Day 78: Tell Us A Story From Before We Can Remember

THE TREE OF LIFE (2011)
Directed by Terrence Malick
Starring: Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, Jessica Chastain, Hunter McCracken, Laramie Eppler, Tye Sheridan

Film criticism is usually based on snap judgments, as most critics are writing on a deadline.  They can really only give first impressions.  I, however, am only doing this because I feel like it.  Therefore, I have a bit more time to think about the film before I write about it.  And I needed that time.

Giving a synopsis of the plot may or may not help people to understand the film, but for the sake of completeness, here it goes:

Jack O'Brien (Penn) flashes back over his life growing up in Texas in the 1950's.  He recalls the gentle treatment of his doting mother (Chastain) and his harsh, domineering father (Pitt).  He remembers the rivalry between him and his younger brothers.  He remembers his struggle with faith.  He remembers openly rebelling against his parents, which disappointed his mother and angered his father.  He remembers his father's disappointment with his own life choices, opting to work as an engineer, rather than pursue music for a living.  As Jack remembers all of this, he eventually makes peace with his past.

That's the story.  But that's not what the film is about.

Drawing inspiration from Koyaanisqatsi and 2001: A Space Odyssey, Terrence Malick offers an impressionistic portrait of a man (based on himself? Probably) struggling to come to terms with the questions that everyone asks themselves about life, death, the existence of God, faith, hatred, forgiveness, conflict and peace.  And he does so not with a straightforward narrative, but with a view from the outside looking in. He backs up to look at the Big Picture, even opening with a verse straight out of the Book of Job.  As if answering the question before we even ask, we see "Where were you when I laid the Earth's foundation?...while the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?"  From there, we are taken to the deepest reaches of outer space.  We go to the time of dinosaurs.  We see all of history in a matter of minutes, but from there, we focus on this small town family, and on the trials and tribulations we all think are so important.  Does God know or care about them?  Does God even exist?  These and other questions are touched upon.

However, unlike many films that ask the same questions, The Tree of Life doesn't attempt to answer them.  In fact, Malick doesn't seem as interested in telling a story as he is in eliciting an emotional response.  It plays like a symphony, with different movements, all as a part of something bigger.  And just like classical music, your enjoyment of it is completely dependent upon the emotions you experience while watching.

This is not a traditional film, and therefore, it is not easy to say whether or not it was a good film in the traditional sense.  Whether or not you enjoy it will depend entirely upon what kind of mood you're in when you watch it.  However, there are some concrete things that can be said about it.  For one thing, the cinematography is amazing.  In fact, it's some of the best I've ever seen.  Every single frame of this film was a work of art.  The visual effects during the "Space Opera" sequences are absolutely breathtaking.  They were done by Douglas Trumbull, who did the effects for 2001 and Blade Runner using all practical effects and zero CGI.  However, those who go into this movie looking for a knock-out performance from either Brad Pitt or Sean Penn might be disappointed.  Why they were cast is anyone's guess.  Really, any actor could have played these parts.  I particularly wondered why Sean Penn was cast, as he's hardly in the film at all.  And when he's on screen, he speaks so softly, I could hardly hear him.  It's kind of a waste of talent, if you ask me.

A movie like this is bound to polarize people; and it has, receiving both boos and cheers (and ultimately, the Palm D'or) at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.  Having watched it, I can see both sides of the argument, and I agree with both of them.  Yes, this film is a brilliant work of art.  Yes, this film is strange and almost inaccessible.  But the best thing is to watch this film with absolutely zero expectations, either good or bad.  It's hard to do, but it's the best way to go about it.  Whatever your preconceived notions are, they will change by the time the end credits roll.