The Tree of Life Review
Posted by Chad Webb on 07.05.2011
Terrence Malick's amazing journey through time with one family proves to be meditative and spellbinding...
Brad Pitt: Mr. O'Brien
Sean Penn: Jack
Jessica Chastain: Mrs. O'Brien
Hunter McCracken: Young Jack
Laramie Eppler: R.L.
Tye Sheridan: Steve
Written and Directed By: Terrence Malick
Release Date: May 26, 2011
Running Time: 138 minutes
Rated PG-13 for some thematic material
Sitting down to write a review for a Terrence Malick film is a daunting task. I knew that what I had seen was more than a mere movie, it was an event, and not just because viewers are forced to wait for a new Malick effort every several years. Labeling his style as "not for everyone" has become a cliché, but the manner in which he approaches filmmaking is different, and more ambitious than just about any other director alive. The marriage of visuals and music left me in awe. Malick is a visionary and a poet and The Tree of Life is a captivating masterwork.
It seems that oftentimes when people do not fully understand something, instead of trying to learn more, they react harshly to its nature. Furthermore, for films when one person did grasp the central themes and messages and another did not, the former can come off snobby. On the other side of the coin, someone who disliked the film in question can be perceived as extremely narrow-minded if they dismiss a piece of cinema just because they have not comprehended everything it was attempting to convey. The Tree of Life has elicited these types of exchanges because Malick employs a deliberate pacing with a scope that is extraordinarily profound. Calling someone who enjoyed any film "pretentious" just because they claim to have understood it and you didn't is ridiculous, but it's just as ignorant to criticize someone who was not moved by it and accuse them of disliking the offering because they did not understand it. Then again, there are those who do have a firm handle on the subtext and still do not care for it overall. With Malick, the debates are commonly like this, one extreme or the other, with few stances in between.
The Tree of Life uses a story structure that is fragmented, but this is hardly the first time for that. Aside from the non-linear script, Malick demands more from his audience. He challenges us to think on a penetrating, more philosophical level because he knows we have that ability. I have stumbled across some websites that have connected Malick with filmmakers like Richard Kelly or David Lynch, two who are regularly associated with perplexing mind-benders. This is an unjust comparison because Kelly and Lynch use tactics to confuse the audience. That is an entirely separate ball of wax. The Tree of Life is not intended to be baffling, it just might need to be viewed multiple times to appreciate all of its underlying secrets. Terrence Malick should be compared to Stanley Kubrick because both approached their craft with similar attitudes and desires. Both valued their privacy, supplied the final cut they wanted, and left it at that. There are many similarities, but the primary one is that both Kubrick and Malick divided audiences with almost every new release. Yet as the years roll by, the polarizing feedback started to change, and the mixed reception of a film transitions into describing it as just a classic.
Information suggests that Malick has been developing The Tree of Life for decades, going back as far as Days of Heaven. Its road to the big screen has been a bumpy one with delays starting in 2009 and then when it was finally released at the 2011 Cannes Film festival, the media promptly announced that boos were heard with counter applause. Anyone familiar with the Cannes crowd knows that this is a yearly reaction, and Malick fans, including myself, took that news and our anticipating for The Tree of Life only increased. It went on to win the Palme d'Or of the festival, not too shabby. That was only the beginning, as recently a theater in Connecticut displayed a sign warning patrons that this was not an ordinary Brad Pitt film, in light of many demanding their money back. The letter was longer than that and has acquired plenty of controversy. If you had not heard of Malick before this year, and simply were a loyal fan of Pitt or Sean Penn, that's fine and you possibly just picked a drama that was not your cup of tea, but if you had known about this director and went ahead expecting something else, you have only yourself to blame. His methods in The Thin Red Line and The New World were a good indication of what was to come.
The tale commences with a quotation from the Book of Job, when God asks, "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?" Intercut with images of planets and galaxies being formed and expanding, the story focuses on a family from Waco, Texas in the 1950's. We learn that eventually they will be informed that one of their sons dies at the age of 19. But long before that fateful day, the O'Brien family is busy growing with three boys, Jack (Hunter McCracken) being the oldest. The father is a stern disciplinarian, whereas the mother is gentler and indulgent. Many segments are seen through Jack's eyes, including his conflicted adult life (Sean Penn) as an architect, but others are shown from the perspective of both parents. They are depicted as a relatively basic unit, with Mom (Jessica Chastain) having zero trouble exhibiting affection, while the Dad (Brad Pitt) is quick to lay down the law.
In essence, The Tree of Life is about evolution in various forms, whether it be an enormous planet or a school boy from a country town. The idea is that the cycle repeats in various inimitable embodiments. There is a creation of the Earth sequence that goes on to illustrate the beginning of life itself, the dinosaur period, and the era before man. This particular interlude is the source of the majority of the disputes, as some have made the absurd comment that what's on screen belongs on the Discovery channel. I do think this broadens the meaning of the film and causes us to admire our place in the universe by observing how our species has evolved, and by glimpsing Jack's personal coming-of-age saga. This portrait of one seemingly normal family, is the nucleus, but is bookended by larger truths of space and time and spirituality.
One of the best moments occurs when the camera rests on a beach near a stream, where a Parasaurolophus is lying, severely wounded. Soon a young Troodon (picture a Raptor) wanders by and notices the injured dinosaur. He looks and places his foot on its neck, getting ready to kill his prey. After reconsidering, and observing that the Parasaurolophus is helpless, the Troodon scampers away. There is of course no dialogue during this scene, except for the vivid sounds of the dinosaurs' movements and the flowing water, but the impact it leaves is unbelievable, and I cannot remember a more seamless integration of special effects. At no point did I contemplate the CGI. These dinosaurs appeared as real as any modern animal, as if Malick magically obtained this suspenseful rendezvous from the past.
Rating the performances like a regular movie is difficult because each actor disappears into their roles, all of which belong to a project larger than their celebrity status. Brad Pitt, who only improves with age, gives one of his most organic, nuanced portrayals as Mr. O'Brien, a father who certainly cares for his children, but enforces the rules with an assurance he assumes is correct. Sean Penn's insertion has not been widely praised, but his silent expressions of an adult disillusioned with the world, stewing on contentions about faith, speaking internally to God, and longing for the free days of youth, are brilliant and only prove to reaffirm the chief point. Jessica Chastain gives a hearty boost to her career with an angelic turn as Mrs. O'Brien, a symbol of purity and devotion in the household. She assimilates to her more seasoned husband with ease, and tastefully manages the objective set in front of her. Hunter McCracken, the younger version of Jack, is absolutely remarkable and knowing that McCracken and Penn are the same Jack made perfect sense as their looks compliment one another.
It could be said that Malick's approach results in a greater artistic realization than it does in top-notch storytelling, but that should not serve to misconstrue the story as weak. Here is a period piece that does not succumb to nostalgia to induce emotion or build a connection with the characters. In fact, it is the accessible family dynamic that draws us into their world. I cannot claim to have grown up in rural Texas in the 50's, or any similar area, but I understood these personalities, especially older Jack, and was invested in their dilemmas. The perpetually changing mind of child is transmitted with such grace and subtlety. The examination of the O'Briens' marriage and the central father-son conflict is free of melodrama, yet marvelously elaborate and provocative. The sporadic narration, which asks bold questions and makes momentous statements on some of the hardest topics known to man, is insightful and sincere. There are instances when The Tree of Life undoubtedly leaves the viewer confounded, but it does so in an enthralling fashion, evoking deep-rooted human feeling, and inviting us revisit time and time again to unlock its mysteries, ponder them, and talk about their significance.
In terms of directorial prowess, few films possess the pulchritude and finesse of those supplied by Malick. The Tree of Life is a transcendent accomplishment of positively breathtaking shots from cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, combined with the exquisite detail from production designer Jack Fisk. Malick maintains camera movement almost tirelessly, causing the audience to travel through windows with an impatient rapidity and follow the characters around their volatile neighborhood as if we're floating on a breeze. Every shot, the construction, placement, and execution is meticulously fabricated and employed with such extreme prudence and thoughtfulness. Simply observing the images is compelling, but Alexandre Desplat's music instills a grace and rhythm to this elliptical, implicitly personal vision. Desplat is aided by composers such as Francois Couperin, Johann Sebastian Bach, and Hector Berlioz just to name a handful of the 37 tracks. The technique Malick and his devoted soldiers apply to juxtapose the scenes is wondrous and mesmerizing, from swift and jarring to calm and composed, it all clicks with flawlessness, as if it was meant to be exactly that pattern. It is the opposite of conventional, but that is what sets this particular labyrinth apart from straightforward courses.
Imagining all the classes The Tree of Life could be shown in is fascinating: biology, cosmology, philosophy, psychology, and the list goes on. Another persistent argument for a film that cannot be completely penetrated upon after the first viewing, or one that dares to raise unanswered questions, is that the filmmaker is buying into his own hype and feels he can do anything. I find this statement, at least when referring to Malick, rather odd, unfair, and unfounded. This is a person that scarcely (next to never) appears in public. He takes his sweet time making his films, and this is his fifth feature to date. He is not one to become defensive about his work, or its meaning, and yet, this is someone who presents themselves as invincible until death, that anything they commit to celluloid will be heralded as paramount? Doubtful. Malick's exploits have always been debated, a split response is inevitable; therefore how self-conscious can he be?
In an interview with Peter Bogdanovich, called This is Orson Welles, Welles was asked why he directed in an exclusive, unique manner, so divergently than others in the profession, and he simply replied that it was the way he saw things. He did not go above and beyond the call of duty to be a different filmmaker, that's just the way it was. I suspect Terrence Malick might have an answer not too far off from that. The Tree of Life, quite possibly his most phenomenal feat, is inherently Malick because it is daring, wonderfully puzzling, and in a class by itself.
The 411: Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life is 2011's first masterpiece, a seminal achievement that will only be cherished more with age. If you have never seen a Malick effort, this might not be the best one to start with. I'd probably recommend The Thin Red Line as a proper introduction, but this is probably Malick's best to date. Even if the pacing was not fast enough for you, criticism of this has to be provisional. There is simply no one else alive that makes films in this way. The quality of the direction, the special effects, editing, and narration are matchless. Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, and Jessica Chastain will likely not receive Oscar nominations for their work here, but that's ok. They are one with this film, immersed in something bigger than a normally praised piece of acting. I have heard that Malick has a new film on the horizon very soon, one that already started production. If he's moving faster, I think that's great. If you can still see this, I heartily urge you to do so. It will be an experience you won't soon forget.
