First off, this is one of the greatest movies ever made. It's just as objective as a Stanley Kubrick movie, and just as disturbing, but instead of typical Stanley imagery, here you have pretty landscapes, wildlife, and cloudy skies. This is the Malick way.
Anyhow, I'd just like to address some people's negative comments about the film. First off, the pace of this film is measured and certainly not speedy, but it really should only come off as dead slow to people more accustomed to contemporary action/comedy/suspense movies, as for the '70's this pace is pretty normal, especially for a movie this hypnotic. Also, the implausibility of some of the character's actions is simply because these are detached, out of place people. I can think of a handful of people I've met who actually remind me of Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek in this movie, socially just acting in subtely bizarre ways. One reason this movie is so brilliant is that it captures the presence of this type of person where I rarely have seen any other film that does. Finally, the psychotic person who sees this movie as a condemnation of Americans and a glorification of the the British a) Terrence Malick is not British, he was born in Illinois b) He did not direct "the Limey" c) Steven Sodenberg did, and he's not British either d) this movie is based loosely on a true story and actually tones down the much more graphic and depraved violence that the real life American redneck Charles Starkwater actually acted out in order for Malick to offer the wide array of thematic food for thought within this movie.
Anyhow, I'd just like to address some people's negative comments about the film. First off, the pace of this film is measured and certainly not speedy, but it really should only come off as dead slow to people more accustomed to contemporary action/comedy/suspense movies, as for the '70's this pace is pretty normal, especially for a movie this hypnotic. Also, the implausibility of some of the character's actions is simply because these are detached, out of place people. I can think of a handful of people I've met who actually remind me of Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek in this movie, socially just acting in subtely bizarre ways. One reason this movie is so brilliant is that it captures the presence of this type of person where I rarely have seen any other film that does. Finally, the psychotic person who sees this movie as a condemnation of Americans and a glorification of the the British a) Terrence Malick is not British, he was born in Illinois b) He did not direct "the Limey" c) Steven Sodenberg did, and he's not British either d) this movie is based loosely on a true story and actually tones down the much more graphic and depraved violence that the real life American redneck Charles Starkwater actually acted out in order for Malick to offer the wide array of thematic food for thought within this movie.