Watch: Abraham Lincoln Meets Terrence Malick in ‘The Better Angels’ Trailer
Zack Sharf
After the one-two spiritual punch of “The Tree of Life” and “To The Wonder,” the prolific Terrence Malick has gone back to his elusive ways and has yet to announce any news regarding three upcoming projects currently in post-production, including “Knight of Cups” starring Christian Bale, Natalie Portman and Cate Blanchett. But while Malick fans are accustomed to waiting for the director’s efforts, they will get somewhat of a reprieve on November 7 with the release of “The Better Angles,” the Malick-produced Abraham Lincoln drama directed by A.J. Edwards.
Starring Braydon Denney as a young Abe Lincoln, “The Better Angels” chronicles the future President’s childhood in Indiana and the hardships that helped shape his worldview. Diane Kruger and Jason Clarke play Abe’s father and stepmother, respectively, while Brit Marling and Wes Bentley round out the supporting cast.
Given Edwards worked with the prolific Malick as an editor on “The New World,” “The Tree of Life” and “To The Wonder,” it makes sense that the new trailer for “The Better Angels” is chock-full of typical Malick lyricality, from the stirring narration over gorgeous black-and-white imagery to the swooping camera movements that are right out of Emmanuel Lubezki’s playbook. The image of an ethereal Brit Marling holding a butterfly even evokes the similar image of Jessica Chastain in “The Tree of Life.”
“The Better Angels” first premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, and was later screened in the Panorama section of the 64th Berlin International Film Festival. Watch the trailer below.
