Terrence Malick
The Tree Of Life

"There are two ways through life: the way of nature, and the way of grace."

Thus begins the fifth feature film by Terrence Malick, now a mysterious, almost "legendary" icon of world cinema. Forty years of career and only 5 films to his credit, yet all considered works of a certain artistic depth. Due to this aura of veneration and respect towards an artist deemed overly reserved and introverted, the release of "The tree of life" was awaited as something necessary for cinema, as if Malick's art, his style both visionary and dramatic, could uplift the seventh art globally.

What to say: "The tree of life" is a film in full Malick style. A lot of silence, dialogues naturally reduced to the minimum (though less than on other occasions), meticulous attention to even the smallest detail, dreamlike views, infinite landscapes and spaces, and all that air of mysticism that is intimately linked to every work of the Texan filmmaker.

"The tree of life" is an analysis of man, from childhood to maturity, a demonstration of how educational choices influence human behaviors, the "why" of certain actions. Malick identifies two exact ways: one linked "to the way of nature," which in the film takes the form of Mr. O'Brien (Brad Pitt), and the other "to the way of grace," that is, Mrs. O'Brien (a splendid Jessica Chastain). She is beautiful and gentle, almost ethereal in her relationship with her three sons, convinced that love can truly savor life, achieving the mission of a happy existence. He is a man all too practical, sometimes direct and violent, forged in this way by his work and the idea that in the world one must make one's way through strength, because no one really looks at anyone. These two different educational models impact Jack, the eldest son who is portrayed in his adult phase by Sean Penn. He is a man confused by his past who feels out of place in the modern world.

On an interesting basic story, Malick weaves "a last supper" of images symbolizing the Creation of everything, Birth, in a strong bond between the film, its characters, and Malick with God, who recurs more and more often throughout the film. Every frame is perfectly in place, in a play of microcosms and thoughts that intertwine to leave questions unanswered.

Terrence Malick dons the robes of a modern Quintilian of pedagogy and through this analysis of education, seeks to penetrate the human mind, the relationships between people, searching for answers to the mystery of birth and life. His is a fascinating and monumental work, filmically perfect, balanced in every part. A dramatic and essential Bible for understanding cinema and the person of Malick, after "The tree of life" even more a cult man and legend of auteur cinema.

"One day we'll fall and weep, and lose everything, every thing."