Badlands is an intersection of two main commendable studies of what defines America as a place and as an idea. One is a look at youth culture, and issues of rebellion and the struggle to understand ones place in the world in the midst of confusing cultural messages. The other is a study of the physical landscape of the american west. I absolutely loved each contrasting aspect of the film. From the main charachter Kit's misunderstood life, forcing him down a path that he can't even himself explain. Is Kit a product of his environment? I think in a very tangible way he is a product of American culture. He has probably been told he looks like James Dean for his entire post adolescent life, and so he conforms to the role of the rebel. A criminal without any motivation beyond a societal expectation. He is a deeply troubled child abandoned by the world and given a handgun. The beautiful parts of the film are in the shots, layered and baron, contrasting the varying tones overlapping the film. We see the bleak landscapes and we feel alone, perhaps mirroring the emptiness inside Kit.
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