A man reflects on his childhood in 1950's Texas and ponders the mysteries of existence.
Writer-director Terrence Malick is one of modern cinema's true enigmas. He attended Harvard University before becoming a Rhodes Scholar, then later taught philosophy at M.I.T. At some point he transitioned from freelance journalism into screenwriting, and was an early student at the American Film Institute conservatory in the late 1960's. His debut feature Badlands (1973) was a festival and critical success, and paved the way for his follow-up Days of Heaven (1978), which won a directing award at the Cannes Film Festival and an Academy Award for its breathtaking cinematography.
After Days of Heaven, Malick disappeared from cinema for twenty years, during which he moved to Paris and worked on a number of unrealized screenplays. He returned in 1998 with a sprawling adaptation of James Jones' acclaimed World War II novel The Thin Red Line, featuring many of Hollywood's most notable actors, which garnered seven Oscar nominations. The Tree of Life is a project Malick had been developing since the late 1970's, and his most autobiographical work to date. Malick's refusal to do interviews or any kind of promotion for his films has led to much discussion of his working methods and of the deeper meaning of his work, especially considering his scholastic background.
Various actors became attached to the project since its announcement in 2005, with Brad Pitt serving as one of the producers before stepping forward to taking one of the main roles. Previous Malick alum Sean Penn also came on board to play the main character in the present-day sequences. Up and coming actress Jessica Chastain was cast in the role of the "mother", in a year that saw her appear in several other major releases. The rest of the cast was made up mostly of local non-actors. Another return collaborator is cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, considered one of the best in the business.
In addition to being set in several different 20th Century time periods, the film also features an extended sequence going back to the origins of the universe and the evolution of life on earth. To take on this massive challenge, Malick enlisted special effects pioneer Douglas Trumbull (2001: A Space Odyssey, Blade Runner, Close Encounters) to assist in the mostly non-CGI, in-camera effects using liquids, gasses, and photographic tricks.
The film premiered at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Palme d'Or (1st Prize). It has been named the Best Film Of The Year by various critics groups and appeared on many Top 10 lists and polls.
Running time is approx. 2 hrs, 15 min.
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