Courtesy of Filmofilia.com
Terrence Malick’s latest masterpiece The Tree of Life is nothing short of entrancing. Yes, I did just utilize “masterpiece” to describe Malick’s latest film, a sentiment that many critics have echoed, but also a sentiment that is contrary to what many others feel toward the film. After all, the Palme d’Or winner was greeted with a sea of boos and jeers from its initial audience at the esteemed festival. Nevertheless, my first response to The Tree of Life as the credits began to roll was that I had just witnessed one of the most fulfilling cinematic experiences to date.
I would like to begin my notes on the film by stating that The Tree of Life is not your typical film experience. Many critics of the film have noted that there is no discernible plot. I disagree with that quip, but will concede that the film in not presented in the typical Aristotelian dramatic format. The dramatic tension is highly internalized and subtle instead of being the film’s primary focus. The experience is in the vein of James Joyce’s trademark stream-of-consciousness portrayed in a series of episodes. The film essentially begins with the death of the second child of the O’Briens. Malick then presents us with Jack, played by Sean Penn as an adult and Hunter McCracken as a youth, who seems to have an emotional disconnect from those around him. He is stuck in the middle of modern day metropolis with the power hungry people of the world. Then Malick moves on to show Jack’s youth from his conception and the majority of his childhood. The film portrays his relationship to his mother, his father and his siblings. One of the main focal points of the film emphasizes the loss of innocence or retention of innocence by the constituents of the O’Brien family and how these losses or retentions ultimately affect the life of the family. The performances from the entire cast are excellent, highlighted by Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain as Jack’s parents.
The presentation of the narrative is certainly unconventional by all means. Like in more recent Malick films, inter-personal dialogue is refreshingly minimized in favor of poetic voiceovers that color the thoughts and feelings of the characters, rather than expressing them directly. Visually, Malick does not shy away from using obscure, and at times surreal, images to describe events and moments – the results are some of the greatest cinematography I have seen in years. During the birth sequence of the Jack, Malick cuts from the hospital room to an image of a child swimming out through an underwater door. Then he cuts back to the baby now in the hospital room. The effectiveness of the juxtaposition is furthered by Malick’s timely editing that does not labor the moment and make it feel gratuitous or self-indulgent. Because Malick is not preoccupied with a rigid plot structure, his film takes the time to detail the small and subtle moments of human interaction and development. The birth of Jack, his first steps, his first interactions with his parents, his interaction with his new baby brother, etc. are all carefully portrayed and experienced. Malick’s boldest and arguably greatest visual achievement in the film is the sequence in which he presents the creation of the cosmos and slowly recreates life from single cell creatures to dinosaur and eventually humans. The visuals are breathtaking to say the least. The use of CGI dinosaurs was a great risk considering how cheap the effect could have looked, but Malick’s camera angles and sparing use of them makes the effect highly realistic. The dinosaurs do not last long, but the brief scenes almost make them human, further emphasizing Malick’s idea of connecting all life. There are quite a few nature and tree shots throughout, but they only add to Malick’s preoccupation with detail without distracting from the tone and texture of the film. There is an abundance of homages to Tarkovsky, Kubrick, Fellini and other great masters of cinema throughout, but all are used sparingly and tastefully.
Finally, I would like to add a few sentiments regarding the use of sound and music in this film. Malick uses an abundance of music not only by Alexandre Desplat, but also from the great masters of the classical repertoire. There is Berlioz, Brahms, Gorecki, and Bach amongst others and their uses could not be more satisfying. One noteworthy example would be the use of Berlioz’s “Agnus Dei” from Requiem during the reuniting of the family and humanity in the afterlife – both chilling and spiritually transcendental. Music in cinema has always been a huge proponent to the effectiveness of the film, but Malick’s use of music in this film takes it to another level, essentially making it an equal to the visuals and characters in the film. All these components of the film work harmoniously to create a cohesive masterwork.
I will reiterate that this film is by no means a conventional film experience. Like the rest of Malick’s oeuvre, this work demands patience from its audience to maximize the impact. This mesmerizing film, Malick’s most personal to date, is an apotheosis if you will, of his search for cinematic purity.
10 Golden Eggs
