Author Topic: The Tree of Life  (Read 15986 times)

Chris L

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Re: The Tree of Life
« Reply #15 on: August 21, 2011, 01:10:10 PM »

B_Buster

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Re: The Tree of Life
« Reply #16 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?
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Paul DeLouisiana

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Re: The Tree of Life
« Reply #17 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.

Chris L

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Re: The Tree of Life
« Reply #18 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.

JBillington

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Re: The Tree of Life
« Reply #19 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...

Chris L

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Re: The Tree of Life
« Reply #20 on: August 24, 2011, 01:01:40 AM »
Turns out Penn said good things about the movie in that French article as well, but the original blog post just excerpted and translated the negative ("bitch-slapping") comments.

Paul DeLouisiana

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Re: The Tree of Life
« Reply #21 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!

JBillington

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Re: The Tree of Life
« Reply #22 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)

Paul DeLouisiana

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Re: The Tree of Life
« Reply #23 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.

cavorting with nudists

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Re: The Tree of Life
« Reply #24 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

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.
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steph746

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Re: The Tree of Life
« Reply #25 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...

hardweek

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Re: The Tree of Life
« Reply #26 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

Paul DeLouisiana

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Re: The Tree of Life
« Reply #27 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.

masterofsparks

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Re: The Tree of Life
« Reply #28 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.
I'll probably go into the wee hours.

Paul DeLouisiana

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Re: The Tree of Life
« Reply #29 on: September 26, 2011, 02:07:25 PM »
They were also offering The Trip, which I did watch.

Wise decision!