Doc1647545523 Posted November 21, 2011 Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 (edited) http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r445/martyr65/The-Tree-of-Life-2011.jpg (Cliffs at the end) I recently read an article that observed that it was a sad commentary on modern society that our thinking isn't so much shaped by the books we read as it is shaped by the movies we watch. I think that's true in my case, but I don't know that it's such a sad state of affairs. Novels contain more words and require more sustained effort, but movies can communicate in a broader bandwidth; a well-unified movie conveys its ideas with sights, words, sounds, and music. I would argue that this sheer "force" of the message can profoundly touch a person's heart at least as well as can the written word. I recently saw one such movie which knocked me over with its message and its beauty. I first heard about The Tree of Life on NPR a few months ago. The story was about irate moviegoers leaving theatres in droves, many of them demanding their money back. Theatre managers hadn't seen anything like this, at least not in many years. "There's not much dialogue" one manager said by way of explanation in the radio interview. There were suggestions that the movie was presumptuous in that it was trying to say something profound about man's place in the universe, his relationship with God, our internal struggles with good and evil, and our power to love. Not many theatre patrons were expecting this out of a Brad Pitt/Sean Penn movie apparently. I put this movie on my mental list of things to do. The movie was written and directed by Terrence Malick, a successful yet reclusive man, almost the antithesis of the Hollywood stereotype. He grew up in Texas working as a farmhand, got admitted to Harvard where he studied philosophy, studied at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar but left before finishing his thesis due to a disagreement with his advisor. He taught for 15 years in France. He hasn't done a media interview since the 1970's and seldom appears in public. In his contract for directing The Thin Red Line it was stated that photographs of him could not be published by the studio. The Tree of Life is only his fifth movie in 38 years. He reportedly said that he had spent 30 years thinking about it. After shooting it, he spent three years editing it, with the help of five co-editors. It appears that this was something about which he was passionate. Some have observed that the movie is clearly autobiographical: Like the Brad Pitt character in the movie, Malick was the oldest of three brothers born to a driven, strict father. In the movie, as in Malick's real life, the middle son dies young, the youngest son is physically scarred. I draw from all this that Malick takes this story very much to heart. I don't think you'll care for this movie if you expect it to entertain you, to make you laugh, to surprise and delight you. If you can't concentrate long enough to follow a movie that jumps forwards and back in time, then I think you'll be left wondering what this movie was about. If you haven't thought much about life, family, love, and God, then I would recommend simpler primers than this. There are long sections in which we see astronomical photographs, vivid nature scenes, even a recreation of prehistoric violence. Some of the most important lines in the movie are whispered as voice-overs. There are scenes of family dysfunction which are hard to watch. There may be scenes that hit a bit too close to home for you to view without your eyes becoming a little misty. The trailer gives you a glimpse: http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi4105018393/ But it's one of the movies that has deeply moved me, and I thought I'd share that with you, perhaps on the chance that you might decide to tackle this movie yourself. It's out in DVD and Blu-ray. My copy is going to get many viewings. CLIFFS: Have any movies had a profound effect on you, inspired you, perhaps changed your life? Edited November 21, 2011 by Doc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rustlestiltskin Posted November 21, 2011 Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 Slingblade, Made me want to eat mash Po-taters more frequently Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTQ B4U Posted November 21, 2011 Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 Like the Brad Pitt character in the movie, Malick was the oldest of three brothers born to a driven, strict father. In the movie, as in Malick's real life, the middle son dies young, the youngest son is physically scarred. I draw from all this that Malick takes this story very much to heart. If you haven't thought much about life, family, love, and God, then I would recommend simpler primers than this. There are scenes of family dysfunction which are hard to watch. There may be scenes that hit a bit too close to home for you to view without your eyes becoming a little misty. Sounds like a good movie that I might make that connection with. Thanks Doc. One of the reviews I read described the characters as: They live in a world where you are always safe and your parents will always take care of you. (It was the 1950s, after all.) Pitt is not a cruel father, but his sons are a little afraid of him. Pitt thinks the best way to raise a boy into a man is to expect a man's behavior, to demand discipline.noted Brad Pitt's character seems to always criticize and find room for improvement; he can rarely praise or seek out the good. You never doubt his essential love for the boys. Sounds like an old school Italian I know. I lost one of my older brothers not long ago too. I think in some way all of use are someone torn by what we learn as we grow and are raised by our parents. In the story, they say Jack has always been torn between his mother's guidance to approach everything he encounters with an open heart and his father's advice to look after his own interests. I'm sure he's not alone in that many of us are trying to find our own purpose and perspective on this relatively short journey we call life. Added to my Netflix Queue. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nurkvinny Posted November 21, 2011 Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 I think of the things you mention almost hourly, every day of my life. I was actually thinking about them as I hit F5 to refresh CR. I will watch it, thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mowgli1647545497 Posted November 21, 2011 Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 Thank you for the heads up about this movie - I hadn't heard a thing about it. I look forward to watching it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oh8sti Posted November 21, 2011 Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 heard about this movie as well, havent got around to watching it yet, but i will. American Beauty has been one of my favorites for a long time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeitgeist57 Posted November 21, 2011 Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 NPR FTW. I learned about this movie as well, but just haven't been watching a lot of movies at home. Thanks for the review and I'll definitely give it a watch over the winter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc1647545523 Posted November 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 22, 2011 American Beauty has been one of my favorites for a long time. Even though I have American Beauty on DVD and consider it a very good and very funny movie, I hadn't before thought of it as especially moving or inspiring. But your comment made me think back to the movie and I have to agree with you. Kevin Spacey's character has to wake up from his mid-life hypnotic trance to start to live again. I'm not sure if that's one of the things you like about it or not, but if it is, it's curious that someone as young as you would engage with that particular message. I'm a movie lover and can name hundreds of movies I love, but my list of inspiring movies that had profound effects on me is pretty short: Schindler's List Run, Lola, Run Field of Dreams Artificial Intelligence Legends of the Fall A River Runs Through It A Separate Peace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rustlestiltskin Posted November 22, 2011 Report Share Posted November 22, 2011 Even though I have American Beauty on DVD and consider it a very good and very funny movie, I hadn't before thought of it as especially moving or inspiring. But your comment made me think back to the movie and I have to agree with you. Kevin Spacey's character has to wake up from his mid-life hypnotic trance to start to live again. I'm not sure if that's one of the things you like about it or not, but if it is, it's curious that someone as young as you would engage with that particular message. I'm a movie lover and can name hundreds of movies I love, but my list of inspiring movies that had profound effects on me is pretty short: Schindler's List Run, Lola, Run Field of DreamsArtificial Intelligence Legends of the Fall A River Runs Through ItA Separate Peace Bolded ones I also think are very good movies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.