Days of heaven opening credits

Opening credits of Terrence Malick's Days of Heaven. Music composed by Saint-Saëns.

[@michaelbruns449]

This hauntingly gorgeous color film. All those faces of people now frozen in time. Just like we will be someday.

[@charlesabboud]

Agreed. I watched Days of Heaven in Paris in 1978, the French title "les moissons du ciel". It has been one of my favorite movies since, along with other greats like Dr. Zhivago, Once Upon Time in the West. Geniuses like Terence Malick, Ennio Moricone, David Lean and Maurice Jarre, gave us some of the most beautiful films associated with music that made them eternal masterpieces.

[@champagneforashley4882]

This is one of my favorite openings to a film ever. As someone said before, it sets the atmosphere for Nestor's almost superhuman achievement. This is 1978, and I haven't seen a film since that has equaled it's beauty. It's sublime. Maybe some of Tarkovsky's works and the films of the Greek guy. I can't remember his name at the moment. Theo something. They have scenes in them that will blow your mind, especially viewing them in a theatre, but this stuff is on another level.

[@nioniosnioniakis8647]

Theo Angelopoulos :)

[@heinrichvon]

@@nioniosnioniakis8647 Yeah, *that* guy.

[@starkingbiker]

i saw days of heaven yesterday in 35mm on the big screen. it was life changing.

[@Dreamcatcher9000]

@@starkingbiker Where?

[@ninjesus4079]

try Barry Lyndon

[@titusmccarthy]

I can only imagine how haunting pictures of the 1980s and 90s (my era of youth) will be when it's a bygone era. I look at these pictures and it seems other-worldly.

[@johnhedges7463]

"Days of Heaven" is one of the most beautiful films ever made. It is Terrence Malick's second major film and an example of what can be achieved by surrounding a genius (Malick) with careful planning, financial courage, technical excellence and inspired post -production work. Malick (who had already overwhelmed the film industry with his extraordinary mainstream debut "Badlands") wrote and directed the film. The film was meticulously planned and homage to the financial executives who financed it, trusted Malick and gave him the money needed to create its elegiac atmosphere. The cinematography (by Nestor Almendros) is heartbreakingly beautiful, and the film was then in post production supported by music that completed this work of art; the piece illustrating these opening credits is from Saint-Saens' "Carnival of the Animals".

[@heinrichvon]

The critics at the time (and even now) said that this movie was all visuals and no story or characters. They almost made me feel guilty because I found the story compelling and liked the characters and cared what happened to them.

[@Kagemusha08]

The visuals are the story. If the same screenplay was done by any other director (aside from maybe someone like Tarkovsky) it would be shit. But Malick makes the movie feel primal. There isn't much character development or story development but it doesn't need it in the same way that biblical stories don't need much character development. For me Days of Heaven's appeal really can't be put into words or even described on a consious level. It's why I think his recent movies like Tree of Life pale in comparison: too much narration and rambling about spiritual themes. He's the best living visual storyteller, he should just allow his visuals to express what he wants to say about the univesrse.

[@iwant2usethis]

This opening does the most effective job of literally placing the audience right in the middle of that period and although the films goes off in a different direction, this opening has more than accomplished it objective of disengaging you from your own reality

[@deborahcornell171]

The music is exquisite & the old photos fascinating. That child at 0:12 is beautiful & haunting. I wonder what became of her...

[@thomascortino8215]

I love this song and this is my favorite movie ever made. Poetry on film. I never knew that existed until I saw Days Of Heaven.

[@DragonHeart613]

Of all the wonderful, fun, moving, exhilarating thought-provoking films of all kinds & genres that I've had the privilege of watching over the years, there's probably no other film so beautifully shot with such serene cinematography & dream-like imagery complete with such a mesmerizing soundtrack than Days Of Heaven!!! A must see must own film exp to be had!!!

[@antoinesubitlescoups338]

A miracle! A gift from the maker. How sound and images could transport you into another realm...

[@jerrysmith1196]

One of the best movies ever made!!

[@thomascortino8215]

Best movie ever made, I think. Beautiful.

[@RebeccaBane]

One of the most beautiful opening credits I have seen!!

[@Crosbie100]

Excellent music and movie. Richard Gere is so good in this as he is in all his movies

[@larrygibson4859]

Wonderfully done movie...DAYS OF HEAVEN...Absolutely beautifully photographed. This musical piece, from CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS, accentuates the film perfectly.

[@AC-gw4qu]

I think the full title is Le Carnaval des Animaux: Aquarium and I think the aquarium part is worth mentioning because the whole piece seems somewhere between underwater and a dream.

[@Guigley]

The first time I saw this scene, I immediately thought of "Beauty and the Beast" when the music came on.

[@CyborgVegita]

Fantastic opening credits to a fantastic movie. Always been one of my top 10 films. I need to dig this out of my DVD collection and watch it again sometime.

[@WilcoG]

Best film in the last 40 years

[@thomascortino8215]

Best film ever made, I think. Poetry on screen. The music, the scenery, the actors never say more than a few lines in a scene with dialog. Yet it does tell a story. As much with music and scenery as with dialog.

[@KazberryKrunch]

@cutiecoyote1206 It is one of the movements of Camille Saint-Saëns's "The Carnival of the Animals" suite, from 1886. This particular movement is called "Aquarium" - the seventh out of fourteen in the suite. I don't think it was featured in any other movies, although it was in some trailers, and it seems to be the inspiration for Beauty and the Beast's main theme.

[@blablaidontcarewhour]

Haunting, and absolutely beautiful

[@mmortal03]

Yeah, the music during the prologue of Beauty and the Beast is similar to but not the same as this, which is the "Aquarium" movement of Saint-Saëns' Carnival of the Animals.

[@USJohn]

Magical.

[@racheledwards2352]

I feel as though I am walking in a dream

[@65g4]

one of the great American movies, a movie really made about the American dream

[@bigtoe512]

@levanyzzuf I'd argue but it certainly has the best cinematography of the era.

[@lysjanvier]

it's 'the aquarium' by saint sans

[@standready7083]

So much for the "Ken Burns Effect."

[@titusmccarthy]

The passage of time...

[@arimatea62]

IN DER GLUT DES SÜDENS (GERMAN TITEL) ist ein Meisterwerk! Allein die Anfangssequenz, die Musik und die alten Bilder! Fantastisch!!!. Ach ja, die Bilder sind alle oder zum größten Teil von Lewis Hine.

[@phxsns1]

Me and my brother, it just used to be me and my brother....

[@rubystevens4593]

morricone def deserved an Oscar for this film

[@Casarzino]

this piece is not his though

[@heinrichvon]

It's by Camille Saint-Saens

[@debsong10]

The music is almost identical to the theme music used in the intro to Beauty and the Beast -- which was released 13 years after this movie.

[@titusmccarthy]

This music existed for this movie.

[@CharlesKooples]

@rbain007 Totally agreed.

[@jalexanderevans]

Need the Relic on here

[@oneday341]

Ken Burns Effect before Ken Burns

[@loves5leon]

In the goldfish bowl!

[@JMoruzzi]

I wonder how many people think Morricone composed the music that accompanies the credits? It would be an easy mistake to make.

[@trueandika]

This is aquarius from Le carnaval des animaux of Camille Saint Saens. Morricone composed the rest of the movie score.

[@kurtzdt51]

@phxsns1 "me and my bru-vah"

[@jmedwick]

Reminiscent of the opening credits of 'Back to School' with Rodney Dangerfiled

[@ofotopedro]

@bigtoe512 Nestor Almendros is God ! Was, actually...

[@MinamuTV]

That and maybe 'A Clockwork Orange'. And 'Taxi Driver'.

[@cutiecoyote1206]

What is this music? Is it in anything else?

[@titusmccarthy]

Benjamin Button uses it.

[@cutiecoyote1206]

Titus McCarthy it sounds like Beauty and The Beast to me. Don’t know how I didn’t think of that nine years ago when I commented. 😂 Thanks for replying.

[@maibatsuishi17]

I gotta know because the same exact song with no changes was used in like a Tim burton trailer or sum

[@erikfreitas7093]

“Aquarium” from “The Carnival of the Animals” by the French composer Camille Saint-Saëns

[@craigfinnegan8534]

Here's another great historical opening... kzbin.info/www/bejne/g3OpiqiYYt97rs0

[@Abnormalia]

Way too quiet.

[@Crosbie100]

@levanyzzuf

[@Zombiesnyder13]

You need to watch only one movie from Terrence Malick to see how unique it is If you watch more movies, you will see they are all the same and you'll quickly lose patience

[@jtaylor9562]

Terrence Malick has become a joke of a director. His recent films, to the wonder, song for song, knight of cups and tree of life, all resemble stylised aftershave commercials or acting vanity projects. UTTERLY terrible. This film was a masterpiece, though.

[@ColdChicago]

the past, the past? there is no past, it is always with us. malick's subject is memory- and then all that philosophy gets in the way. see the closer to the texas film, chastain's film, a disaster.

[@omarkayham6352]

I love the music. The photography is obviously beautiful. But I don´t feel the movie works

[@omarkayham6352]

Omar Kayham as a plot, or whatecer. the voice in off also doesn´t fit, I think

[@julesf.meloborges811]

The first half is perfect. After that started to get messy, but still great.