Shot for a mere $500,000, this first film from Terrence Malick - whose only other offerings to date are Days Of Heaven and The Thin Red Line still stands as a compelling, no-questions-asked classic. At first glance it's a post-Bonnie And Clyde crimer based on the '50s killings by Charles Starkweather and his 14-year-old girlfriend Caril Ann Fugate. Comprised of Malick's now-trademark images, all haze and shimmer, and perfect performances from Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek (he was 32 playing 19, she was 23 playing 15), there's lots going on under the surface, too.

On the one hand, it's an inversion of the American Dream, Sheen's character fancying himself as a somebody, despite being "just some boy" whose gun is gonna get him into trouble. On the other, it's a lustrous cine-poem to innocence and experience, in which puppy love is contrasted with themes of mortality and the passing of time. Plus, Spacek's voiceover is made up of words and phrases gleaned from the magazines she's forever reading - as subtle an admonition of the media as you'll find. No doubt about it: this is one of the key '70s movies.

DVD Extras:

No one's expecting a commentary from Malick, but a film this good deserves more than a 20-minute documentary and a theatrical trailer. That said, The Absence Of Malick is an all-new doc that makes for fascinating (if sycophantic) viewing, with the stars recalling Malick's talismanic presence (see right). No sign of the great man, of course - though Sheen does point out Malick's fleeting appearance in the movie itself.