 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
There is no bigger fan of Malick on this board than I am.
I picked THIN RED LiNE as the best film of the 90's and THE NEW WORLD one of the ten best films of the 2000's.
TREE OF LIFE may grown on me (as TRL did) but for now I have to pronounce it a failure.
The flaws and strengths of the film have been discussed with insight by others already.
I will just say that I was not drawn into the film. I felt removed from it and thus was oftentimes bored.
Even the musical choices were uninspired.
The years biggest disappointment
 bruce
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Posted: |
Feb 18, 2012 - 1:58 AM
|
|
|
|
By: |
JSWalsh
(Member)
|
It's interesting to see Neo's post above--his posts are always interesting--because he includes a pic from THE FOUNTAIN.
That is the only film other than TREE OF LIFE which really tried something that was thematically challenging.
These two films don't have phony or not-so-phony (but not exactly real) controversies, and they don't tell the audience what to think about what they are seeing. I think THE FOUNTAIN has one misstep in the scene where the hero is drinking the, uh, tree sap. Otherwise, it is an artistically-vivid and thoughtful movie that manages something that is very rare--it has completely confused a large portion of its viewers into even knowing what genre it belongs to. In the discussions I've read, the one thing everyone seems to agree on is that it's a science fiction movie, but it's no more a science fiction movie than is 8 1/2.
THE TREE OF LIFE is a masterpiece. I realize I am no more a director fan than I am an actor fan. I think since I've read more about the bullshit auteur theory I've come to realize that while there of course are powerful driving forces on every movie, the term auteur is so rare as to be endangered. So many individuals put parts of themselves into a work (yes, I know that's not what the auteur theory is about, but it shows how such contributions diffuse any clear view of the director's contribution) that only those writer/directors (who of course are not real auteurs either but...whatever) who create something unprecedented are, to me, the author (with many collaborators) of a film.
I like Malick's movies even when I think they are overrated or have slack stories, but TREE OF LIFE is his masterpiece, the work that demonstrate his mastery of the tools of cinema. That he uses one of the most skilled art directors around, one of the greatest cameramen, popular but also GOOD actors (I almost wept when I read Ben Affleck is going to be in his next movie--will I have to miss it entirely?), and great music selections bound together by an underscore that demonstrates the composer knew precisely what the movie needed, shows that Malick can bring his vision to the screen no matter how broad or individual his ideas.
I saw this months ago. I bet a day doesn't go by that I don't think about it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
All I can say is, I agree. (Even on the tree sap.) I think TREE is more secure than the FOUNTAIN - a bit more confident that the everyday life it depicts is enough to hang a film on. (FOUNTAIN presents three very melodramatic scenarios... I only really like the scenes in the bubble.)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Saw the film yesterday. It was like a weird mix between Stanley Kubrick and Lars Von Trier.
Fascinating, but not totally successful.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
the film does TRY and is in fact some DIFFERENT and clearly touches on themes of great beauty... but there are times where it almost feels TOO CONFIDANT and the whispering really started to go from annoying to humorous really only saved by the amazing camera work and music.
basically, there is a movie in there with Sean Penn, Brad Pitt, and Jessica Chastain mix in with whispering dubbed over scenes from PLANET EARTH.
still i give it a 7/10 for being refreshing, frustrating, and diffident.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: |
May 13, 2013 - 6:31 PM
|
|
|
|
By: |
gone
(Member)
|
It has been awhile since I saw TOF, but these were my biggest impressions and complaints with it. They are based on the best of my recollections for a film I had greatly anticipated but was deeply disappointed in.
* the whispering : while this approach felt very fresh, relevant, meaningful, and integrated in The Thin Red Line and almost as much so in The New World... with TTOF I immediately felt that we had already "been there done that" and "emptied the well" in those previous movies. In many cases directors are trying to explore new territory in their approach and subject matter, yet here we were again listening to the whispering subconscious. note : Reviews of To The Wonder make me wonder whether Malick has gone down the same road yet again.
* the story line : TTRL and TNW both had a coherent story to convey. We were going from one place to another. In TTRL we travel from the transport ship to the hilltop and back, exploring the character's inner fears, dreams, and motivations along the way. TNW has a similar coherence. TTOL however is so limited in its theme that it seems generally confined to the confusion and unhappiness of a boy, and not a particularly sympathetic character at that. These types of movies (turbulent youth) have been done much more successfully before; albeit with stronger story lines and more compelling characters.
* the angst : I was raised in a highly dysfunctional family environment (much worse than what is shown here). But even in that world there was plenty of time for kids laughing and playing in a light hearted manner, as opposed to the continual angst ridden youth portrayed in TTOL. I really could not fully connect the cause and effect relationship between the father and his son's slide into what seemed to be continual depression and destructive behavior.
* the mother : the sequences I remember of the mother twirling around reminded me of late 60's Woodstock hippie kitsch... and I'm a big fan of that time period, just not woven into a middle class Midwestern lifestyle where I assume drugs were not in play.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gone be a smart boY
|
|
|
|
|
|
Did Malick edit this film for dvd?
All the reviews i read said the "Creation" sequence OPENS the film.
On dvd it takes awhile before it begins
tyhanks!
bruce
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
To JSWalsh about "The Fountain: Re: "That is the only film other than TREE OF LIFE which really tried something that was thematically challenging."
First, I loved "The Fountain," although it can sometimes be a challenge to sit through all of it without getting distracted, and I bought from iTunes selected tracks of Mansell's soundtrack as well as the Blu-ray of the movie. But I don't put "The Tree Of Life" in its league at all -- "The Fountain" is far far better.
Elsewhere someone just posted something about the use of a Zbigniew Preisner classical piece with soprano (in "Tree"), and I had something to say about that too, since I felt strongly that Mallick had made a poor choice in music for that scene. Yes, the music was to a certain degree ethereal, but not nearly as beautiful and haunting as pieces he could have chosen.
And I'm getting weary from jumping from category to category, with this one under Non-Soundtrack Discussions and the other under General Discussions. Wish these 2 posts had been combined.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I doubt that there will be any film released during the next six months that will topple THE TREE OF LIFE as my best of 2011. I responded to this movie very deeply. It's Malick's best so far - an elliptical, poetic meditation which aligns the life of an ordinary man's growing up with the life of the cosmos themselves. It's rare to see such a bold statement about spirituality and mysticism in a mainstream or, for that matter, in any film.
Two years later my opinion of this film remains solid. It certainly has to be one of the ten greatest of all time, and as with other great films (Tarkovsky comes to mind) one has to be spiritually tuned in to its beauty, grace and artistry. I think it's beyond the comprehension of average movie-goers who view film as just one element in a night of fast food and cheap music.
|
|
|
|
|
|
To Mark R.Y.
Re: "Two years later my opinion of this film remains solid. It certainly has to be one of the ten greatest of all time, and as with other great films (Tarkovsky comes to mind) one has to be spiritually tuned in to its beauty, grace and artistry. I think it's beyond the comprehension of average movie-goers who view film as just one element in a night of fast food and cheap music."
I must take exception to that, because you've written that those who don't like "Tree of Life" must not "be spiritually tuned in to its beauty, grace and artistry" and that you "think it's beyond the comprehension of average movie-goers who view film as just one element in a night of fast food and cheap music." Please! I've fallen in love with many films that the masses consider too slow, too intellectual, too "artsy/fartsy," too you-name-it. But watching that movie was utter boredom for me and I came away from it sure that it was one of the most foolish movies I had ever seen. And I think you'll find that there are a lot of highbrow cineastes out there who also thought it was pretentious and poorly conceived. Someone compared it to "The Fountain," but it isn't even in the same league. Yes, it's certainly a polarizing film, and people seem to either love it or hate it. I hated it, and my nights have little to do with fast food or cheap music!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
