The Tree Of Life

The only way to be happy is to love
What a film means to you kind of depends on where you are in life. I think if saw this film 20 years ago, I probably would have hated it. Now, I'm faced with big decisions - whether to start a family, and all the concerns that come with it. This movie raises issues I'd rather not think about. I almost wish I hadn't seen it. If you're looking for escapist Hollywood fare, the film might seem boring. It plays like a movie where nothing happens. The first third of the film, the director puts you into the head of a mother who has lost a child. Yeah, it's pretty heavy. And most of the rest of the film is of the kids growing up. The film is a meditation, more heavy on emotion than story. And it's more of a spiritual/religious film than a traditional drama. There is little dialogue in the movie. The imagery is compelling, though. Some of the imagery is surreal and dreamlike - and yeah, dinosaurs make an appearance in the film. But it's not Jurassic Park. I wrote down a quote...

Visually Stunning and Deeply Moving
The Tree of Life is not only a movie, but an experience. It's a visually stunning, deeply moving and perfectly acted film. And if you know what to expect, you may enjoy it as much as I did.

But be warned. The Tree of Life does not have a linear narrative, and doesn't tell a story as much as it shows it. And the regular viewer--that is, most of us--, used to be told in images and words what we are supposed to see and feel, may find this story hard to follow.

The movie starts with a flaming light and a quotation from the Book of Job: "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation...while the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?"

Then we are shown a woman (Jessica Chastain) as she learns in a letter the death of her son, age 19. In her grief and despair, enhanced by the absence of sound in the subsequent images, the mother questions God's design in such a seemingly cruel act.

From here, the movie proceeds in...

What I can't Understand...
What I can't understand is actually the fuss surrounding this film. People aren't just confused by it, they're acting offended by it. Apparently audiences in a lot of showings were yelling at the screen and snapping at people who tried to shush them. This movie was unusual, but I don't get what caused people to be so actively offended by it when they can sit through most movies, ambitious or otherwise, without any real problem. Is it the norm in our culture now to react to unexpected or strange images on the screen by getting angry and yelling? Could I just go out on a limb and say that if you leave before a film's over or spend the entire time yelling at the screen, I have no respect for your opinion of the film?

Chimps parading as people aside, I at least enjoyed the movie. I saw it late in its run so I never had to worry about an audience yelling at the screen.

I'm the kind of person who's patient. If a movie confuses me I don't flip out or start...

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