What would it look like if Terrence Malick wanted to tell the story of Abraham Lincoln? It would probably look something like this trailer for The Better Angels, which tells of our 16th President's childhood growing up in Indiana. The film is directed by A.J. Edwards with Malick on board as a producer, and it's clear how deep his influence runs as it looks like a black-and-white version of The Tree of Life.
Braydon Denney plays Lincoln as a boy, with Jason Clarke and Brit Marling as his parents, along with Diane Kruger as another figure who had a heavy influence on the man he would eventually become. Others have tried to emulate Malick but the lyrical, dream-like quality here is impressive, and it's safe to say this will be unlike any other Lincoln film we've seen. The Better Angels opens November 7th. Here's the trailer and full synopsis.
At an isolated log cabin in the harsh wilderness of Indiana circa 1817, the rhythms of love, tragedy, and the daily hardships of life on the developing frontier shaped one of our nation’s greatest heroes: Abraham Lincoln. Using glorious black and white cinematography to conjure an America where the land was raw, The Better Angels sheds new light on the formative years of the future president and the two women who molded him into one of the most revered men in American history. Based on 19th-century interviews with Lincoln’s family members, The Better Angels is a beautiful, insightful, and brilliantly composed feature debut from producer Terrence Malick’s longtime protégé, A.J. Edwards.
