Review of The Tree of Life (2011) by Michael L — 29 Jun 2013

From a filmmaking perspective, THE TREE OF LIFE is truly amazing. As always with Malick, the cinematography is truly astounding and central to the film's success. What I love about Malick is that the photography is beyond belief but central to what is being said.

It's never pretty for pretty sakes like so many other filmmakers. His images speak to us. Perhaps most importantly for TREE, the camera work and editing are both marvels. The camera never stands still and is literally never on a tripod but it's not used in that herky jerky handheld methodology it's smooth and steadi (pun intended).

The editing of TREE verges on the experimental with what appears to be no single shot lasting more than 1-3 seconds. This film is edited to bits but it is always in service to the narrative and the films central point.

Through his filmmaking Malick makes us see the world in a whole new way. But to this point, the film is quite banal. The "deep meaning" in the work is pretty slight.