Written and directed by Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life got its premiere in 2011. It shares opinions since it certaintly is something you haven’t seen before (unless you have actually seen it…). The Tree of Life could be best descriped as an ambiguous poem – in all its simplicity.
All the actors fit to their roles seamlessly. The film, starring Brad Pitt, Jessica Chastain and Hunter McCracken, reaches its high quality standards with acting that looks effortless and realistic.
The plot is predominantly simple but needs a bit of concentration to be noticed and therefore watching the film for the second time might be crucial for greater experience and understandment. Basically The Tree of Life is a story about Jack O’Brian’s biography and the film starts with his brother’s death. Alongside it’s about a mother who questions her loss and the meaning of God and his powers. The reason for her son’s death isn’t told but the plot isn’t really depending on it. In my opinion, if the cause of his death had been revealed, the film would’ve lost it’s appealing obscurity. Although this film contains spiritual aspects, it also brings up its views through science. Since this film talks about life in general, I see the spirituality just as another perspective it gives about life.
In its entirety, the film talks nonverbally about emergence and meaning of life. It tells a story about a family but in fact, it tells a story about life through the feelings and questions the family brings to the viewer. The subject might sound too big to be grasped by a film but I would say The Tree of Life isn’t trying to be someone’s epiphany, it just wants to be beautiful.
The main characher, Jack, seems to be a succesfull man who begins to think about the world from a different perspective after his brother’s death which takes place when Jack’s an adult living his life in a buisness world. Like a lost soul, he starts to see memories from his childhood and understands his lost connection with nature. The film dives into the time when Jack was a child. He’s the eldest son and a brother of two. Jack has a hard and remote relationship with his authoritative father and he questions his motives – and in general, his existence. Jack feels hate towards his father but at the same time he seems sad about the tension he feels around him.
Mr. O’Brien, Jack’s father, is a seething personality and represents nature. However, despite his cold behaviour, I feel like he’s very vulnerable and lonely denying his need for love. Good people give love but he thinks that being good isn’t something you want to achieve if success is your goal. Others are not allowed to say anything against him. Even though he’s authoritarian, the anger is more a defensive way to protect his self-esteem. After the death of his son he begins to understand: ’’I made him feel shame. My shame.’’ I think the shame he mentiones had always been there, hidden, it had been tried to be covered by anger and success.
As the story of Jack’s childhood proceeds, Mr. O’Brien admits he has been a little tough for Jack and after he experiences the low-point of his career he surrenders: ’’I wanted to be loved because I was great. –Now I’m nothing. I lived in shame. I dishonored it all. And didn’t notice the glory.’’
At the beginning of the film, Mrs. O’Brian says ”—there’s two ways through life. The way of nature…and the way of grace.” Grace is accepting and good whereas nature is selfish, dissatisfied and dominant. These two opposite ways are brought up in the film through Jack’s parents’ personalities. His mother is caring, representing grace. She understands her sons but also loves her husband. She follows ’’the way of grace’’ and thus she accepts him. Along the film, Mrs. O’Brian undergoes the fact that one of her sons has died, but from the perspective of her three son’s childhood she has the role of teaching, loving and understanding.
I think that Jack’s parents have a distrackting effect on him. Which way should he follow? This thought could be the meaning of the line Jack has: ’’Father. Mother. Always you wrestle inside me. Always you will.’’
When digged deeper, The Tree of Life is a multidimentional film telling many stories. The stories are found right from the core of life that they might seem indistinguishable –eternity or change, understandment, brotherhood and love. The film bounds these stories together with the process of accepting. The viewer sees this through memory-like events from Jack’s perspective, his thoughts and feelings. However, the other characters also have an influence on this, especially Jack’s mother.
The lines in this film are very short but no more is needed. They complete the extremely skillful camerawork which is brought to life with enchanting music. The Tree of Life is pure but strong, clean but natural. The colours are subtle but that makes it intriguing and an enormous joy to watch. The film has managed to create 1950’s atmosphere to Jack’s memories but it has not been done too obvious since the colour scheme is very earthy and continuous throughout the film. Due to the minimalistic amount of text, some facts were hidden and relying on the viewer’s interpretations – and that’s why also my point of view of this film is just one among the others.
The lighting is very important in this film. For instance, the rays of light and the peeking Sun brings the memory-like feel to the scenes. In all its naturalness, this film does have special effects. When the film goes through the origin and development of life, special effects are obviously needed. Some of them are too much for my taste – the dinosaurs and individual cells or bacteria shown brake the earthy appearance of this film.
The Tree of Life is one of my favourite films but I do understand that some people don’t find it interesting. It doesn’t really have a clear plot, in a way you can see in other films, or surprising twists but I just enjoy the beauty it has. I’m also very pleased to see a film that gives you the opportunity for your own interpretation.