The Tree of Life is more than a movie, it’s an experience. I saw it recently and I’m still figuring it out. The next day it dominated my thoughts and I even dreamt about it. There must be something meaningful in it if it has stuck with me like this. Other movies don’t do this.
During the movie, I stayed in a pretty much constant state of awe and slight confusion. At times I had my doubts about where it was going due to the uneven passage of time, minimal dialogue, and an obscure and seemingly scattered narrative. Even so, I stayed enthralled through the entire movie because of two things.
First is something nobody can doubt. The Tree of Life is beautiful. Breathtakingly, stunningly, heartbreakingly beautiful. To quote Total Film’s review of the movie, “You could press ‘pause’ at any second and hang the frame on your wall.” I agree completely. Bravo to Emmanuel Lubezki, the chief cinematographer. It’s a total and complete visual masterpiece. Shot completely in natural light, the movie is drenched in real, natural beauty and wonder, which adds to the overall theme and brings me to my second point.
Even when I couldn’t quite understand what was going on or discern the meaning of an ambiguous glance, I felt what was going on. From the very beginning of the film I felt a sense of vast, cosmic importance. I didn’t know where it came from, and I never found out, but this film moved me deeply, incredibly, to my core. The film’s depiction of a perfect childhood slowly turned sour hits the heart and grounds the film with something relatable.
And I think that’s why I love it. The more time I spend thinking about it, the more I understand and the less I understand. The pang of immense importance, of something greater than I could ever fathom, still accompanies every thought of the film. It is truly a work of existential and metaphysical art, full of wonder, awe, innocence, tragedy, beauty, and questions with no answers. It speaks volumes in a few short words.
That said, this film is very polarizing, and may not be for everyone. Most people will either love it or hate it, with little room in between. Still, it is worth seeing. Even if you hate it, it is undoubtedly a visual treat. Just try not to fall in love with childhood all over again.
