This film is based on the real-life murder spree of Charles Starkweather and his girlfriend, Caril Ann Fugate, in 1958.

 

Kit Carruthers and girlfriend Holly Sargis are on the run after killing Holly's father. They cross the Dakota Badlands, leaving a trail of random murders. On the surface it's just another rural gangster movie, but the film is distinguished by Martin Sheen's superb performance, Sissy Spacek's (Holly) artless narration, and director Terrence Malick's masterful composition.

 

This proved to be a landmark film for Martin Sheen. He was also obsessive about the role. Before shooting one scene set in a gas station, Martin made a point of personally picking up all the pull-top can rings from the filming area, because, in 1959, soda cans with easy-open tabs didn't exist.

 

"We had to be careful all along," detail-attentive Sheen told a reporter.