Kris already acknowledged the disproportionate number of Malick-related posts on the site of late, but it’s not often one gets a conversation piece of this magnitude landing in the early summer schedule, so we’re just going to roll with it. (The film would no doubt have been a big deal in any season, but Fox Searchlight’s decision to dodge the autumn prestige deluge with an immediate post-Cannes release is proving rather wise in terms of publicity gained.)
Anyway, I was drawn to this Fandor piece about the influence of experimental cinema on Malick’s Palme d’Or winner, most evident in the early 20-minute sequence that maps out the earth’s evolution. Along with several other critics, my review noted echoes of Godfrey Reggio’s landmark 1982 tone poem “Koyaanisqatsi” in the sequence, but it appears that some lesser-known experimental films played a more direct role in its creation.
New York-based Scott Nyerges, whose avant-garde shorts haven’t been seen much outside the festival circuit, was approached by Malick’s production company for permission to license 12 seconds of his 2008 short “Autumnal” (embedded after the cut).