Number 4…

Of all the 25 films I have on my list, none has me more at a loss for words than 2011’s The Tree of Life.

I recently tried watching it (my Blu-ray got busted up halfway through, so it looks as though I will need to get the Criterion Collection version after all), but it was enough to remember two things: This is one of the most visually stunning films in my lifetime, and I am still not entirely sure what to make of it.

This is the type of film that has more ideas than one can count. Granted, one can easily say it is simply a story of a grown man, Jack O’Brien (Sean Penn), remembering his time coming of age with his brothers and parents (Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain). It is clear that each parent has different parenting styles, as the mom is much more gentle and carrying than the dad.

Perhaps it was where I was at in my life, but I honestly can’t think of many other film experiences I had on first viewing that felt like it penetrated my bone marrow and hit the soul. While a good portion of the credit should go to cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, the majority of it goes to Terrence Malick.

This was the first of his films that I had seen (I’m still catching up, but I have since managed to see The Thin Red Line, Badlands, and, of course, Days of Heaven). It was with this film that Malick taught me those rare lessons of “Wait, a film can do this to me as a person?!”. 

Honestly, there are no more words I could use to do this film justice. You have to experience it to grasp its brilliance…although one viewing would not nearly be enough.

(As of this writing, The Tree of Life is available on Hulu, and available to rent on Amazon.)