Essentials: Tree of Life

Year: 2011
Genre: Drama
Directed: Terrence Malick
Stars: Brad Pitt, Hunter McCracken, Jessica Chastain, Sean Penn, Tye Sheridan, Laramie Eppler, Fiona Shaw, Nicolas Gonda, Will Wallace, Jessica Fuselier
Production: Cottonwood Pictures

Sitting on the squeaky antediluvian chairs of my local art house theater, I restlessly waited for the opening scenes of Terrence Malick's Palm d'Or winning film The Tree of Life. I knew very little about its premise other than it involved a suburban family circa 1950 and it was a meditation on love, faith and our place in the universe. I figured an auteur with such ambition deserved a few miles detour from my usual Cineplex.

Like many critics, I struggle to find the appropriate words to describe this film. It's inertia is based on conjecture and inhabits many places in my mind both sublime and maddening. It may be because the imagery on the screen (images in the first act notwithstanding) unlocked details and memories dormant in my mind. The exhilaration of jumping off my bike mid pedal, the bitterness of talking back to my father for perceived cruelties, the calmness of being embraced by my mother. The whole spectrum of emotions traveled back and forth between the film and myself that at points I wanted to walk out take a breather.

Each segment starts with the same wisps of light, not unlike the first images a baby might see upon being born. The voice-over during these segments speaks of nature and grace; Nature can be selfish and self-gratifying while "Grace doesn't try to please itself. Accepts being slighted, forgotten, disliked. Accepts insults and injuries." Malick is part of a select few filmmakers who fully appreciates film both for its storytelling capabilities and its potential as a visual medium. He doesn't just capture images he captures their details, their textures; in short, their essence. Bookend before the family drama, there are vibrant images of the universe forming, microbes taking shape and creatures bravely venturing out from the primordial ooze. As we are introduced to the character of Jack, the eldest son (Hunter McCracken/Sean Penn), we understand that he is meant to present that duality. His story is then put into perspective as occupying a place in time.

Existential quandaries aside, the film is not without its faults, not the least of which is its maddening dialogue. Its always serious in tone and at times joyless; in fact there's very little of it to begin with. In between voiceovers, people speak at one another but rarely respond. When they do the camera flickers through time where their words, actions and even dreams become responses to what was said hours or even days before. The film also draws comparisons to 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), Au Hasard Balthazar (1966) and the work of Andrei Tarkovsky which is certainly an asset for those who enjoy such fare. Yet for popular audiences, The Tree of Life will simply seem prosaic. I ended up watching this film twice and twice audience members walked out midway.

Luckily unlike Kubrick's opus or Tarkovsky's milieu, Malick takes natural human impulses and paints a vibrant picture of hope. We as human beings have come to a point in time where we vaguely understand the nature of grace. We look up at the stars or down at the blades grass and try desperately to make connections, find meaning, and hope for salvation. The last scenes show a large group of people greeting each other familiarly on a plane of shallow water. Sean Penn walks through a doorway to join the rest of his family and friends. It's a beautiful image and one I will not soon forget.

Final Grade: A