Days of Heaven

Writer-director Terrence Malick’s romantic period piece stars a young Richard Gere as Bill, a poor farmworker in early 20th-century Texas. Bill convinces his girlfriend Abby (Brooke Adams) to marry their wealthy and ill employer (Sam Shepard) with hopes that they will inherit his fortune. Unfortunately for Bill, Abby develops genuine feelings for the farmer. The plot is almost secondary to the visual splendor of the movie itself. The Oscar-winning cinematography was by the famed Spanish cinematographer Nestor Almendros. Both Almendros and Malick agreed to shoot the film using almost entirely natural lighting, resulting in what many have called one of the most visually beautiful films of all time, with a haunting score by Ennio Morricone. — Jack Fields