Review of The Tree of Life (2011) by Kieran B — 05 Feb 2013

The Tree Of Life a film rich in philosophical and religious themes and undertones. Terrence Malick has inspired a generation including the likes of Christopher Nolan and David Fincher in a featurette Interview for The Tree Of Life. The film is very personal to Malick but the film reaches out to the human race in which we all look for answers and ask questions of our existence. He focuses on childhood, the sibling rivalry, the love, religion.

The storyline is very thought provoking if the truth be told consisting of a middle aged man who feels has lost a part of himself in his brother's death who died at 19 years old. In present time he questions God and himself why such a loving brother could die. Moving back and forth between Jack's younger self and Present day. Another storyline parallel to this is his mothers reaction to her son's death questioning god and then in the younger version of herself takes a back roll seat in which she personifies a caring and loving mother.

The camera work is a crucial element to this film using up close and personal shots gliding, swooping ,soaring and travelling with the characters. Terrence is a poetic of cinema with strong visuals, every frame looks asif it could be a still picture even if there is a lot of movement on screen an example of this is when Young Jack and his brother are running through an alley the camera tracks them as they run. His impressionistic style for me is what makes the film seem dream like with beautiful use of classical music combining to make an emotion provoke inside me. Malick can reach dark corners of our core but can bring reach out and show everything good, a short but expertly done sequence of Malick's picture of love is when Jacks father and Mother are young and in love rolling around in the grass, Malick doesn't even have to use dialogue, a non digetic classical score and excellent use of cinematography using light to express love, it cuts to them in a house a very staged but again a dream like existence as they move around their kitchen closer to each other as the light flickers on then off repeatedly getting closer to each other.

To conclude The Tree Of Life is a film more than the eye can see and should give everyone who watches it an emotional response.