badlands

Screenshots I took last night of my favorite Terrence Malick film, Badlands. While the film's cinematography isn't quite as beautiful as Days of Heaven, the film itself is much better - based on the story of the Starkweather-Fugate murders of the 1950s, the film follows a young pair around the dusty, flat landscapes of the west as they leave behind a trail of unfeeling murders in their wake. The movie is all at once stark and coldly sentimental, almost an amoral fairytale, about the loss of innocence and love. And Martin Sheen is brilliant in it.

Style-wise, I've said before that movies from a specific era trying to capture another time period are always my favorites (The Lover, Amadeus, Paper Moon), and Badlands is no exception. Inevitably, the time period the film was shot in shines through in a way, and you can see the early 70s in scenes with sun-drenched fields and Sissy Spacek's red hair hanging loose, in her light wash button up and dark jeans. The androgynous seventies meets 1950s bobby socks and mid-length gingham dresses, perfect. Throughout the film, Martin Sheen is dressed in a white tee, dark wash jeans, and a denim jacket - simple and effective (a welcome change from the plaid button up and suspender look that Nashville hipster men seem addicted to, pretty sick of it by now).

More screenshots here. I did some research on the Starkweather-Fugate murders after watching Badlands, and for once, it seems that real life was more messy than film. Their spree was intense and brutal, and the movie is more forgiving to its main characters.

On a happier note, Neil and I are prepping for Thanksgiving activities this week! We ordered a pine farm table for our dining room, and it's coming in today - just in time, because my in-laws will be coming to Nashville tonight and we're hosting a small Thanksgiving feast tomorrow. Lots of traditional fare.. turkey and greens, potatoes, bread pudding, apple pie. Can't wait.. I plan on taking more photos than cooking, hopefully, so I'll share them with you soon (and I'll delay the Dalena Vintage giveaway announcement for one more day, so enter now if you haven't already)! Happy Thanksgiving to you American ladies.