The Tree of Life

Terrence Malick's "The Tree of Life" tells the greatest story of all: life. It may not contain much in terms of plot or narrative, but there is a story there, and it is of life. It celebrates life, its upsides and its downsides, its staggering beauty and its mysterious wonders. It displays the beginning of life, explores the many adventures it can present, and shows its bitter end. But whose life does the film actually celebrate? You could say it is the lives of the O'Brien family, the characters who take up much of the film's runtime and are classed as its protagonists. I personally disagree; I see "The Tree of Life" as a celebration of all life on our planet, of the life of all the beings on this earth, and the O'Brien family are simply a gateway that Malick uses to achieve this.

The O'Brien family could be any family, human or otherwise. We are presented with nothing that renders them special or spectacular, nothing that stands out about them that is peculiar or out of the ordinary. They are what some would refer to as normal and thus easy for audiences to relate to. They live in a suburban area of Texas, much of the film set in the '50s. The mother and father are given no Christian names; they are simply Mr. O'Brien (Brad Pitt, "Inglourious Basterds") and Mrs. O'Brien (Jessica Chastain, "Take Shelter").

They have three sons together: Jack (whose younger self is played by Hunter McCracken, and older self played by Sean Penn), R.L. (Laramie Eppler) and Steve (Tye Sheridan). All three are well-loved by their father and their mother, though this love is portrayed in different ways. Mrs. O'Brien is much more typically caring and affectionate towards her sons, while her husband is strict and disciplinary with them, ordering them to call him "sir," and almost appearing abusive towards them on occasion.

Their lives are shown to us in a distinctively intimate fashion; throughout the course of the movie, we watch as they grow up into young boys, as they learn of the ways of the big bad world, as they lose their innocence and begin to rebel, though it is presented to us in an order that is most definitely not chronological (indeed, one could say it is presented in the form of the memories of the older Jack, who is an architect reminiscing in and around his building of work).

Around the 20-minute mark, we are taken somewhere that is most unexpected: the beginnings of the universe, the big bang (or the prod of God, if you're into that sort of thing). We gaze upon planets as they take shape. We are witness to the formation of microbes on the growing planet earth, to molten lava spewing up from rocky grounds, to jellyfish swimming around in the early years of the ocean. We watch a dinosaur prepare to attack another dino that is wounded, and then retreats. We watch an asteroid collide with our planet and in turn destroy everything on its surface. At this stage, look in the row behind you in the cinema to see faces of puzzlement.

And then we're back with the family, and Mrs. O‘Brien is about to give birth to baby Jack. "Why were we just watching CGI dinosaurs roaming about in the Jurassic period?" you may ponder to yourself. And honestly, the only person who could truly answer that is Malick, and I'm sure he would tell you that it is up to your own interpretation (it's always more fun that way, isn't it?).

"The Tree of Life" is very much a visual experience; there is a noticeable shortage of dialogue spoken within the film. You watch the origins of the universe, the first steps of a young child, the playing of youngsters, and the world itself; it takes everything that is our universe, our lives, and captures its very natural, very simple beauty. Every image is a dazzling portrait, a picture to gaze upon in awe, your jaw slowly slackening, your eyes maybe a little watery but most definitely fixated on the screen in front of you. As many have pointed out, the film would make for a lovely calendar or screensaver.

And the wondrous use of classical music, consisting of flutes and violins and an assortment of orchestral instruments, enhances this sensation of sublime fascination. Like Emmanuel Lubezki's striking cinematography, the music (featuring an original score by Alexandre Desplat) entrances one into a sense of wonder, at times whimsical and innocent and at others dark and unsettling, crafting an ambience of awe and elegance that encapsulates the film.

In spite of having no clear narrative to speak of, "The Tree of Life" is a mesmerising experience, indeed one of the most mesmerising experiences I have ever had in a movie theatre. I stared at the images projected onto the screen in absorbed fascination, with my mouth slightly ajar, and a smile creeping across my face on a regular basis. Ambition and passion run through this film's veins, Malick having made a film that is perplexing and overwhelming, powerful and emotional, unmistakably beautiful and thematically enchanting. But, not to sound pretentious or condescending, it's not for everyone, though there is most definitely an audience for a film such as this; I trust and hope they shall find it and love it as much as I personally did.

10/10