He also gave both Martin Sheen and Sam Shepherd their first acting roles. The Thin Red Line had a list of first class actors that was so strong that even Adrien Brody’s scenes were cut. Then came his newer films, which seemed to consist of actors wandering through rooms mumbling to themselves. I have seen a lot of films, but Tree of Life was the only film I have walked out of. In fact, my brother in law walked out with me when I got up to go the restroom and he followed me thinking I was leaving. So I was hoping this book would enlightened me as to what the directors’ intentions were. Basically, Malick studied philosophy in college and was greatly influenced by Heidegger and Kierkegaard. His new style is philosophical and not visual, but I prefer the older plot driven style.

[AnnieM · Rating 5 out of 5]

A meticulously researched book into the life and career of Terrence Malick, who in my opinion, is one of the greatest directors. He is an enigmatic person so I was glad to learn about his background, his education and interests. His love of Philosophy and Theology as well as European, Classic and Western films clearly influence all of his films. From Renoir, Bresson, I did not know that his film "Days of Heaven" had been influenced by Bertolucci's 1900 and in fact he used the same composer (Enno Morricone, the brilliant composer) to score his film Also interesting to note, is that even though he utilized great composers like Morricone, Zimmer and Horner - the experience working with Malick was a different and difficult experience given that he tended to almost recreate the film in the editing room which included slicing and dicing the score. Recurring themes in his work reveal truths abut the world and about human existence. He takes his time in making movies -- he made The Thin Red Line after a 20 year absence (though he was working on other scripts and development projects). The Thin Red Line was a highly meditative work that begins with Thoreau and ends with Emerson - and based on James Jones book. Critics and some of the actors (many who ended up on the cutting room floor), were not kind about the film. But James Jones family appreciated it as an accurate reflection of his book. As a filmmaker, His attention to detail is exquisite - in the film A New World, he used bird recordings from the Cornell University Anthology Lab including the sounds of a Carolina Parakeet (long extinct but lived during time frame of the film). Regarding the Tree of Life - about memory, family, connection to earth and the cosmos, there is a real spiritual quality to the film. I am agnostic yet the imagery of this film so moved me, I remember sobbing hysterically during the closing credits and even when the credits ended, I had to still pull myself together before I could leave. HIs films hit on so many levels beyond just being "plot driven" - they are like fragments of memories that fade in and out, all in our life-long search for meaning and purpose. This book is a great read for film fans and of course Terrence Malick fans.

Thank you to Netgalley and University of Pennsylvania Press for an ARC and I voluntarily left this review.

[Yoshiko Teraoka · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a brilliant, in-depth account of Terrence Malick’s life and career—arguing that his film oeuvre is an extension and application of his early philosophical concerns as a scholar of Heidegger.

I picked up this book shortly after seeing Days of Heaven for the first time on the big screen and finished it before going back for a second viewing. Having read the book, I’m still not convinced I need to watch Knight of Cups, Song to Song, or To the Wonder any time soon. However, it did set me off on the idea that Malick’s approach to filmmaking—his treatment of actors as props or models in the tradition of Bresson, as well as his exploration of nature and labor—finds kinship with Eastern philosophy, particularly the East Asian concept of Fudo.

The critic who once described Days of Heaven as an “aesthete’s pipe dream of a movie,” or the handful of actors who have criticised Malick’s direction, have failed to grasp the philosophical underpinnings of his work—specifically, the fundamental notion that nature and culture are intertwined, and that humans do not take centre stage but exist transiently, on the same plane as the sky, fields, flames, weather, and so forth.

My only complaint is that the last chapter on A Hidden Life (a masterpiece!) fell short of the depth or attention that it deserves—but the book remained a joyous and illuminating read overall.

[Josh Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Malick's films liberate philosophical reflection from the shackles of the problem-solving mentality. They make us wonder."

A good description of this book would be a supplement to the aforementioned wonder. Martin Woessner provides ample, well researched details pertaining to Malick's life, philosophical formation, and academic and intellectual pursuits. From his time studying philosophy at Harvard to his 20 year hiatus and subsequent return to filmmaking, we are able to slightly peer behind the curtain of Malick's reclusive life. We see influences from the likes of Kierkegaard and Heidegger, Jean Renoir and Robert Bresson, even Augustine and Plato. There is no problem-solving here, no this-means-that. This is a treat to read and a wonderful gift for anyone who enjoys the filmography of Terrence Malick.

[Sean · Rating 2 out of 5]

Giving myself the space to think about these films, then watching them with much more consideration going in led to perhaps the most rewarding collective viewing experience I've ever had. That said, a lot of that has little to do with the book. Everything through The Tree of Life here is quite interesting with lots of good insights and so forth, but everything after reeks of disengagement. If you're going to write a book on someone, give them your full consideration even when you like one given movie a little less!

[Lillian Crawford]

Review for TLS coming soon.

[John Bleasdale · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best Terrence Malick book I didn’t write.

[Susan Keller · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book describes each of Malick's films and their philosophic basis. I have not seen all the films, but this was a very thorough examination of each of them. This book will be most interesting to those with a good grounding of philosophy, my interest was from being neighbors with the Malicks many, many years ago

[Mike Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

A satisfying deep dive into the GOAT's filmography. It is hard to comprehend there is a human being out there that wants to go through the tremendous effort this book clearly took but doesn't get To the Wonder, Knight of Cups, and Song to Song though.