Sometimes a movie is bigger than a plot. Roger Ebert compared this movie to 2001: A Space Odyssey, and I think it is a worthy comparison. Both films use the universe as their canvas. What makes them different is the humanity portrayed. In 2001, the most interesting character in the film is HAL 9000, a computer. Here, Terence Malick uses a Texas family to serve as either a focus of his reflections on creation or as a exemplification of creation.
For the first time that I can remember, I actually had an emotional response to a film even though I didn't quite know why I was having an emotional response to it. The film certainly evokes much emotion as it depicts the conflicting parenting styles of the mother and father in the family (Jessica Chastain and Brad Pitt). Here, we see heartbreaking contradictions. We have Malick having the courage to show us a father who clearly loves his sons, but simply cannot go easy on them. Add to that a mother figure who never partners with him in his sternness, and it makes for an explosive home. All of this is seen through the eyes of the grown oldest son (Sean Penn), looking back on his life and dealing with his regrets
But the basics of the plot seem almost beside the point. This is a visual symphony. It has all the abstractness of an instrumental work of music, but since it is visual, it finds itself in a different category. In this vein, the film also is drenched in classical music, both choral and instrumental. There is a scene near the end when the strains of the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) give greater texture to the film. The ups and downs of this family are mirrored in nature, and even man made creations are used as meditations to evoke a sense of tone. All of the visual, natural and musical elements are brought together to make an experience unlike any other. Add to that a strong undercurrent of meditation on faith and the problem of evil, and you you have film that is extraordinary in its scope. The film opens with the famous reprimand of Job by Yahweh..."Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth." As the film reveals itself, the character of Job comes up again, and we sense that the film is somehow attempting to deal with the issue of evil in the world. However, since the family has been drenched in conflict, the evil hits so close to home, and the film also ends up exploring forgiveness, love and redemption.
If my thoughts seem disjointed, that can be explained by how difficult this movie is to nail down. This is not a popcorn film. It is a challenge. Honestly, I cannot imagine seeing it anywhere except in a movie theater. Only in a movie theater can these extraordinary images be given their due, and the sound system can give us the nuances of the music that Malick uses for his film. There are so many images in the film that it was difficult for me to see how all the images worked together. That's fine. Even though I have seen Van Gogh's "Starry Night" once, I know that I could go back, see it again, and have a similar yet different experience. It is difficult to go to the movies and truly see something unique. "Tree of Life" is such a movie.
