Film: The Tree of Life
Cast includes: Brad Pitt (Inglorious Basterds), Sean Penn (Milk), Jessica Chastin (Stolen)
Writer/Director: Terrence Malick (The New World)
Genre: Drama/SciFi/Spiritual/Religious (2011)
“There are two ways through life… the way of nature and the way of grace,” she tells us in a whispered voiceover. Then she tells us, “No one who lives the way of grace will come to a bad end.” That’s when the telegraph comes telling her of her son’s death. “He’s in God’s hands,” Father Haynes tell her. “He was in God’s hands the whole time,” she responds. “The pain will pass… you’ve still got the other two… the Lord gives, and the Lord takes away.” It’s all the stuff people say... mostly because they don’t know what else to say. Her husband laments, “I never told him I was sorry.” That comment refers to the time he scolded his son for not turning the pages properly on the sheet music.
“How did you come to me? I see the child that I was. My brother died when he was 19. The world’s gone to the dogs. Dad, I’m sorry I said what I said. How did I lose you? Lord, why? Where were you? Who are we to you?” Jack’s journey through life has been tragic and troubled. From here we go to a flashback of the events that made him so melancholy. But we don’t simply go back to Jack as a child; we go all the way back… way back to the time when there was only The Creator. In a cinematic extravaganza, we see the whole journey from creation to the 1950s... and eventually continue on to the afterlife. It isn’t until we finally get to dinosaurs that we know we’re getting close to learning why Jack asks the questions he asks… assuming we still remember what the questions are.
Even when we get to the start of Jack’s story, the telling is in veiled in symbols, metaphors and philosophical questions. Fairly early on, we get the feeling that Jack’s father has a heavy-handed approach to child rearing. And we can tell that Jack’s mother is trapped in his dark shadow. Yet the storytelling is so ethereal that, at a certain point, we may stop caring about where it’s going… and start caring more about when we can get going. This film is getting strong opinions… some love it; some hate it. Some see it as a spiritual journey, exploring the nature of God and the imperfections of man. Some see it as a melancholy waste of time. To be fair, the cinematography is gorgeous… it often feels like a 2.5-hour National Geographic special. Personally, I need a more engaging story to keep me on a journey for that length of time. But others will find it spiritually provocative and deep.
1 popped kernel
Gorgeous cinematography… but otherwise, tedious, ponderous and excruciatingly long
Popcorn Profile
Rated: PG-13
Primary Audience: Grown-ups
Gender Appeal: Any audience
Distribution: Mainstream limited release
Mood: Depressing
Tempo: Slow moving
Visual Style: Computer effects
Character Development: Not that kind of film
Language: True to life
Social Significance: Thought provoking
