Tree of Life was...Reaching out in the wrong direction...

A disappointment for me, was the experimental film, Tree of Life, starring Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, and Jessica Chastain. The acting was well-done, but limited to a minimal script.  The visuals were fantastic, dominating the presentation, however, the images connectivity to the storyline was strained.

The Tree of Life..A Barren Bunch of Branches...

 The Tree of Life  

Synopsis : The impressionistic tale of a Texas family in the 1950's which details the journey of the eldest son,  Jack’s childhood to his disillusioned adult years as he tries to reconcile a complicated relationship with his father (Brad Pitt). Jack (played as an adult by Sean Penn) finds himself a lost soul in the modern world, seeking answers to the origins and meaning of life, family bonds, and self-realization.

Genre:  Drama/Scifi/Fantasy/Experimental

Starring: Brad Pitt,  Sean Penn, Jessica Chastain and Hunter McCracken 

Directed and Written by: Terence Malick

Released: July 2011

We trace the evolution of Jack, (Hunter McCracken) an eleven-year-old boy in the Midwest, who is one of three brothers. At first, the world seems marvelous to the child. He sees everything as his mother (Jessica Chastain) does, with the eyes of his soul. She represents the way of love and mercy, while the father (Brad Pitt)  tries to teach his son the world's way, of putting oneself first. Each parent tries to influence Jack, who must reconcile their claims with each other. The picture darkens as he has his first glimpses of sickness, suffering and death. The world, once a thing of glory, becomes a mysterious labyrinth, seemingly no chance of finding connection.

This “wonders of life” film by Terrance Malick, is no doubt a visual masterpiece. Entwined in spectacular imagery of water, fire, the sea, presented with celestial, and choir music, the images in this experimental piece are no doubt spellbinding. However… where did the plot go? Why are the imagery sequences so long and drawn out? Do the imagesconsistently match the story?  And…how does one feel when exiting the theatre?  Tired of the images, bored with the music,  and disappointed in the barely-there storyline.  The characters were left out to dry. (Actually, conversely, the actors are rarely dry, as they were frequently swimming mystically in water!).  The circle of life, mysteries of life and creation are thrown at you,  displayed via lengthy visual sequences, (some  spanning more than twenty minutes), with no dialogue at all. Many images albeit beautiful, and wondrous, lose their majestic appeal unfortunately,  because they are unnecessarily repetitive.

Questions surrounding creation, life, death are ambitious concepts to explore. Each of these elements are touched on within this family.  Brad Pitt is convincing in his role as the strict, cold, father. He is frustrated with his disappointing career advancement, and expresses his angst upon his sons-especially the eldest; Jack. Jessica Chastain is superb in her portrayal as the innocent, ever gleeful, naive wife, even when life is deathly depressing, and her husband is a non-relenting tyrant.  The diamond in the rough of this film is the portrayal of the eldest son, Hunter McCracken, (a young Sean Penn), who grasps his role via garnering persona from each of his parents with a tenderness and innocence that is memorable.

The buzz this film has generated has been impressive. Awards it has achieved very early on, have elevated this film to stand out in its uniqueness from the run of the mill Summer 2011 releases.  It is definitely NOT your average film and as such is categorized as "experimental" in genre. That it is. The messages are complex, interrogative, and ambitiously life-questioning. 

 The story sadly struggles to emerge due to painfully sparse dialog, and one-dimensional characters.  How can we feel for the characters  when their interaction is severely limited, and dialogue sparse? Sean Penn's talent is MIA, as he is surprisingly bestowed a extremley minimal role. Waiting for the plot to thicken, was like coaxing an alfredo sauce that stubbornly stays runny.  The themes were dark; death, grieving, abuse,  and hopelessness which in today grim economic times, bestows a dismal mood.

There are interesting parallels to the Bible, particularly, as the film opens with a quote from the Book of Job. Ironically,  the main character, is "J"ack "O" "B"rian. His life is a string of dark struggles, as Job similarly experienced.
Perhaps as an art exhibit, the visual sequences in the movie would be greater appreciated, and understood. Observing a spectacular eclipse was fascinating, but not the fifteenth time shown. Tedious.  A dinosaur scene was most tender, and a highlight. It will be interesting to observe general audience appreciation, and reaction to this film.