The Tree Of Life

I was very excited when I found out that one of the films I had bought a ticket to at the Sydney Film Festival had won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. So I had very high expectations.

I think this is one of the hardest reviews I've ever had to write. For the simple reason that it is hard to put into words how I feel about the film. And that is why I love it so much. It is one of the most beautiful works of art I've ever seen. While there is a story about a boy and his contentious relationship with his father there is so much more going on. Like some of the best works of art it will elicit an emotional response from the viewer and be different for every person. There is very little dialogue and most of it is just imagery and some beautiful music. The most surprising thing for me is that I don't think I understood what the meaning was behind a lot of what was going on but I did not mind. I will probably need several more viewings to clearly decipher what everything meant. Many will think that it is pretentious and I can see that side. The first third of the film is a series of images about the beginnings of life on earth. What this has to do with the films main plot I'm not entirely sure but it look stunning and I'm sure it had a purpose. But it is the kind of thing I know many people will think is boring. Terrance Malick is a true artist who will let his audience interpret the film however they like.

The actors in this film are only a small part of the larger canvas on which Terrence has created. Brad Pitt gives a nicely understated performance here. He works really well with the young boys who plays his sons. He usually plays nice guys in his previous roles so its good to see him play a character with a bit more of an edge. Jessica Chastain is luminous as the mother. So sweet and beautiful. As I said there is very little dialogue so we have to mostly rely on the actors expressions to interpret how they feel. Jessica certainly does this wonderfully. Hunter McCracken is brilliant as the young boy Jack. This is his first film and he gives such a nice performance. Sean Penn does not have much to do which is the only disappointing thing. He has a small part and I would have liked to see more of him.

If there was ever a case to be put forward that cinema is a visual medium then this is the film to prove it. It is also an excellent example of film being a work of art. As such it is open to interpretation and will not please everyone. I cannot wait to see it again and try to discover more meaning to it.