The Tree of Life (2011)

[ron_drummond]

I saw Terrence Malick's new film, The Tree of Life, on Friday. Not saying it's perfect; not calling it a masterpiece; but it is one of the most amazing, and amazingly beautiful, films I have ever seen. I am eager to see it again. It is the greatest performance of Brad Pitt's career. Jessica Chastain beautifully embodies the mythic icon of the

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[ron_drummond]

Funny, I was just urging you to see it in an email message, sent seconds ago, while you were posting your comment here. But yes, I can well imagine people absolutely hating this film -- smart people, even. At the very least, when people are reacting at such extremes, across such a wide spectrum, and on so many different levels and aspects, you know something interesting is going on with it and in it. But I'm not at all sure you will be able to predict your own reactions before seeing it for yourself, because, if nothing else, it is a one-of-a-kind film, unlike anything I've ever seen before. A cinematic landmark in the truest sense. And I very much like anselmo_b's comment, above. Malick manages to capture and convey a sense of interiority more powerfully than any film I've ever seen. But oh boy is this film ever a sensawunda movie, in the best sense. It is pure unalloyed cinematic joy, even when the subject matter is dark -- there's a PoV beneath mere subjectivity, like it's the eye of God we're seeing through, and She's peering up and out through each character's being in turn, or it's the eye of the abyss, looking out of our eyes. Amazing. I must see it again.