The Tree of Life

This may be one of the most difficult reviews I have ever attempted. Terrence Malick’s newest film, The Tree of Life, is unconventional to say the least. It doesn’t fit into any neat pattern or genre. It’s one of those films you are going to love or hate. There’s no middle ground. I’m not sure it fits into any type of story structure I’ve ever seen, nor does it follow the traditional three act structure to which we are all accustomed.

In some ways, it reminded me of 2001 A Space Odyssey, another film you either hated or loved. The Tree of Life is an ambitious film that aspires to explore the origins and meaning of life. Where do humans fit into the grand scheme of things? The film attempts to encompass all of existence and view it in the eyes of one family. In part, The Tree of Life is both a metaphysical and reality-based inquiry into the nature of God and His plan for our lives.

The plot at times is not easy to follow. In fact, I’m not sure there is a plot. The Tree of Life is viewed through the eyes of Jack (Sean Penn), a successful architect who seems to be lost and trapped in a world of high-rise buildings and enclosures. He sees a tree planted outside of his building that causes him to flash back to his childhood of Texas in the 1950s. We are introduced to Jack’s family, Mr. O’Brien (Brad Pitt), Mrs. O’Brien (Jessica Chastain) and his two younger brothers.

We watch Jack grow up through a series of daily life routines, which includes playing, fighting, embracing and loving each family member, crying, and family activities. It becomes clear that The Tree of Life serves as a metaphor for life’s journey.

The film presents life as a choice between two pathways—the path of grace and the path of nature. The path of grace is represented by Mrs. O’Brien. She views the world as a place full of wonder to be explored and embraced. She is gentle, nourishing, loving and forgiving. Mr. O’Brien embraces the path of nature. He sees the world as a place where one must fight to survive. Being too good is a detriment. He is strict with his family in an authoritarian way. He teaches the boys to fight. The world is a place where you take what you want by any means necessary.

The Tree of Life is essentially a struggle between these two natures. The boys are exposed to two vastly different world views. There is a conflict between what they are taught in church and what they experience at home. Jack especially struggles as he wants to be good but cannot find the strength to do so. He does what he does not want to do. He asks the question, “If God is not good, why should I be good? As a result, Jack becomes more rebellious, and his relationship with his father deteriorates, even to the point that he wants his father dead.

The Tree of Life is a very philosophical and spiritual movie. We are all trying to understand God’s nature, and we all ask questions. Aren’t we all pleading to God for answers? Where are you? Who are you? Just like Jack and Mr. and Mrs. O’Brien, who are dealing with the tragedy of the untimely death of a brother and son, we are all facing some difficulty, and we can’t understand why God has forsaken us. The struggle is real. Which nature will we follow? Which pathway will we choose? Is it the pathway of grace, which leads to forgiveness and redemption? Or is it the pathway of nature, which is self-centered, greedy and ultimately destructive? These are the types of issues and problems that The Tree of Life pose not only to the films characters but also to the viewer.

Terrence Malick has created a beautiful film. The images are mesmerizing and thought-provoking. Perhaps, he could have cut 10 or 20 minutes out of the run time of the 139 minute film; nevertheless, the film he has created has the ability to touch us on a very human level. His themes are universal because we all find ourselves caught between grace and nature. I see few movies that tackle these complicated and thought-provoking issues.

If you approach this movie with an open mind, you may very well come away with something very profound about you and the pathway you have chosen. The world we live in is confusing because, essentially, we have been taught two conflicting pathways. The Tree Of Life presents a strong case that trying to be a good person is not enough. We are going to have to look for something larger than ourselves. We’re going to look for God and find his nature.

The Way

The Way is perhaps one of the most spiritual movies I have seen in some time. The filmmakers describe their film as a powerful and inspirational story about family, friends, and the challenges we face while negotiating this ever-changing and complicated world. I would say they hit those themes straight on the head.

The Way is most certainly a “message” film. But don’t let that scare you or deter you from seeing it. It’s a message we are all living one way or another. This film is about a journey and finding meaning and purpose in life. We are all trying to do that. The Way is a family affair featuring father and son: Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez. Sheen holds down the main acting role while Estevez serves as actor, director, producer and writer.

The premise or idea for the film was inspired when Estevez’s son, Taylor, began a pilgrimage on the Carmino De Santiago. Some call it the “Way of St. James” in which pilgrims began a walk which starts in France and continues for several hundred miles to a massive cathedral ending in Galicia, Spain. The reasons for the pilgrimage is as diverse as the people who take the journey.

Estevez says the movie is meant to be a film that is pro people, pro life and not against anything. The story starts with Thomas Avery (Martin Sheen) an ophthalmologist who lives the good life in California. He learns about the death of his son, Daniel (Emilio Estevez), who dies in the Pyrenees Mountains while he is attempting the walk of Carmino De Santiago. Thomas and Daniel have not seen eye-to-eye over the years. Nor have they spoken in some time. Daniel decided against finishing his doctorate and wanted to see the world. His father obviously objected and couldn’t understand why he wanted to throw a potentially brilliant career away.

After arriving in France, Thomas makes the decision to cremate his son’s body and decided to finish the pilgrimage for his son. Walking the way, he plans to spread Daniel’s ashes along the road. Perhaps, it’s a way for Thomas to reconnect with his son in a way he couldn’t do in life.

On the road, Thomas meets an assortment of characters that are on their pilgrimage’s for one reason or another. Sarah (Deborah Kara Unger) is a Canadian who wants to give up smoking. Joosh (Yorick Van Wageningen ) is from The Netherlands. His reason to walk The Way is to lose weight. Jack (James Nesbitt) is an Irishman who suffers from writer’s block.

At first, Thomas isn’t exactly looking for company. But soon, the four form a community and begin their quest. As the journey continues, it requires each pilgrim to examine his/her motivation and the real reason they are on this walk. Each of our characters may have a stated reason, but the truth is something altogether different. They all are looking for meaning and to make sense of life. The way of Carmino De Santiago is a personal journey, but our characters cannot do it alone. Perhaps, that’s one of the most interesting themes of this film. Our healing is tied to the journey and to community.

As the pilgrims are forced to walk for what amounts to two to three months, they have to come to terms with themselves and with what they really need from this pilgrimage. As I said, this is a spiritual movie. It’s not a religious movie as some of those who participate in the walk do not do it for religious purposes.

People have been making this pilgrimage for nearly a thousand years. The film as well as the walk is about loss, community, faith, and restoration. It’s a powerful film, beautifully shot and photographed. No question, it was a labor of love for both Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez. The crew and the actors had to walk several kilometers to make this film.

If there is one line in the film that would sum up the entire journey, it would be this: “We don’t choose a life. We have to live a life.” Perhaps that’s the real secret behind the entire purpose of the Way of St. Thomas. Maybe the journey teaches us how to embrace and live life to its fullest while at the same time we connect with God in a more meaningful way.