Days of Heaven (Americans at 250 Film Series)

Terrence Malick’s 1978 masterpiece follows three drifters — Bill, his girlfriend Abby, and his little sister Linda — who flee Chicago in 1916 after Bill accidentally kills a foreman. Working on a Texas wheat farm, they deceive the lonely, terminally ill owner into marrying Abby, setting off a tragic love triangle.
Filmed almost entirely in natural light at dawn and dusk, this haunting exploration of love and loss won an Academy Award for Best Cinematography. (1 hr 34 min, PG)