The Tree of Life
Directed by Terrence Malick
“There are two ways through life. The way of nature and the way of grace. You have to choose which you’ll follow”. This line marks not just the beginning of The Tree of Life but also serves as its main manifesto.
The elusive Terrence Malick returns to unleash a veritable chef-d'œuvre on an almost deserted cinematic landscape.
The Tree of Life spans the creation of the universe and the beginning of life on Earth till the end of its existence. This serves as framing for an ethereal observation on life in the fifties through the eyes of a middle class family, the Obrien’s, played by Brad Pitt and the angelical Jessica Chastain. Malick’s unstoppable and omnipresent steadycam glides through their lives from the birth of their first son, Jack, to the death of their middle one.
During the evolution of life sequence we get glimpses of dinosaurs as a reminder of nature’s survival of the fittest, which is a theme later hammered by Mr. Obrien to his sons, an attitude evident in his utilitarian actions. His practical view of life contrasts highly with his wife's, her blissful calmness displays a personification of grace.
Allegories abound and each viewer will interpret them according through their own worldview. Though the spirituality can seem heavily Christian, this could just be a commentary on the specific characters, something that should be clear after the initial, evolutionary interlude.
Malick evokes to perfection the feelings of a joyful and carefree childhood as fostered by Mrs. Obrien, as well as the repressed and rigid upbringing offered by Mr. Obrien. This dichotomy, particularly, marks Jack through his life as he can sense his parents dueling inside his soul, as he strives to be good like his mother but fears his nature is more in tune with his father’s. The feeling haunts him up to middle age (played by Sean Penn) when he is finally able to reconcile himself with the universe around him, in a sequence depicting a celestial encounter with all his loved ones as well as his younger self.
The emotions that Malick evokes run the gamut of the human experience and aided by the masterful cinematography of Emmanuel Lubezki it is undeniable that we are confronted by a true masterpiece.
Malick accomplishes what could be the most intensely philosophical and visually poetic film in a long time. A work of pure art.
During the final moments Mrs. Obrien, speaking her Earth Goddess wisdom, reminds us of a universal truth “The only way to be happy is to love. Unless you love your life will flash by”.
