Written by: Terrence Malick
Starring: Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, Jessica Chastain, Tye Sheridan, Kari Matchett, Joanna Going
Rating: [5/5]
Getting the answer for why things occur in life draws people to various sources such as religion and philosophy. Having a sense of why things transpire allows for the difficult things in life to have some sort of meaning or part of a larger belief system that represents something good. One can see why religion remains integral in the lives of millions. The Tree of Life tackles these unanswerable questions but does not seek and provide resolutions but through its wondrous poetic presentation, this masterpiece gives us a meaningful reflection of how it impacts a particular family.
In 1940s Texas, the O’Brien family led by the father (Brad Pitt) and mother (Jessica Chastain) try to raise their three boys for the world in ways they feel would benefit them. Through their different means, we see how it impacts their sons as they experience the world around them and learn the harsh and necessary lessons needed to step into the next phase of their lives.
Writing about The Tree of Life feels like a fool’s errand because much of what this film seeks to elicit comes from the personal connection one can draw with the messages it imbues in its narrative. One could go in many different directions to speak about what this feature means and what it wants to say, which only further demonstrates what makes this feature so captivating. The pondering and pensive nature of it does not differ too far from other Terence Malick works but it feels unique to everything else out there, which makes me grateful it exists. It contains a firm narrative while also floating around in its ideas in ways that never feel messy.
Of the more concrete ideas this feature has to offer, we get the concept of grace vs. nature through many instances. Whether it appears in the moment where a dinosaur spares another even when against what they instinctually do or the dichotomy of the O’Brien parents raising their boys. This plays out as one of the larger themes this feature wants to take on and it does so in ways one would expect from a Malick film, gorgeously. Each scene held in the 1940s carries this magic and mysticism to it and further emphasizes the viewpoint the young Jack (Hunter McCracken) has on his mother and father.
His mother presents the world in a manner where they should be free to love and express themselves. They can dare to dream and wonder about things they can do. On the other hand, you have the father who wishes to teach them about the reality of the world as a man who cannot live in the way he would like because of the responsibility he has for his family. This difference between grace and nature presents itself in different ways to Jack, especially in how he feels about his parents, but together they present this beautiful balance that helps shape the formative years of his boys.
As much as the parents play a major part in Jack’s journey through life, what he experiences through his interpersonal relationships with friends and his brothers makes an equally impressionable mark. Much like every life on Earth, experiences help shape the way we view the world and how it begins the major questions life has to offer and what makes us flock to institutions for answers. In Jack’s case, he experiences death and pain around him, which causes him to begin to ask why these things transpire, and if an omnipotent figure out there exists how could they possibly let this happen. All part of the process of growing up but the way Malick frames it all accentuates these moments and makes them much more powerful. Ponderous whispers and contemplative thoughts spilled out on the screen come as part of the Malick experience and this film utilizes them to such a wondrous degree.
Accompanying all of the themes this feature wrestles with are truly stunning images put together by Emmanuel Lubezki. Considering the man’s filmography picking out one film as his greatest feat feels silly but what he manages to capture in this feature is nothing short of immaculate. Along with Malick, they piece together numerous awe-inspiring images in both the celestial and terrestrial in an effort to provide the visuals that this story requires. Even just the moments with the family display this beauty in the way nature and grace appear in their lives. Nothing gets wasted here as these images build upon each other and add to the experience this film wants to provide audience members.
Malick never has a shortage of actors wanting to participate in his projects and in this feature, he gets the opportunity to collaborate with Jessica Chastain, a decision that benefitted everyone involved. Her portrayal of the mother and the embodiment of grace truly serves as the lynchpin for this feature. The heart and soul of this film would not be held together without the effervescent beauty Chastain brings through her voice-over work and performance as the mother. She almost glides through this feature as someone holding on to the foundation of love in the lives of their children and makes it evident why these boys have this view of her and in turn so does the audience.
Truly a collaboration of geniuses putting together some of their best work sums up the excellence on display in The Tree of Life. From Malick in the director’s chair to Emmanuel Lubezki behind the camera and Alexandre Desplat composing a magnificent score. Watching this feature brings you right into an experience like no other as we experience what life has to offer in all of its beauty and horror through this family. Grace and nature battle it out in ways they do for each of us and help encapsulate a feeling not many films have the power to do. This film tackles this all in such a resonant and poetic manner that makes it such an undeniable and unforgettable masterpiece and one that can be continually revisited throughout one’s lifetime and get more out of its message.
Films with Josh 
