Who Are We To You?

An Analysis of Terrence Malicks The Tree of Life

by Xavier Paolo S. Jamito || BSIT 1-2
ThefirsttimeIwatchedTheTreeofLife,Iwasntimpressed.Itpiquedmyinterest,sinceitgotnothingbut
ravereviewsandwonprestigiousawardsleftandright.ItrosetocriticalacclaimbutIdidnotcareforitone
bit.Thereason?Itwasimpossibletounderstand.Whywouldtheresuddenlybedinosaursinadramaabouta
familylosingtheirlovedone?Iwasimmediatelyturnedoffandjustassumedthatmoviecriticswerejust
extremelypretentious.Thatwasthreeyearsago.
Fastforwardtotoday,andIwastaskedwithwatchingitagain.Myappreciationforfilmhasgrown,andI
havegraspedcertainconceptsattributedtogoodfilmmaking.Toaddtothat,InowviewTerrenceMalickas
acinematicgenius.Hisfilmsarewithoutadoubtnotforeveryone,asitrequirespatientunderstandingof
unconventionalmethods.WhenIfirstwatchedtheTreeofLifewhenIwas15,Ididntknowanyofthat.
ThiswasperhapsthefirstmovieIwatchedwithnoimmediateresemblanceofastraightplot,anditwasjust
toocomplexforme.
However,throughouttheyears,Ihavegatheredenough(inmyopinion)knowledgeinordertoappreciatea
filmsuchasTheTreeofLife.Atthebeginningofthemovie,theviewerispresentedwithaBiblepassage
fromtheBookofJob:
WherewereyouwhenIlaidthefoundationsoftheEarth...whenthemorningstarssangtogether
andallthesonsofGodshoutedforJoy?
Religionisoneofthemainthemesofthemovie.Aheavenlychorusechoesthroughoutthewholefilm.
RaisedinaChristianfamily,IimmediatelythoughtaboutJob.Hewasraisedasperhapstheultimatelitmus
testoffaithinGod,andthemovieseemedtofitthebillintermsofthat.Philosophicallyspeaking,themain
issueofthemovieisthatitraisesthequestion:Whyshouldwebegoodiflifewouldjustfindawayto
screwitallup? ThisiswhatalludesittothestoryJob.LikeJob,allcharactersarepresentedwithexistential
questionssuchastheoneraisedabove.Forthemother,religious,happy,andsomewhatinnocentinher
ways,sheasks,Whoarewetoyou? toaseeminglycompassionlessGodthatgivesandtakesawayattheir
expense.ForwhatwasalltheeffortinfollowingGodwhenhersonwaskilledwhenhewasjust19?Forthe
father,thestrictauthorityfigure,traditionalinitsways,butnotatallevil.Heasks,WhymustIcontinue
beinggoodatthefaceofdefeat?,astheplantheworksinclosesandheisleftwithajobnobodywants.
Asthemovieprogresses,thechildrenbegintodespisetheirfathersauthoritarianways.Whenheleftfora
longbusinesstrip,theycelebrate.Thefather,howeverisnotthevillainofthestory.Attheend,heproves
thathecanberedeemed.Heapologizestohissonandadmitsthathedidnotappreciatethegloryoflife.He
ismerelyavictimoftheseeminglyrandomtragedyoflife,firmlybelievingthataweakandsympathetic
personalityisarecipefordisasterinlife,whichspawnshisstrictmethods.Heteacheshischildrenthis,and
more.Also,forthekids,theyarepresentedwiththequestion:Whybegoodiftheconsequencesarestillthe
same? Arevelationoccurstothemastheywitnesstheirfrienddrown,andanotheronefallvictimto
burning.TalkingtoGod,theysay,Youlethimdie, andperhapsthiscausedthemtolosethisinnocence,in
additiontotheirfathersconstantdisciplining.ThisledtoJack,theeldestchild,tocarryoutirresponsible
actions,followinghisvolatileinstincts.
ThisfollowsthePhilosophyofReligion,whichtacklestheexistenceofGodandreligiousexperience.The
philosophicaldilemmafacedbythecharactersisalsoreminiscentoftheteachingsofAugstine,concerning

evilandfreewill.Whenfacedwiththequestionssuchas,WhydoesGodletbadthingshappen? Augustine
statesthatGodmerelyhasanindirectroleinsuffering,andthatthemaincauseofsufferingishumanwill.
Thisisagoodfilm,onethatisnotpretentious,butneedingpatientviewingforfullunderstanding.Itmaybe
discombobulatedatfirst,butwatchingitagainwouldchangeyourviewofthemovie,asitdidmine.Despite
shiftingfromvastgalaxiesandthetrialsandtribulationsofasmallsuburbanAmericanfamily,itwasnotall
fornaught.Itisvisuallystunning,andtheglimpsesoftheuniverseareperhapsthehighlightofthefilm.The
actingistopnotchaswell,asexpectedofMalick,whocontinuestodrawoutimpressiveperformancesfrom
hisactors.BradPittisperfectfortheroleofthefather,andJessicaChastainsportrayalofthemotheris
brilliant,somewhatethereal.
Thisisnotanonsensicalmovie,assomemightdismissittobe.Itisarguablythemostambitiousfilmin
historysinceKubricks2001:ASpaceOdyssey.Fitting,astheysharethesamespecialeffectssupervisor.
Thegeniusofthefilmliesinitsabilitytocaptivateeventhosewhodonotbelieveinahigherpower.The
historyoftheuniversesceneisnotjustthereforcinematiceffectoreyecandy,theyaretherefordeeper
meaning,oneithasachieved.Malickhasshownthemotivationsandthepowerreligionhasoverpeople,
albeitinanincoherentway.Movies,firstandforemost,areanartform,whicharemadetoevokeemotion,
andemotionisrarelylogical.Callitsurreal,butthefactremains:TheTreeofLifeisadisjointed
masterpiece.