Terrence Malick and the Examined Life
by Martin Woessner
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Pub Date Mar 25 2024 | Archive Date Feb 12 2024
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Description
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.
Advance Praise
"Terrence Malick finally has the interpreter he deserves in Martin Woessner, whose deep knowledge of modern philosophy and film history is evident on ever
y page of this remarkable book. Woessner shows us how and why Malick turned to filmmaking to explore the moral and theological questions most mid-century academic philosophers had abandoned. In explaining how Malick ‘does philosophy’ through film, he demonstrates how to do intellectual history through the study of cinematic form. His book takes us to the wonder of Malick’s lifelong quest for meaning and communion with nature and the cosmos."—Casey Nelson Blake, Columbia University
"Martin Woessner’s exploration of Terrence Malick and his work is profound, illuminating, and a delight to read. He puts this extraordinary philosopher-filmmaker in conversation with his contemporaries and understands him—not just in terms of film and philosophy—but within the wider intellectual and artistic context of his time. A fascinating book!"
—Sarah Bakewell, author of Humanly Possible: 700 years of Humanist Freethinking, Inquiry, and Hope
"Martin Woessner’s marvelous book on Terrence Malick sheds new light on the question of film and philosophy. Featuring fascinating accounts of Malick’s journey from philosopher to filmmaker, and contextualizing his films against the background of the emerging ‘New Hollywood’ generation, he shows convincingly how Malick’s work—from Badlands to A Hidden Life—can be understood as offering cinematic reflections on a philosophically examined life. A richly satisfying and compelling contribution to contemporary film-philosophy that is also a pleasure to read."
—Robert Sinnerbrink, author of Terrence Malick: Filmmaker and Philosopher
Available Editions
| EDITION | Hardcover |
| ISBN | 9781512825602 |
| PRICE | $65.00 (USD) |
| PAGES | 416 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Michael T, Educator
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.
susan k, Librarian
A very good account of Malick's films, with an investigation of their philosophical groundings. Recommended especially for those interested in the film industry and Malick's pictures.
Kerry P, Reviewer
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.
Reviewer 186721
A very accessible read into the movies and philosophy by Terrence Malik. The author has done a good job of showing his passion for the subject, Malik and his work. He contextualized the work very well and the tete-a-tete that was going on between the movies at that time and Malik's responses to those,
Ann M, Reviewer
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.
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