It’s difficult to know where to begin a discussion about Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life, so it might be best to say that it’s utterly beautiful in its composition. The muted tones of the 1950’s juxtaposed with the radiant color palate of the evolution of existence is stunningly moving and superbly paired with a soundtrack by Alexandre Desplat that makes The Tree of Life more akin to an opera than a movie.
In the same vein, this film could very well have been the closest thing to a silent film released in years – had it not been for this year’s release of The Artist, which is actually a silent film. While the physical performances of each actor and actress are moving as well, the dialog is minimal and, when it exists, is purely expository. This is not necessarily a negative, but it often seems that the lines delivered are meant more to keep the viewer on track rather than propel a narrative. To its credit, the wealth of what The Tree of Life says is done without words: the characters’ physical interactions are much more poignant than the bits of dialog that accompany them, and perhaps it is for this reason that Sean Penn revealed during an interview for French magazine Le Figaro, “Frankly, I’m still trying to figure out what I’m doing there!” (source). Frankly, I’m still trying to figure out what Sean Penn is doing there, but that seems to be the pleasure in watching The Tree of Life: trying to figure it out.
To Malick’s credit, this journey for meaning is not presented in a condescending or overly pedantic way. At times, it becomes a bit too elegiac, particularly when Mr. O’Brien (Brad Pitt) interacts with his sons — but this is a rather venial sin, but in the end, it just confirms the theory that “life goes on; people pass along.” Trying to pinpoint a single theme presented in this film is futile, so I’ll throw into the ring the notion that The Tree of Life might be the definition of “anti-fatalist film” – maybe.
Centering on a young Jack’s (Hunter McCracken) loss of innocence, coupled with a mother (Jessica Chastain) who urges him to lead with his heart and a father (Pitt) who instills the philosophy that a person should do what’s best for himself, The Tree of Life explores the constant evolution of the universe and its various advances, trials, tribulations, bouts of anger, and battles with destruction.
In other words, the notion that we are all just temporal figments in the existence of the universe is inaccurate; rather, we are building blocks in a continuous evolution – like stories in a skyscraper, all necessary even if unoccupied or unexplored. The difference is that man creates limits in technical design whereas the universe will keep expanding in response to our choices, evolutions, accomplishments, and destructions. Instead of looking at the human race as a swarm of fleas waiting to be shaken off by an itchy dog, The Tree of Life suggests that we are both as relevant and irrelevant as Jurassic creatures – paving the way for future evolutions and soon to be relegated to illustrations and toys in a sandbox.
At the same time, the parallel limned between humans and dinosaurs is not a throwaway and should be seen as an examination of the perpetually existing clash between competition and compassion, two things that have transcended a theory of survival of the fittest determined by brute strength and have transitioned to industrial innovation and superior capitalism. The former is represented by technology and its place in our evolution. The latter is not decried, but represents a mode of hierarchical ascension without physical barbarism – theoretically.
And thus, we return to the question as to why Sean Penn, or his portrayal of an adult Jack, is in the film and what he’s doing. Truthfully, I’m not sure, and how he went from an elevator to a freestanding, empty doorway on a rocky incline is still unclear; however, Jack’s existence, particularly his walk on a beach with his former self, his younger brothers, and his youthful family seems to reinforce our simultaneous existence through memories – additional building blocks of ourselves, our ever-changing present, and our inevitable future.
It seems rather ironic that the shortest post I’ve written in the last few years has been on The Tree of Life, given its depth and layers, but perhaps it’s appropriate in that this film might be one of the most subjective films and open to interpretation of character, right, wrongs, morals, and ethics that I’ve seen in recent memory.
