FOT Forum

The Best Show on WFMU => Mike And His Ilk. => Topic started by: B_Buster on June 07, 2011, 07:48:19 PM

Title: The Tree of Life
Post by: B_Buster on June 07, 2011, 07:48:19 PM
Of course, I could have done without the dinosaurs and planetarium stuff (pot fans will rejoice, though), but the personal, childhood in Texas stuff was as great as it gets. Sure, it overreaches and I disagree with some of its conclusions, but that's part of its appeal. Who am I to begrudge a guy his looney vision of life?
Title: Re: The Tree of Life
Post by: Paul DeLouisiana on June 10, 2011, 04:44:03 PM
I saw it and loved it. The family story was beautiful. I don't have an indepth analysis because I loved mostly all of it. I do think the dinosaurs were a little out of place. If they would have only shown the beached dinosaur that would have been perfect. It always baffles me how meticulous directors use footage of obviously CGI animals. Like at the beginning of No Country For Old Men. But even the way the dinosaurs ran looked pre-Jurassic Park. Good thing it was just one scene.

Seeing the children grow up was mesmerizing. Malick has a great way of spanning time. I bet he loves babies because God knows he loves filming them. 
Title: Re: The Tree of Life
Post by: Paul DeLouisiana on June 15, 2011, 10:38:57 PM
Upon rewatching The Tree of Life today I noticed a few things. One significant thing I missed the first time around was when Jack and R.L. are sitting by the window after the bb gun scene. Jack is standing and R.L. is sitting. Jack says he's sorry and puts his hand on R.L.'s shoulder. We see this shot for a few seconds then they switch locations and shirts as if to say that as brothers, they feel for each other in the same way and that maybe Jack now realizes his father loves them both the same. That was the scene that turned his character around. It's a very subtle and very profound scene and I got very emotional when I noticed it.
Overall the second viewing hit me a lot harder than the first. I feel like there is so much I can relate to in the film.There are aspects of Pitt's character that remind me of my father and definitely my grandfather. Just growing up in the south and knowing the feeling of coming in for dinner at twilight after running around, playing all day, hearing the crickets drone of in the night. Knowing the territorial limits of your yard, running around with a group of neighborhood kids and catching glimpses of unhappy neighbors, not knowing what to make of it at that age. I guess no matter where you're from you can relate to this nostalgic feel.
Also this time I got a sense that Jack was sort of lusting after his mom towards the end. Anyone else pick up on this? It was totally innocent but there is a scene where she is walking through her bedroom in a slip and he is watching her as he is walking around the house. I'm not sure what to make out of that but I feel like he was grown more curious of women after stealing the slip. BTW I am still kinda lost with that. Did the kid dare him to do that? I'll be a lot better with subtitles available.

Also, what do you make of the dinosaur scene? Not in general but specifically what the dinosaurs did.
Title: Re: The Tree of Life
Post by: B_Buster on June 15, 2011, 11:44:33 PM
Here's my take on the dinosaurs. The dinosaurs and the creation of the cosmos occur right after the news of the death of the son. When confronted with such a tragedy, a person can't help but ponder the meaning of life. Is this really what the history of the universe adds up to? A devastating tragedy? I read that Terence Malick's brother committed suicide at a very early age. I think The Tree of Life is his response, all these years later, to his brother's death.
Title: Re: The Tree of Life
Post by: Paul DeLouisiana on June 16, 2011, 10:04:54 AM
Here's my take on the dinosaurs. The dinosaurs and the creation of the cosmos occur right after the news of the death of the son. When confronted with such a tragedy, a person can't help but ponder the meaning of life. Is this really what the history of the universe adds up to? A devastating tragedy? I read that Terence Malick's brother committed suicide at a very early age. I think The Tree of Life is his response, all these years later, to his brother's death.

I think the prolonged sequence of the "creation of the cosmos" is to prepare the viewer for most dynamic expression of this cosmos in human nature. I think he's trying to remind the audience that human beings (despite our technology) belong to this vast system of causal interactions. Our attempts to get out of nature never really help with the most important dimensions of our reality.

What do you make of the attic scene? I am stumped.

I found the reoccurring image of feminine feet as very significant in terms of the sexual awareness or sensuality. Not too sure how to express it, though. The scene in which he gets a drink of water (he gets it from the same girl he steals the slip from) and when he bends over to drink he looks at her wet feet which she's been washing. There's another shot where the mom is holding her feet in the sprinkler. And then at the closing sequence he kisses/hugs one of the woman's feet on the heaven-like beach scene. There's something with this i can't quite grasp. A renewed understanding of love maybe...

This film is full of so much imagery leading to so many questions. Like what do you think about the two bodies wrapped in white cloths lying on the ground at the end?
Title: Re: The Tree of Life
Post by: gravy boat on June 16, 2011, 10:13:08 AM
Mike's theory about the dinosaurs makes sense.  My take was slightly different.  A scene coming after the dinosaurs shows a meteor hitting the earth.  I took that as a reference to the meteor that caused the after-effects that some theorize wiped out all the dinosaurs and most of life on earth.  I took that as Malick saying something in effect of "loss has always been part of the bargain of life."  As to what they specifically did, I think Malick was trying to show compassion is not a human trait but something that is part of the natural world, too.   Maybe.

I thought this movie was the most moving I've seen in some time.  In particular, the whole BB gun scene really stayed with me and now I want to see it again to catch what Paul saw.  Wow-the children were great.  I also liked how intimately you knew this family's house and neighborhood by the end of the movie. And I liked the dad's ongoing battles with the yard -- some needed levity.  My wife thought the ending was too hokey and I quoted Mike about begrudging the guy.

This probably gets overused but this is one I'm glad I saw on the big screen with the music and the massive images and the overpriced stale popcorn.  If you're on the fence I say see it at the thee-ate-er while you can.
Title: Re: The Tree of Life
Post by: Paul DeLouisiana on June 16, 2011, 10:23:18 AM
As to what they specifically did, I think Malick was trying to show compassion is not a human trait but something that is part of the natural world, too.   Maybe.

Right, I think that the dinosaur scenes had something to say about woundedness and compassion. Compassion less as a human trait and more as an occurance in nature. I feel like all the characters in the film were wounded somehow and brought some sort of healing through the compassion of others. Maybe with the dinosaur scenes Malick was trying to show that compassion has evolved through time.
Title: Re: The Tree of Life
Post by: B_Buster on June 16, 2011, 10:27:04 AM
What happens in the attic scene, Paul? I've only seen it once and don't remember. Nice catch with the brothers changing shirts. I didn't notice that. The feet imagery could be a Christian allusion to the washing of Jesus' feet. Or maybe he just likes women's feet. Nothing wrong with that.

Title: Re: The Tree of Life
Post by: Paul DeLouisiana on June 16, 2011, 10:48:44 AM
What happens in the attic scene, Paul? I've only seen it once and don't remember. Nice catch with the brothers changing shirts. I didn't notice that. The feet imagery could be a Christian allusion to the washing of Jesus' feet. Or maybe he just likes women's feet. Nothing wrong with that.



We see a small child sitting on a tricycle in the attic with a tall man leaning over because he is too tall to fit in the room. Earlier in the film a baby Jack is climbing up the stairs and stops with a look of amazement and the shot cuts to the empty attic with the light shining through the window.
They were to different actors than any we had seen. Unless maybe the kid is Jack. But I really can't make anything of it either. I'd like to think that maybe the attic is the world, being shown to a child by an adult. Its size and weight is making the man slouch under the pressure of its ceiling but the child has room to roam freely. But that's just me reaching.  Seemed like a David Lynch scene.
I agree with gravy boat. This movie really couldn't get any more grand; it deals, i think,  with the most profound dimensions of reality--the highest and most noble ones (time, eternity, good and evil).
Title: Re: The Tree of Life
Post by: B_Buster on June 16, 2011, 12:26:16 PM
Ah, yes, I remember the scene now. I thought it had a David Lynch feel to it, too. I don't know that it had any special significance other than it was a great shot. I think with Malick that may be enough at times.
Title: Re: The Tree of Life
Post by: Paul DeLouisiana on June 16, 2011, 12:40:13 PM
http://nilesfilmfiles.blogspot.com/2011/06/song-of-himself-terrence-malicks-tree.html (http://nilesfilmfiles.blogspot.com/2011/06/song-of-himself-terrence-malicks-tree.html)

Well the more I read this the more I think I'm gunna have to see it again next week. So many little things.
Title: Re: The Tree of Life
Post by: cas-vik on June 16, 2011, 01:10:32 PM
http://nilesfilmfiles.blogspot.com/2011/06/song-of-himself-terrence-malicks-tree.html (http://nilesfilmfiles.blogspot.com/2011/06/song-of-himself-terrence-malicks-tree.html)

Well the more I read this the more I think I'm gunna have to see it again next week. So many little things.

I'd say the film is very Heiddegerian.  Granted Heiddeger's Being and Time is a very difficult text, for me anyway.  I've tried and tried but a philosophy major I am not. An interesting little tidbit I remember hearing at some point was that Malick used to translate Heiddeger so he's very familiar with the concepts Heiddeger is putting out there.

Anyway, I loved the movie.  Found it deeply moving.  The religious aspect (the perception of heaven as everyone on the beach) seemed off putting and simplistic at first. But it's Sean Penn's point of view.  He's using his perception of heaven to come to terms with his loss.  Maybe.

The most perplexing image for me was the bridge.  That final shot could not have felt more loaded!  Still working on that.  Hope to see the movie again soon.
Title: Re: The Tree of Life
Post by: Paul DeLouisiana on June 16, 2011, 02:29:56 PM
Ritz East is only 6 bucks on Wednesday. I'm betting the movie will stay in Philly til July.
Title: Re: The Tree of Life
Post by: Rick in Salt Lake on June 17, 2011, 07:20:23 PM
Here's my take on the dinosaurs. The dinosaurs and the creation of the cosmos occur right after the news of the death of the son. When confronted with such a tragedy, a person can't help but ponder the meaning of life. Is this really what the history of the universe adds up to? A devastating tragedy? I read that Terence Malick's brother committed suicide at a very early age. I think The Tree of Life is his response, all these years later, to his brother's death.

I haven't seen the movie yet, so I might be truly full of shit. But I read a few article on "The Tree of Life" and I rather got the impression that the same forces that act through the creation of the cosmos and the deal with the dinosaurs are the same forces that enact, in microcosm, through the family in the movie.

Does that make sence in the context of the movie?
Title: Re: The Tree of Life
Post by: Lawrence Orbach on June 20, 2011, 10:18:17 AM
The film is a masterpiece. You're either feelin' it or yer not.

Oh, LOVED the Paul F. Tompkins cameo as the clown in the dunktank!

Title: Re: The Tree of Life
Post by: Chris L on August 21, 2011, 01:10:10 PM
This guy isn't a fan. (http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/movies/2011/08/sean-penn-vs-terrence-malick.html)
Title: Re: The Tree of Life
Post by: B_Buster on August 21, 2011, 04:53:57 PM
I can't stop myself from reading about this movie. Can't get enough of the arguing. Check out IMDB and Amazon. What's the word on the dvd? Will the 8 hour version ever see the light of day?
Title: Re: The Tree of Life
Post by: Paul DeLouisiana on August 21, 2011, 06:45:06 PM
The _hour Thin Red Line  hasn't so I wouldn't bet on it. I read somewhere that Brody was under the impression that he had a leading role until the night of the premier.
Title: Re: The Tree of Life
Post by: Chris L on August 21, 2011, 07:26:38 PM
The blu-ray/dvd comes out in October.  I don't think there's any other details yet but I expect it'll be the theatrical cut.  Malick's in post-production on his next film and incredibly, another one starring Christian Bale was just announced, so I doubt there will be a longer cut anytime soon.
Title: Re: The Tree of Life
Post by: JBillington on August 23, 2011, 05:54:30 PM
I generally loved it, but personally I don't buy all the meaning of life/spiritual gubbins. I think if it lost the whole history of the universe bit it would be a better, more human film. For me it's simply about coming to terms with loss, and I don't care about him turning the milky way vertical so it looks like a kind of space-gina.

Also, I would have LOVED it if Andrew Gold's 'Lonely Boy' had kicked in halfway through...
Title: Re: The Tree of Life
Post by: Chris L on August 24, 2011, 01:01:40 AM
Turns out Penn said good things about the movie (http://blogs.suntimes.com/scanners/2011/08/did_sean_penn_pee_on_the_tree_.html) in that French article as well, but the original blog post just excerpted and translated the negative ("bitch-slapping") comments.
Title: Re: The Tree of Life
Post by: Paul DeLouisiana on August 24, 2011, 07:42:12 AM
Do you think the 6-hour cut should be episodic or play straight through. The longest movie I watched Bela Tarr's Satantango(7.5 hours) in two sittings about five years ago and can't remember a single thing about it. Except a super long shot out a window, but that could have been Damnation. Oh Bela!
Title: Re: The Tree of Life
Post by: JBillington on August 25, 2011, 12:15:48 PM
Yeah, Satantango is something of an endurance. When people talk of '6 hour versions' though I always imagine they just mean a rough cut, or a workprint, rather than an exhibitible version. I could imagine the long cut of a film as montage-heavy as Tree of Life easily running 6 hours.

The longest film I have seen is Jaques Rivette's Out 1, which runs about 12 hours in 8 parts. Although this seems like a lot, it really isn't if you compare it to a season of a TV series.

Satantango is something of an endurance test. All I remember is a scene of the drunk people dancing in the bar, and later someone watching that through a window.

Is Satantango the longest theatrical narrative fiction film that was intended to be seen in a single sitting? You will notice that description excludes a) artist installation things b) film series c) documentaries d) anything made for TV or intended to be shown on TV, even if it wasn't (e.g. Berlin Alexanderplatz, Heimat, Out 1)
Title: Re: The Tree of Life
Post by: Paul DeLouisiana on August 25, 2011, 01:48:40 PM
I love a well-developed, long film just as much as the next guy but I think a true testament to greatness is making an amazing short film. Some people won't share this with me but I remember seeing Squid and the Whale for the first time and when it was over and looked to see that it was about 80 minute running time I couldn't believe it. I feel the same way about music. Look at a Ramones song.

As for the longest film, I don't know. That Fassbinder one is long. Richard Linklater claims to have watched it almost ten times.
Have you seen the movie that was filmed in one shot? There was a time in my life where strenuous viewings like this intrigued me. After watching Enter The Void, I'm pretty sure I'm past that.
Title: Re: The Tree of Life
Post by: cavorting with nudists on August 25, 2011, 02:05:02 PM
Here is a list of longest films ever made:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_longest_films_by_running_time (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_longest_films_by_running_time)

Under "Cinematic Films," over a dozen appear to be longer than Satantango, but it would take a little spadework to learn which of these are "theatrical narrative fiction films that intended to be seen in a single sitting."  Resan, for instance, appears to be a 14.5-hour documentary.  Out 1 might be the winner at 13 hours, but the Wiki entry appears to indicate it may have been originally intended for TV.  And so on.
Title: Re: The Tree of Life
Post by: steph746 on September 02, 2011, 10:09:22 AM
Upon rewatching The Tree of Life today I noticed a few things. One significant thing I missed the first time around was when Jack and R.L. are sitting by the window after the bb gun scene. Jack is standing and R.L. is sitting. Jack says he's sorry and puts his hand on R.L.'s shoulder. We see this shot for a few seconds then they switch locations and shirts as if to say that as brothers, they feel for each other in the same way and that maybe Jack now realizes his father loves them both the same. That was the scene that turned his character around. It's a very subtle and very profound scene and I got very emotional when I noticed it.
Overall the second viewing hit me a lot harder than the first. I feel like there is so much I can relate to in the film.There are aspects of Pitt's character that remind me of my father and definitely my grandfather. Just growing up in the south and knowing the feeling of coming in for dinner at twilight after running around, playing all day, hearing the crickets drone of in the night. Knowing the territorial limits of your yard, running around with a group of neighborhood kids and catching glimpses of unhappy neighbors, not knowing what to make of it at that age. I guess no matter where you're from you can relate to this nostalgic feel.
Also this time I got a sense that Jack was sort of lusting after his mom towards the end. Anyone else pick up on this? It was totally innocent but there is a scene where she is walking through her bedroom in a slip and he is watching her as he is walking around the house. I'm not sure what to make out of that but I feel like he was grown more curious of women after stealing the slip. BTW I am still kinda lost with that. Did the kid dare him to do that? I'll be a lot better with subtitles available.

Also, what do you make of the dinosaur scene? Not in general but specifically what the dinosaurs did.

This is just my take on the dinosaur scene...

Just after the scene, the narrator (forgot who it was) said that the mother searched life by life for her son. That made me think (after watching the scene) that the dinosaur was looking for her son. The son was injured and dying in the river and the mother came over. However, at first it looked like she wanted to kill the dinosaur, but then she realized something...not really sure (like with many other parts of the movie), but that's just my general take...
Title: Re: The Tree of Life
Post by: hardweek on September 26, 2011, 01:35:12 PM
Finally saw it last night. Enough heart and aesthetic beauty to warrant another viewing.

Did anyone else feel there was a certain measure of homage to Kubrick/2001?

Caught me by surprise that they used Barton Springs as a shooting locale (where the boy drowned). I went swimming there almost a decade ago while in Austin for a music fest. A very strange and harrowing tale, best suited for another thread, if at all. I'll hold onto it until the thread title, "Have you ever caught a ride with someone, reached in the glove compartment for a map and had a loaded handgun fall on your feet?" shows up on the forums.  :P
Title: Re: The Tree of Life
Post by: Paul DeLouisiana on September 26, 2011, 01:47:40 PM
Finally saw it last night. Enough heart and aesthetic beauty to warrant another viewing.

Did anyone else feel there was a certain measure of homage to Kubrick/2001?

Caught me by surprise that they used Barton Springs as a shooting locale (where the boy drowned). I went swimming there almost a decade ago while in Austin for a music fest. A very strange and harrowing tale, best suited for another thread, if at all. I'll hold onto it until the thread title, "Have you ever caught a ride with someone, reached in the glove compartment for a map and had a loaded handgun fall on your feet?" shows up on the forums.  :P

There is a clip somewhere online(I am at work so I can't find it now) of Malick shooting a Christian Bale project at Austin City Limits festival. I'm not sure how to feel about seeing footage of Malick and I am curious to see how all these modern day subjects will work out in his films. The Sean Penn role was by far the least satisfying part of TOL but it was maybe meant to be that way. He is definitely using Austin in his movies alot. I am probably going to see this for the third and last time in a theater on Wednesday. It's hard to believe I last saw it MONTHS ago and it is still here.
Title: Re: The Tree of Life
Post by: masterofsparks on September 26, 2011, 01:57:48 PM
I was on an international flight last week and The Tree of Life was one of the movies available. I can't think of a movie less suited to airplane watching (especially on the tiny back-of-the-seat-in-front-of-you screens). I wonder if anyone watched it.

They were also offering The Trip, which I did watch.
Title: Re: The Tree of Life
Post by: Paul DeLouisiana on September 26, 2011, 02:07:25 PM
They were also offering The Trip, which I did watch.

Wise decision!
Title: Re: The Tree of Life
Post by: nec13 on January 17, 2012, 04:48:43 PM
I finally had a chance to see this one last week. And I honestly don't know what to make of it. It's a beautiful looking film, that point I don't think that can be argued. However, I thought the film itself was meandering and ponderous (e.g. the perplexing and amusing creation sequence).

What was the ultimate point that Malick was attempting to convey? Perhaps I'm not a sophisticated enough viewer to really comprehend it anyway.
Title: Re: The Tree of Life
Post by: thom on August 07, 2012, 08:31:24 PM
So who's seen this movie and enjoyed it AND lived in a city during their childhood?

I can't imagine how this movie would work for someone who didn't grow up in the suburbs or on a cul-de-sac, you know?
Title: Re: The Tree of Life
Post by: dave from knoxville on August 07, 2012, 09:05:32 PM
I finally had a chance to see this one last week. And I honestly don't know what to make of it. It's a beautiful looking film, that point I don't think that can be argued. However, I thought the film itself was meandering and ponderous (e.g. the perplexing and amusing creation sequence).

What was the ultimate point that Malick was attempting to convey? Perhaps I'm not a sophisticated enough viewer to really comprehend it anyway.

What's the ultimate point of non-representational art? To provoke/evoke.
Title: Re: The Tree of Life
Post by: ~L on August 12, 2012, 09:17:39 PM
When I watched The Tree of Life, I felt like I was watching a National Geographic special that was spliced together with the home movies of a dysfunctional family.  Some information was missing which detracted from my ability to follow the narrative, like which son died and how, and when.  At first it seemed like one of the young boys died by drowning, but then a voice over clip says "My brother was 19 when he died." Then after reading the review mentioned in this thread, I realized which brother it was, but the film leaves out the how and why.
I also thought that I was missing the biblical references as I am unfamiliar with the Book of Job that gets quoted in the beginning.
I felt the flow of the movie was interrupted by the long scenes of the nature of the earth and it's cycles, even though most of that was beautiful to watch, it felt like an LSD sequence.  The scenes of the boys running wild through nature and playing in abandoned houses were exceptionally well done and very evocative of the time period.  I played in abandoned homes and factories as a kid.
I felt that the CGI dinosaur scenes were trying too hard, and were distracting to the story. 
I enjoyed this film, and felt it really pushed the viewer to pay attention, yet, I think the film would have benefited by a bit more editing. I liked the heavenly beach scene with it's reunions. 
I wouldn't have found this film without the FOT recommendations here. Thanks everyone!