Throwback Thursday- The Tree of Life

Logline: Focusing on a family in Waco Texas in 1956. The eldest son witnesses the loss of innocence, and struggles with his parents' conflicting philosophies.

Cast: Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, Jessica Chastain

Directed by: Terrence Malick

I have watched this movie twice in its entirety. For anyone who doesn't really know much about this movie, it comes from director Terrence Malick (The Thin Red Line, Badlands, The New World). Malick isn't your every day kind of director. He often films with great attention to the little things in life, capturing them appreciatively. He's also unique because he likes to take a long time in-between projects and has very few pictures of himself on the internet. There was actually a big dispute on the set of Thin Red Line because he's so discrete. But that's a different story.

I chose this one because I really do like to challenge myself and that's what this blog is all about. This is by far the most challenging movie I've done.

Summary

The logline really doesn't do this film justice. In fact, I don't really think it describes it at all.

When this film won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival (arguably the most prestigious film festival) there was a huge amount of hype surrounding it. However, this isn't your average run of the mill movie. After describing Malick, it isn't hard to understand why this may be. To prove it, movie theaters actually had to issues warnings that this movie follows a completely different structure than most movies due to the amount of people asking for refunds midway through.

The Tree of Life revolves around a family in Waco, Texas in the 1950's. Mr. and Mrs. O'Brien (Pitt, Chastain) are the parents to a family of three boys. The movie begins with Mrs. O'Brien receiving news of her son's passing via telegram one morning.

And then it cuts to the new Millennium and their eldest son Jack (Penn) is numb and lost in his modern city world, no longer living in the country. Voices and whispers are heard.

Then it cuts to a 20 minute sequences starting from the big bang. It shows how the universe began, galaxies were formed, planets, Earth, everything. It flows through the past - prehistoric ages and all.

Most of the film afterwards follows the abusive parenting of Mr. O'Brien towards his kids & the audience's discovery of what happens to the son that passes.

Review

This is one of the hardest films to actually review.

You will either like it, or you will be confused to all hell and hate it.

The first time I watched it, I almost wanted to turn it off numerous times. And then I took my thoughts of it to bed and I couldn't fall asleep. I kept thinking about it. And then I watched it for the second time, and I really paid attention to the finer details. I can honestly say after my second watch there are probably still things I've missed, but I can at least come to terms with the fact that this is one hell of a moving piece of poetry.

Keep in mind that when I rate this movie at the end of the article, I'm rating it on a scale for what this movie is - a piece of art. I wouldn't compare it to any other feature film as this piece is a work of its own kind.

Topic of the Day

What did I take from The Tree of Life?

I'm getting tired of writing that "this is one of those movies", but I seriously can't help it. It really is. This isn't meant to gather massive fan appeal. It was never meant to sell out theaters. It was never meant for you to watch with your girlfriend, boyfriend, kids, whoever. It would have never gotten the OK from any studio, EVER, but it just so happened that Terrence Malick made it & given his track record and his long delay from wanting to direct a movie, they must've figured he was on to something. And he was. Just not for the purposes of making money; something you definitely don't come along very much with big name actors such as Brad Pitt and Sean Penn attached.

Movies like this get an exception. I always preach every week about following structure, never floating, always keeping character goals relative and clear, etc. The Tree of Life didn't need any of that, because I wouldn't even really classify it as a feature film. It does tell a story, minimally, and it is very well acted, but it's just something you can't compare to anything else. It's a brilliant piece of poetry and art.

A lot of people were confused by the 20 minute sequence of creation. What the hell did that have to do with anything? Well, I thought it was the best part of the movie. It actually made the movie click in my head. This is one of the very few movies to actually change my life. It's stuck with me since the time I watched it. And I'll end this section with how.

The creation sequence just after the films introduction portrayed the big picture in the grand scheme of the universe. After watching people go through heart break and a person living with the traumatic aftermath of an abusive youth and the loss of his brother, you see these problems and you begin to look at the world around you. Where you came from. How you got here. It's a miracle. Think of your biggest problem, and then think of how many things had to happen for you to be on this Earth, allowing your soul to feel and your brain to think. The people that commit suicide, the people who take their life for granted. Take a running tap for example, think of how many people don't have that. Think of how awesome it is to have water at the twist of a knob instead of having to travel yourself to go get it. I look at nature now and I just appreciate everything it has given me. How are people so filled with problems when we've been given something so great? I always take a moment now and appreciate everything.

When a movie is able to do that - it doesn't need to have structure.

Consensus

A very moving and inspirational work of art & poetry. Many will find it confusing and slow, others will find it masterfully crafted. For its intensely unique structure and powerful directing, The Tree of Life gets a very very very good from me.

 8.2/10