P.S.:This Film fascinated me so much that after watching it on screen, I downloaded it and watched it over and over. As a result,I might have unintentionally leaked out a few spoilers. But,to be honest,I think you guys would be better off reading it. Or you can read this after watching the movie. Entirely upto you.
Tree of Life. Terrence Malick's fifth film in nearly four decades. If your throughput is this low,then your work better be extra-ordinary. A tall order you would think. It is. So is Tree of Life a Classic? Is it pathbreaking? Kinda.
This movie is essentially about two things-Balance and Life.
To get through in life you have to keep your head low at times, so that you dont bump your head against something. But if you bend too much, someone might just come along and fuck you from behind. Yes. Balance is essential for sustenance. Yin-yang. Good-Bad. Life-Death. Creation-Destruction. Time and again the film touches this aspect. In one scene Brad Pitt asks his son to hit him in the face" Be tough Lad its essential for survival" he says, preparing his son for this dog-eat-dog world. On another scene, you see him literally breaking down when his son dies. The scene where he gets a telegram informing him of his son's death is heart-wrenching. Yes. Kids-who speak in murmurs when their "father" is around,drench their mother with a hose when their "dad" is away. Balance is essential. Yes
Another important aspect of this movie is LIFE - Creation,evolution and destruction of life. Birth, Growth and Death.
Initially,Malick takes us thorugh the evolution of life on Earth. Which,if put in one word is visual and technical brilliance. Pure eyegasm . We see formation of birth. We see the brilliance of life. Creatures fight for survival,but also show compassion.
(*Balance*).
Creature with emotions,creatures with beauty,creatures with life. And in an instance, an asteroid hits Earth and all of it is destroyed. An entire ecosystem vanishes. This scene is shot with such calmness that you feel small and inconsequential. On one hand Malick makes us feel good that we are alive,while on the other hand he makes us feel that our lives doesnt matter. Sheer poetry on screen. Sheer brilliance. Intellectually and philosophically.
Simultaneously, Malick takes us through the life of Jack,Brad Pitt's son. His innocence,his loss of innocence and his maturity as a man. Another metaphor for life Id imagine. By the way,the kid playing Jack was brilliant,and the movie belongs to him.
Along with these, the film as filled with subtleties and metaphores, but it'd be better if you guys figure that out on your own.
Now if u've read so far it may seem that this movie is an absolute classic. But sadly,in my opinion, its not. Let me go thorough the cons, point by point.
First, the initial 10-15 mins of the movie, barring the telegram scene is boring at best. Its like watching your pubes grow in the bathroom. Yep that boring.
Secondly, the editing is erratic and inconsistent. Some scenes which should have been there are not, that being said the movie could have easily done away with atleast 15 minutes worth or film.
A few characters are not required. Sean Penn is completely wasted in the movie and doesnt deserve to be in the movie posters, let alone the movie.
The ending is interesting but disappointing... Its almost impossible to decode Malicks vision. I havent been able to do so so far with complete satisfaction and you are welcome to give it a try.
That being said, the movie is a must watch for peeps who take their cinema seriously. That too only in theatres, if you are going to watch it just once or for the first time. You would be wasting your bandwidth and time if you download it from torrentz.
My rating:3.75/5
