Tree of Life Review- By Michael Carlisle

Title: Tree of Life
Director: Terrence Malick
Year: 2011
Country: US
Language: English

I first saw Terrence Malick's Tree of Life a few weeks after it came out to theatres. I was intrigued because the majority of people who would talk about this film either loved it and would claim that it is one of the greatest films of this Century or completely hated it and would say that it's complete trash. On my first viewing I enjoyed it, mainly because I was laughing with my friend Ellen the whole time. "Penis fish!" I shouted, " I bet there are going to be exploding volcanoes soon because this scene is an obvious sex metaphor!" It was such a cheesy film that I did something I rarely do, I walked out on the movie. A week later I decided to give it another chance. Though I was impressed with the cinematography, I found the film bordering on self-parody. I watched it for the third time a few days ago. because some great films need more than a couple og viewings to fully appreciate it. Here are my thoughts.

Visually the film is a masterpiece. Every shot is meaningful and incredibly beautiful. While I thought the "big bang" scene was unnecessary it was well edited and mesmerizing. If it was used in a different context for a different film then the images put together would likely reach their true potential. The 1950's setting is full of pleasant- and unpleasant- nostalgia. It seems like an accurate depiction of the 1950's America though I can't be 100% confident in that as I wasn't alive back then, but from what I've learned about the 50's from relatives, films, television shows and history books, Malick seems to have made a realistic 50's environment. Everything about this film on a technical scale is handled with care and is filled with so much tiny detail that Malick's filmmaking reminds me of Kubrick and his insane attention to the small but important things. Visually Tree of Life is almost on par with 2001: A Space Odyssey. The acting by both Sean Penn and Brad Pitt is surprisingly good as well. They are lost characters who aren't frivolous with their emotions.

Malick's Tree of Life is a period piece centered on three boys in the 1950's. The eldest son, Jack O' Brien (Sean Penn) of Mr and Mrs O'Brien (Sean Penn and Jessica Chastain) witnesses a loss of innocence. We trace the evolution of an eleven-year-old boy in Waco, TX, Jack, one of three brothers. At first all seems wonderful  to the child. He is like his mother, loving and of mercy. The father is more strict and stern, attempting to teach his son to be more selfish and independent. Each parent seeks for control and Jack seems stuck in the middle. Then he gets his first encounter with suffering, sickness and death. The world becomes more of a prison than something to be enjoyed. The story is framed by adult Jack, a man seeking to understand why the world is so cruel.

On paper the plot seems astonishing. It feels like it would be an incredibly serious drama that tugs at your heartstrings. The problem with this film is that it takes itself too seriously and almost becomes a parody of itself. The slow pacing, the melancholy whispering, the silence. It tries to hard to be emotional and comes off cheesy. The 30 minute silent "big bang" sequence was full of obvious imagery and sexual innuendos that didn't even try to be subtle. I could tell exactly what was going to happen before it happened. Penis fish penetrating vagina fish? A bunch of volcanoes must explode during the next cut! Aside from Brad Pitt's performance, everything about the plot and how it was executed is laughable. Visually you can compare it with 2001: A Space Odyssey but Kubrick's Sci-fi epic is a MUCH better film.

In conclusion, I praise Terrence Malick for his stunning visual imagery and the cinematography within the film but unless he was intentionally trying to make me laugh, Tree of Life didn't work for me. It tried desperately hard to be an arthouse film, but it tried too hard. It wasn't entertaining, nor was it all that intelligent. It's no wonder that even the star of the film, Sean Penn, didn't even like this film. If you like films that have unclear narratives and obvious symbolism, or if you just want a laugh without going to a bad stoner comedy then this is the film for you. Otherwise I would stay away from it. Piss on it! 2/5