Review of The Tree of Life (2011) by Tanya K — 01 Sep 2012

This is a true existentialist art film - not easily understood, and definitely not for everyone. There's a lot going on - I was mesmerized (but then again, I watch a lot of art films).

It's believed to be auto-biographical, Malick did have a brother who committed suicide. The film is essentially a love poem to his mother; she represents grace and beauty while his father represents the harsh but sometimes necessary side of nature.

Think of it as a series of non-linear snapshots of memories of their childhood on the anniversary of his brother's death. Years later, Sean Penn's character is going through a cathartic release in finally coming to terms with it... and perhaps letting go of guilt? It's about putting one's life in perspective. But that's not all, Malick is bold enough to try and put ALL our lives in perspective, including our entire universe and evolution. Only Kubrick would dare to be so far-reaching (think 2001: A Space Odyssey).

Malick is not just 'telling' us a story, he's trying to get us to 'experience' something - like the non-linear way we think of our own memories.

I could go on but that's pretty much the crux of what I got from the film. Winner of the single-most prestigious film award, the Palm d'Or at Cannes, you can be sure there's a lot in there.