Symbolism in Days Of Heaven (1978) - Essay Example

Symbolism in Days Of Heaven (1978). Terrence Malick was the director of this movie, Days Of Heaven, made in 1978. There are many symbols in this movie. Even the title itself, is a symbol, taken from the Bible’s Book of Deutronomy 11:21-21; ‘“Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the Lord swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth..”’ (Zondervan 193).

The characters were enticed to do wrong in many symbolic acts that carried significant meaning. They were subsequently deprived of the Lord’s blessing and suffered tragedies. This movie was a love story, full of tragedies and disasters. The protagonist, Bill, and his two friends, Blackie and Steve were dragging away a safe they had stolen when a group of policemen stopped them. Steve was shot by a policeman and died in Bill’s arms. It was a parody of a story from Genesis 4:8; ‘Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Lets go out to the field.

” And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.’ (Zondervan 8). Only in Days Of Heaven, Bill didn’t directly kill Steve but maybe their crime of theft indirectly killed him. Bill broke a commandment and became a fugitive from the law. When Abby got married to Chuck Shepard, Chuck paid Bill more wages than he deserved although he suspected that Bill wasn’t Abby’s brother but her boyfriend. Chuck gave extra money to Bill in a gesture that was symbolic of a peace offering to compensate Bill for giving up Abby and letting him (Chuck) have her as his wife.

Bill recognized this as a symbolic act of reconciliation and he refused to accept it because of his pride. When Benson voiced his suspicions to Chuck about the validity of Bill and Abby’s sibling relationship, Chuck would rather not hear although he indicated he saw through the masquerade. Chuck’s refusal to hear or investigate the truth is symbolic. He was blinded by love for Abby. Before Abby’s marriage to Chuck, Bill made love to her in a soft and gentle way. After her marriage, they still carried on their hanky panky behind Chuck’s back but Bill changed in his approach in a symbolic way.

He became rough during the act. It was symbolic of stealing another man’s wife and never knowing when there would be another copulation again. One day, Bill kissed Abby in full view of Chuck as a symbolic act of defiance. He was very jealous of Chuck and Abby’s developing fondness for him. It was Bill’s last symbolic act of tolerance and he left the farm. When the land flourished, it was a symbol for Chuck to become dissatisfied with Abby. We see how Man and his land are in disagreement as they both cannot be content together.

Bill returned and Chuck finally went over the edge with jealousy. The locusts attack the farm, like a symbol of disaster. More tragedies followed as Chuck and Bill were killed. Abby returned to become a worker again, like a symbol that life had come full circle for her. Her sister Ursula eloped with George, a pilot. This was symbolic, like history repeating itself when Abby eloped with Bill. Indeed, Days Of Heaven is a movie full of symbols and symbolism. The End. Works Cited.

Malick, Terrence. Days Of Heaven (1978). NIV Women’s Devotional Bible. New International Version. USA: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984.