Director
Terrence Malick
Leading Actors/Actresses
Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, and Natalie Portman
Supporting Actors/Actresses
Brian Dennehy and Antonio Banderas
Genre
Experimental Drama
Language
English
Awards
Knight of Cups was nominated for no major awards
Date of Release
March 4, 2016
Producer
Nicolas Gonda, Sarah Green, and Ken Kao
Setting and Context
Los Angeles, California. The present day.
Narrator and Point of View
The film is told through the point of view of narrator Rick.
Tone and Mood
Ruminative, Sad, Empty, Mysterious, Magical, Mystical, and Strange
Protagonist and Antagonist
Rick (Protagonist) vs. Himself (Antagonist)
Major Conflict
The major conflict of the film involves Ricks inner struggle to find meaning and happiness in his life in the face of death and emotional trauma.
Climax
The climax of the film occurs when Rick and Elizabeth meet up.
Foreshadowing
Although instances of foreshadowing are few and far between in Knight of Cups, Rick falling into Hollywood's excesses is foreshadowed early on in the film.
Understatement
The improvisational nature of the film is understated throughout the film
Innovations in Filming or Lighting or Camera Techniques
Although exceptionally well-shot and well-made (the films cinematographer is among the best—if not the best—working in film today), Knight of Cups was not innovative in filming or lighting or camera techniques.
Allusions
Allusions were made to the following films and T.V. shows: Less Than Zero (1987), Twin Peaks, and Ted (2012). Allusions were also made to tarot (the names of the chapters particularly), mythology, religion, popular culture (all of the films, books, video games, and T.V. shows that are mentioned), and geography (of Los Angeles).
Paradox
Rick is very successful and seemingly has everything, yet feels incredibly empty and unfulfilled.
Parallelism
Rick's story of excess is paralleled with the story of other people who also live lives of excess.
