The Tree of Life
- In: Movie Reviews
- By Mariela
"There are two ways through life: the way of nature and the way of grace. You have to choose which one you'll follow. Grace doesn't try to please itself. Accepts being slighted, forgotten, disliked. Accepts insults and injuries. Nature only wants to please itself. Get others to please it too. Likes to lord it over them. To have its own way. It finds reasons to be unhappy when all the world is shining around it. And love is smiling through all things,” writer/director Terrence Malick.
The choice between nature and grace is a hard one for most people, but it’s actually a struggle for the main character of “The Tree of Life,” Jack, who was raised by polar-opposite parents: a compassionate, free-spirited mother (the lovely Jessica Chastain), and a stern, disciplinarian father (played by Brad Pitt. Side note: the late Heath Ledger was originally casted for this role).
The adult Jack is an architect and seems trapped and suffocated (the perfect role for Sean Penn), not only by his current environment in a modern city of glass and metal, but by the unresolved issues with his brother’s death as a teen and a complicated relationship with his father. And I’ll even venture to say that he’s also questioning his place in the universe, the meaning of it all.
Through Jack’s fragmented memory we travel back in time (way back…like billions of years) to witness—with visual splendor—the birth of the cosmos and earth’s formation (dinosaurs and all), before making a stop in the 1950’s during his childhood in a small town in Texas. The cinematography during this part of the film is much more subtle but equally splendid, with curtains swaying in the breeze, a shot of Jack during a lazy summer afternoon laying on a picnic blanket next to his mother, cheerful kids chasing after clouds of DDT smoke coming from a passing truck, the pleats of his mother’s dress, the swing on the green front yard, the warmth of the light in their house…
You’ll have to watch the film to continue that journey through time. But please understand that it’s a different type of movie, which has won the praise of critics as well as the confusion of many viewers. Take a look at Yahoo Movies where critics rated it an A- while users gave it a C+. I’ve actually heard of people asking for their money back; and I can honestly see why.
Yet the stunning imagery—accompanied by an equally-impressive score—transcends your normal movie-going experience; some feel watching the film is more like a spiritual/religious experience of sorts for it reminds us of the miracle of life, nature, family ties, and our own existence.
Go watch it with an open mind and heart because “The Tree of Life” is nothing short of majestic, awe-inspiring, a masterpiece.
Memorable quote: “Love everyone. Every leaf. Every ray of light...The only way to be happy is to love. Unless you love, your life will flash by."
