Burnin' wings

"I met this guy named Ding-Dong. He told me the whole earth is goin' up in flame. Flames will come out of here and there and they'll just rise up. The mountains are gonna go up in big flames, the water's gonna rise in flames. There's gonna be creatures runnin' every which way, some of them burnt, half of their wings burnin'. People are gonna be screamin' and hollerin' for help.

"See, the people that have been good, they're gonna go to heaven and escape all that fire. But if you've been bad, God don't even hear you. He don't even hear ya talkin'."

I honestly don't believe I've heard voice-over dialogue that's this much fun to read or listen to in...I don't know how many years. That line about "wings burnin'" is great. When I hear it I don't think of chickens or turkeys or birds of any kind -- I think of the flying monkeys from The Wizard of Oz falling to the ground and leaving wispy little smoke trails.

Posted by Jeffrey Wells on October 2, 2007 at 12:13 PM

comment #1

Walter Sobchak Author Profile Page says ...

Here here.

...And add to that dialouge the cool guitar pickin' and jaw-droppingly beautiful cinematography and well...movie heaven...so to speak.

Posted by Walter Sobchak Author Profile Page at October 2, 2007 12:30 PM

comment #2

JD Author Profile Page says ...

There aren't that many screenwriters these days who understand the value of fragmented, elliptical dialogue (or voice-over) like this. However, this kind of writing is precisely what jumped out at me when I read the script for There Will Be Blood a while back. There's nothing quite this elaborate and flowery (that I can remember, anyway), but it's in the same realm.

Posted by JD Author Profile Page at October 2, 2007 12:32 PM

comment #3

gruver1 Author Profile Page says ...

Wells to JD: Do you have the "Blood" script on PDF?

Posted by gruver1 Author Profile Page at October 2, 2007 12:35 PM

comment #4

Jack Price Author Profile Page says ...

Jack Price to Gruver1: I'll send it your way. I have the January 05 draft, there's still some placeholder scenes about it, but from everything I've heard it's as good as the shooting script.

Posted by Jack Price Author Profile Page at October 2, 2007 12:37 PM

comment #5

lazarus Author Profile Page says ...

I'd still love to know if Linda Manz was coached on the delivery of that VO, or if it was just her raw, natural take on the words.

Posted by lazarus Author Profile Page at October 2, 2007 2:08 PM

comment #6

Bilge Author Profile Page says ...

Actually, I'm pretty sure that this particular bit of dialogue was specifically Manz relating something that she had heard, which Malick decided to record. I don't think he wrote this part. I wish I could remember where I read/heard that.

Posted by Bilge Author Profile Page at October 2, 2007 3:41 PM

comment #7

Edward Author Profile Page says ...

Great, great film. Plus, I'll take Malick's "The Thin Red Line" over "Private Ryan" any day.

Posted by Edward Author Profile Page at October 2, 2007 4:15 PM

comment #8

Walter Sobchak Author Profile Page says ...

Yeah yeah yeah..... the old "Thin Red Line" vs. "Private Ryan" debate.... somehow I have a feeling that most people that say that decided before they even saw either film.... let's be honest, it's way cooler and hipper and film-schooly to say TRL was better.

Hell, I'll bet Mallick thinks "Private Ryan" was better than his film.

Posted by Walter Sobchak Author Profile Page at October 2, 2007 5:05 PM

comment #9

lazarus Author Profile Page says ...

Martin Scorsese sure doesn't think it was better. #2 of the 90's for him, if I'm not mistaken.

And taking TRL over SPR is like choosing a filet mignon over a Big Mac.

Both tasty in their own way, but only the first one is actually good for you.

Posted by lazarus Author Profile Page at October 2, 2007 5:39 PM

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