Best Picture Nominee: ‘The Tree of Life’ directed by Terrence Malick

Director Terrence Malick’s film career stretches nearly 40 years, but since his first film, Badlands in 1973, he has only made an additional four films, including 2011’s The Tree of Life. The film, which stars Sean Penn, Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Palme D’Or. It has now been nominated for Best Picture, Best Directing and Best Cinematography.

If you aren’t familiar with the films of Malick, there are chances you probably won’t enjoy The Tree of Life as much as those who are. The film does not feature a traditional narrative, which is very different from Malick’s other films, but the tools that he uses are very similar. Emmanuel Lubezki’s brilliant cinematography follows in the same line as Nestor Almendros and Haskell Wexler’s work on Days of Heaven (1978) and John Toll’s work on The Thin Red Line (1999). The actors are required to perform whispering narration that does not always match the visuals we see, a tool used since the opening scene in Badlands. The editing feels disjointed, taking us from moment to moment with ellipses whose lengths we never really know. Thanks to the film’s non-linear narrative, this editing style seems even more apparent than in his other work (particularly The New World [2005], his most ‘traditional’ film, in my opinion).

The Tree of Life tells the story of Jack O’Brien, a Texas man played by Sean Penn, who is struggling to find his way in the modern world. The majority of the film, though, tells the story of his childhood in a small Texas town. He has an overbearing father, played by Brad Pitt, and a young, beautiful mother played by Jessica Chastain, as well as two younger brothers. Through Chastain’s narration at the beginning, we find that these conflicting parents may represent the conflicting forces of nature and grace. These images of a childhood, which I think is probably the best representation of childhood committed to film in a long time, are juxtaposed with 2001-esque images of the creation of the universe. Malick shows us how the earth was born, through to the age of the dinosaurs. Later, he will destroy the universe, just before we are taken back to the present day as the older Jack wanders through the sands of his own mind, meeting his younger self and his parents

Even if you find this film just a series of philosophical ramblings with dinosaurs randomly thrown in, you have to admit, The Tree of Life features some stunning acting. Pitt plays the father with such command and conviction that you really feel the harshness of every hand he lands on those children. Chastain is breathtaking and I truly believe she should have been nominated for her role in this film instead of her part in The Help. Even though she barely speaks beyond her narration, her performance genuinely makes you believe that she is the physical manifestation of grace.

The Tree of Life is a difficult film. It might present its audience with the meaning of life, yet it could also be just about one man’s journey through his own mind. The film is filled with singular shots that will stick in your mind. Malick shows the beauty of small-town America just like he showed the beauty of Guadalcanal in The Thin Red Line and of Jamestown in The New World. It begs for more than one viewing, which will keep it alive for many years.