<P>With 2005's acclaimed and controversial <i>The New World</i>, one of cinema's most enigmatic filmmakers returned to the screen with only his fourth feature film in a career spanning thirty years. While Terrence Malick's work has always divided opinion, his poetic, transcendent filmic language has unquestionably redefined modern cinema, and with a new feature scheduled for 2008, contemporary cinema is finally catching up with his vision. This updated second edition of <i>The Cinema of Terrence Malick: Poetic Visions of America</i> charts the continuing growth of Malick's oeuvre, exploring identity, place, and existence in his films. Featuring two new original essays on his latest career landmark and extensive analysis of <i>The Thin Red Line</i>-Malick's haunting screen treatment of World War II-this is an essential study of a visionary poet of American cinema. </P>