I grew up in the 1980’s, a different era than the one Terrence Malick is depicting in The Tree of Life, but the childhood I remember is almost identical to the one on screen. I remember long summer days running around unattended with the only rule being: “Be home by dark.” We were mostly care free, biking off to undeveloped tracks of land where hills were just steep enough to be dangerous bike trails but not enough to stop us from racing down them as if we couldn’t be hurt. There were no cell phones and no worries of being snatched up by a kidnapper intent on doing us harm. Often my parents had no idea where I was at, at least not specifically.
I also remember my father who would occasionally come home from work in a bad mood and would sometimes discipline us more harshly than I felt the situation merited. Of course my memories are from the perspective of a child and are probably skewed by that perspective. I love my father and feel like I was in no way abused by him. In this way I was taken back with many of the scenes from The Tree of Life that depicted tension and anger between a father, his wife, and his children. This was the 1960’s and much of what happened within the family was still a part of everyday life in the 80’s. Terrence Malick is drawing on his own childhood memories and doing so in such a way that nearly anyone who grew up around the same time will be drawn into an introspective look at their own upbringing.
There is not a traditional narrative to this film the way most movies have. Malick is looking at the incidental lives of one family and a handful of people around them but he’s also looking at the very existence of life from the creation of Earth all the way through to its final destruction when the sun eventually dies and absorbs the planet into itself. Throughout this vast expanse of imagery we will see everything from birth to death, and the creation of the very building blocks assembling into simple life forms that will eventually become all of us. The film opens with death as Mr. O’Brien (Brad Pitt) and his wife (Jessica Chastain) learn their middle child R.L. (Laramie Eppler) has died at the age of 19. Flash forward an undisclosed number of years and their eldest son Jack (Sean Penn) is living in Dallas and disillusioned by a life filled with disappointments.
After this brief period of introductions we are treated to a lengthy visual feast, imagery representing the birth of the world and the life on it. We see a dinosaur spare another injured one when he could have easily killed it. This moment of mercy is short lasting as we see the asteroid crash into the planet ending the reign of the dinosaurs forever. The lesson: Life is quickly snuffed out. We never learn what R.L. died from but it apparently was equally abrupt. The imagery of life and death is beautiful to watch and is enhanced by the hauntingly melodic music of Alexandre Desplat, sampling themes from classical composers of the past.
When we get back to the O’Brien family it is at an earlier date than before. We get glimpses of Mrs. O’Brien (we never learn the first names of either of the parents, a pitch perfect detail from a by-gone era) as she is pregnant, then delivers their son, Jack. Two more sons will follow but Jack will be the primary focus. Mr. O’Brien loves his children but struggles with his temper when dealing with them. We never see him beating on them but his words are oftentimes cruel and hurtful and sowes the seeds of resentment amongst them, especially Jack (played at this age by Hunter McCracken). His frustrations stem from his perceived lack of purpose in life. He gave up a life in music to work in a job that is unsatisfying and barely pays the bills. He comes home and sits behind the piano, playing music. He also patents every idea he comes up with hoping something will eventually pan out from his inventions.
Jack begins to act out in defiance, hurting animals and committing acts of vandalism, even breaking into someone’s house and stealing an article of clothing out of a dresser drawer. Deep down he’s still a good kid, though, and immediately disposes of the stolen item in an act of penance. He takes advantage of his younger brother’s trust only to end up hurting him with a pellet gun. His real anger is directed at his father whom he blames for his own angry outbursts. In one moment as his father is working underneath his car, Jack walks around it and looks at the jack like he’s tempted to kick it out from jnder the car and end his father’s life. He questions why his mother stays with him but later, when Mr. O’Brien apologizes for being so hard on him, Jack will state that it’s his house and he can do whatever he wants in it. Jack is defending his father against himself.
All of this culminates in a surreal scene where the adult Jack envisions himself in a sort of afterlife where people are reunited with those who have died and he finds his younger brother and brings him to his parents. The united family embraces before the mother releases R.L. whispering, “I give him to you. I give you my son.” There is much spiritual symbolism in the film as well as depictions of the family in church, praying around the kitchen table, and other indications of a religious upbringing. These final moments wrap that up beautifully in a depiction of reunion in the afterlife, wrapped up with Jack as an adult finally smiling contentedly.
The Tree of Life is not the kind of film you watch casually, playing in the background while you scroll through Facebook or browse emails. It’s also not the type of film you watch on your phone or while you are doing chores around the house. It really needs to be explored with rapt attention to pick up on all that Terrence Malick has to say. So much of the imagery is gorgeous and could be paused and hung up on the wall as decoration. It needs to be viewed on the biggest screen possible, watched in the dark with as little distraction as possible. It is an experience more than simply entertainment and thus demands to be met on that level. If you can do that then you are in for an emotional and visual journey that is intellectually and emotionally stimulating. Terrence Malick had a lot to say when making this film and he nailed it right on the head.
Academy Award Nominations:
Best Picture: Dede Gardner, Sarah Green, Grant Hill and Bill Pohlad
Best Director: Terrence Malick
Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki
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Release Date: May 27, 2011
Running Time: 139 Minutes
Rated PG-13
Starring: Brad Pitt, Sean Penn and Jessica Chastain
Directed By: Terrence Malick
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