Review of The Tree of Life (2011) by Jeffrey G — 13 Aug 2012

I don't know how to review this film.

It reminded me of Avatar in its visual sense, yet Avatar was so obviously manipulative in its use of visuals. Here is a film--like ALL Malick films--that uses images not to tell stories, but to evoke emotions. Malick is the visual poet of our era, a man who doesn't care about narrative or cause and effect, but lets his VISUALS speak for what he wants us to FEEL. If you want a "story" or a "narrative" or anything else conventional...stay away. If you're willing to surrender to emotion and simply...experience, I URGE you to see this film.

I can't claim to understand what Malick "wanted" me to "understand" or "take from" this movie. I don't believe he operates on those terms. I believe he is, quite simply, the Visual Poet of Our Age. This is the most spiritual film I have EVER SEEN. There is a 20 minute passage of images and music that made me want to believe in God. But what God? And what Faith?

As I said, I don't know how to "rate" this film in any conventional sense because it exists beyond those means, but since it brought me to tears with only images and sounds, I'm giving it 5 stars.