The Tree of Life Review
Running Time: 2 Hours & 18 Minutes
Cast:
Brad Pitt-Mr. O’Brien
Jessica Chastain-Mrs. O’Brien
Sean Penn-Jack O’Brien
Hunter McCracken-Young Jack O’Brien
Laramie Eppler-R.L.
Tye Sheridan-Steve
Fiona Shaw-Grandmother O’Brien
Joanna Going-Jack’s Wife
Directed by Terrence Malick
Much praise was heaped on last year’s “Inception” directed by Christopher Nolan, from film critics and audiences, although a small subset were frustrated and baffled as they struggled to grasp what Nolan was trying to get across about the dreamworld. Structurally, “Inception” was rather straight-forward as much of how the dream-world worked was spelled out in the film’s first forty minutes. It did demand more attention from the usual summer blockbuster but the ending was what inspired fierce debate. Nolan’s film is a cake-walk compared to Terrence Malick’s latest, “The Tree of Life.” Malick’s career has spanned close to four decades with his directorial debut, “Badlands,” in 1973 (he had previously made a short film titled “Lanton Mills” in 1969, although like the director, it is rarely-seen and not readily available) and since then he has only directed fivefilms. His sixth feature has just finished filming but the title or what the film is about is anyone’s guess. “The Tree of Life” is one of the most polarizing films of 2011 but it is also a thematically rich cinematic experience that ponders the imponderable and asks questions that have eluded even the most ardent philosophers. It is a film that will inspire fierce debate as to what point Malick is trying to reach, even as it frustrates and bewilders at the same time, but make no mistake, “The Tree of Life” is a film that has to be seen as it defies all conventional means of film-making to create something that is less a film and more of a hauntingly beautiful symphony that washes over you.
It’s hard to define the story in “The Tree of Life” by traditional means but the main thrust of the narrative concerns a married architect named Jack O’Brien (Sean Penn) as he reflects back on his childhood living with a domineering father (Brad Pitt) and a religious mother (Jessica Chastain) in a small, rural Southern town during the 1950’s.
“The Tree of Life” will inspire two extremes—either you’ll see it as a masterpiece of cinema or a big pretentious nothing. While I fall into the former camp, both sides can be easily argued. The film really demands the utmost attention and effectively requires multiple viewings to grasp the full picture of Malick’s canvas. The central question is what the heck this film is about and many critics have been fumbling around in their own reviews. The following is my interpretation based on my sole viewing although it is by no means the rightinterpretation. In fact, there is no right or wrong here. A good start is the title, and for me, the film is about life, from the smallest to the grandiose moments and the sum total of all these experiences. It opens with a passage from the Book of Job that quotes God, ‘Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth…when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?’ and indeed the film does explore the existence and meaning of God but comes to the conclusion that such a divine being is incomprehensible, unknowable, and indefinable in the grand scheme of things.
The first hour of the film is what will try most people’s patience as we’re shown that Mr. and Mrs. O’Brien’s son has suddenly passed away, although the specifics are kept from us. Does it even matter though? Next we’re treated to a series of breathtaking images of the birth of the universe, majestic shots of planets that drive home how insignificant we are in the vastness of space. The evolution of our planet is depicted with photo-realistic dinosaurs rummaging about in their natural habitat, to their demise as an asteroid collides into the Earth. All this is accompanied by a whispered narration from Chastain and an operatic score that is part-adapted from classical composers to part-composed by Alexandre Desplat. These sequences often feel less of a film and more of a visual opera and it’s good to just sit back and let it wash over you. It really is one of the most visually stunning films I’ve seen and it does this without throwing money or bombarding us with glossy explosions or effects. The cinematography is by Emmanuel Lubezki and each shot is framed with a purpose. It’s also heavy on symbolism. Trees are a reoccurring motif and represent life, but are also strong, immovable—qualities that Mr. O’Brien wishes his son to have. Sean Penn’s grown-up Jack wanders aimlessly through buildings with innumerable windows—he can see through but is unable to cross the barrier as he struggles to reconcile his feelings with his parents.
The second hour concerns Jack as a child, played with excellence by Hunter McCracken, and it’s made up of a series of moments that I believe all people can relate to. Everyone has that domineering parent that seems unusually cruel to their eyes and another parent whom they run to as refuge. Jack’s mother narrates, ‘there are two ways through life: the way of nature and the way of grace’ and this is presented by his mother and his father, respectively. Mrs. O’Brien places her faith in God but her husband views that to get ahead in the world you have to be ruthless, almost to the point of uncaring. There’s a scene where Mr. O’Brien orders one of his sons to not speak for thirty minutes unless he has something to say, and in a whisper, the son tells him to ‘be quiet…please.’ The father cannot believe what he has heard and grabs the son, preparing to hit him. Jack stands up to defend his brother but is thrown in a closet. Although it may seem abusive to a casual viewer, Mr. O’Brien’s world view and attitude stems not from hatred but of frustration, of broken dreams. His goal was to be a classical pianist but was ‘side-tracked’ and settled for a factory job to support his family. Jack experiences death and suffering and despite being a child, seems to have a crisis of faith as he whispers and qurestions why God would let a young boy drown for no reason at all. 
Similar sentiments are mentioned as Chastain grapples with the loss of her son. As an adult, Jack struggles with the resentment and love he feels for his father and on a beach full of lost souls, comes to accept him, although how he reaches this epiphany isn’t made entirely clear (or maybe I missed it) and is one of the rare weak points of the film. Despite the majestic quality of the first hour, the small moments that made up Jack’s life are just as important, if not more so, and the totality of these experiences are what make you the kind of person you are.
The acting is of the highest caliber, although the film features very minimal dialogue. Brad Pitt is amazing as the domineering father and grasps his internal frustrations as he takes it out on his family. The hard work is from Jessica Chastain and Hunter McCracken, whose lines only fill a handful of pages. Since so little is actually being said, the two have to convey what they’re feeling through subtle and unsubtle expressions. It takes you deeper into the film as a lot of the family tension is never spoken of. I imagine Pitt and Chastain will garner some nominations as award season ramps up in the fall. Sean Penn has little to no lines and only appears in the scenes that bookend the film. He spends most of the time wandering the streets as he reflects back on his life.
“The Tree of Life” is currently in limited release since May 27, 2011 and is only playing in four theaters, two of which are in New York. The film has received largely positive reviews with a score of 86% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics admitted that ‘Terrence Malick’s singularly deliberate style may prove unrewarding for some, but for patient viewers, [the film] is an emotional as well as visual treat.’ Despite the reportedly mixed reception at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, it received the highest honor, the Palme d’Or. One of the competing films was Lars von Trier’s latest, “Melancholia,” a science fiction/drama set to be released in November. I saw “The Tree of Life” at the Landmark Sunshine and a lot of the showtimes were close to, or were already, sold out. It’s not exactly a huge theater; the auditorium has approximately 150 seats and the screen is rather small compared to something from Regal or AMC. The audience sat in complete silence as the film played but as the credits rolled I eavesdropped on some reactions as I was leaving. Some were debating what it was about while others openly mocked it as pretentious fluff and ‘couldn’t get into it.’ As expected, it’s rather mixed and at two extremes—you either love it or you hate it. The only other film to have inspired such debate was Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 film “2001: A Space Odyssey,” which has been compared to Malick’s film due to its similar ponderous nature, although nowadays it is widely regarded as the science-fiction masterpiece of all time. “The Tree of Life” is certainly a masterpiece, a poetic yet frustrating experience that will invoke a mixture of emotions. I believe Roger Ebert encapsulates the film best: ‘What Malick does in [the film] is create the span of lives. Of birth, childhood, the flush of triumph, the anger of belittlement, the poison of resentment, the warmth of forgiving.’ Malick’s quest for the meaning of life will bewilder just as it awes but it is no less a journey worth taking.
Final Rating: 5 out of 5
“There are two ways through life: the way of Nature, and the way of Grace. You have to choose which one you’ll follow.”
Check out the Trailer:
