Review of To the Wonder (2013) by Damjan R — 02 Jun 2014

To The Wonder is Terrence Malick's newest film, and in the vein of his newer films, it is misunderstood and an extremely subjective experience as the viewer. It is not at all straightforward, requires close attention, and has no plot to speak of, which is something Malick has steadily progressed into since his return to filmmaking with "The Thin Red Line". "The Tree of Life" is a film I have watched many times over, but I have yet to decipher all that it has to say about life and the human condition. It, like To The Wonder, is filled with astounding images and poetic monologues that seem to be contained to our earthly physical realm, but also, reach beyond merely being meditations on life and nature; they are whispered prayers to our brothers and sisters who walk among us, and they are uncertain, half-spoken prayers to God. The characters are not sure who they are speaking to, it may be themselves, it may be God, or it may be their lover. However, the only thing that they may be sure of is that they are speaking; they know only that they are alive, and naturally, they want to be free. That is, in my opinion, the main point of this film; Malick is seeking to understand if we can love God, ourselves, and other people at the same time. He asks the viewer, is our love restricted? And can we see that love shines through all things? He offers no answers, merely allows these questions to be answered by the viewer. Malick, I'm sure, has a certain vision that he wants to show us with all his films, but this vision is almost so broad and deep that I don't think any of us can every truly understand the fullness of his comment on life, love, and death.

I would recommend that everyone at least give this film a shot, however, if you have never watched a Malick film, you may not quite understand it as clearly as someone who has seen all his work. This is not because his films are all continuations of each other, but his vision for each film is often connected to his previous films. His works combined, make up all that his philosophical and romantic statement on life is. He, like Ingmar Bergman, and all great filmmakers, shows a consistency in his thoughts and meditations, and in this way we can understand him and his philosophy. And To The Wonder exemplifies this, it is not a film searching for attention and fame, it is a spiritual representation of this man's heart.