Review: The Tree of Life

by Vakeesh Velummylum

16, June 2011Reviews, The Tree of LifeView Comments

There are a few reasons why you may have heard of, or have garnered curiosity for this film. It may be the fact that two of Hollywood’s most influential and accredited actors, Sean Penn and Brad Pitt, co-star. It is quite possible that you are familiar with Terrence Malick’s small but powerful body of work. Or perhaps, its because, The Tree of Life is the recipient of the prestigious Palme d’Or award at 2011 Cannes Film Festival. In my case it, was all of the above.

The Tree of Life is an impressionistic tale of the O’Briens, who live in a suburban town of Waco, Texas (where Malick was born) during the fifties. The unsystematic depiction of memories belong to Jack, the eldest of the three O’Brien children and who as an adult, is played by Sean Penn. Jack’s reflections consist of his childhood and family, with many of his thoughts dealing with his father (Brad Pitt). These glimpses of the past fuel his contemplation of life, as one commonly would after a death in the family. From this premise, Malick takes upon himself the ambitious task of explaining life and existence.

My initial thoughts of this film meandered cluelessly. I could not explain the purpose of the elongated sequence of visually stimulating displays of evolution, within a plot surrounding a Boomer generation nuclear family in America. However after some time to contemplate, it is far more clear to me now that it is a juxtaposition of the objective and subjective view of life.

Its not surprising that a philosophy grad from Harvard, who did a stint in Oxford with a Rhodes scholarship before teaching Philosophy at MIT, would execute with perfection an existentialist view of life and existence. Regardless of accreditation, it is still remarkable to witness, much like watching anyone display an absolute mastery of their craft.

As Jack’s past comes to life, the riveting cinematography awakens all senses and every sinew of the human pathos. To call it ‘beautiful’ is the only fitting way to describe this film. Despite the power house combo of Brad Pitt and Sean Penn, the true notable actors are the children in this film. Their ability to grasp and emote a complexity of feelings as well as the natural chemistry between young Jack (Hunter McCracken) and R.L (Laramie Eppler) deserve the highest of merit and recognition. With only a few rhetorical questions and cathartic remarks to carry the narrative, the film relies very little on dialogue. By doing so, it targets the spirituality of its audience and further advances its existential theme.

As an advocate towards films with strong narratives, I found myself perplexed at my appreciation of the brevity of words in The Tree of Life. The joys and sorrows, the bright and the dark, are far better absorbed through experienced than discussed. Much like seeing the Sistine Chapel in person than through high definition photos in an art book, you should stop reading about this art house flick, and go experience it yourself.

95/100 - Much like seeing the Sistine Chapel in person than through high definition photos in an art book, you should stop reading about this art house flick, and go experience it yourself.

by Vakeesh Velummylum | View My Other Posts | Follow Me On Twitter

Films are far more than an escape for me, it is the most expressive medium of art. It contains many permutations and combination of possibilities and I like to examine it all with a fine tooth comb and see how well they bind together. So with much enthusiasm I share with you this keen interest.

  • http://twitter.com/paolocase Paolo Miguel Kagaoan

    Nice review. There’s a stereotype that no one acts in Malick’s films, but you point of the human talent within the beautiful imagery.

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