[Chomp]

Joker, yeah "Days of Heaven" certainly came to mind - the beutiful light on DDLewis in the carriage and on the child crying are pure Malick. Also, the bit in the trailer where it tracks along beside the men running towards the burning oil pump is very reminiscent of the scenes in Day of Heaven in the cornfields. Yeah, very much so.

But what reminded me of Heaven's Gate was:
> The DDL character looks reminiscent of Kris Kristofferson's character in HG
> The shot inside the barn is very reminiscent of the famous dance sequence in HG
> The setting looks similar: prospecting outposts (oil here, cattle in HG) around turn of century where the railroad and other approaching 20th Century "technologies" are taking the place of the old west
> Evoking the brutality of the time looks similar

But yeah, in visual style I'd definitely say more Malick than anyone by the looks of things. And considering how immersed PTA is in cinema, it is entirely likely that Malick and Cimino (even Leone) are his reference points.

BTW, I never bought the revisionism about Heaven's Gate. It is an ambitious failure. It's also pretty dull, and not nearly as visually arresting as some say. A shame, but there it is. If you have never read "Final Cut" by Stephen(?) Bach (it's the behind the scenes story of the diasterous making of HG) I highly recommend it.