In Defense of "Tree of Life"... Sort of

"Where were you when I laid the foundations of the Earth, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?" Job 38:4,7

There have been few films in 2011 that have been as polarizing as "Tree of Life." When it showed at the Cannes Film Festival, the report is that half the crowd applauded and half booed and walked out. The film certainly draws a reaction, but it's a very mixed reaction.

When the film won at Cannes, "Entertainment Weekly" offered divergent view points. One critic loved the film, one hated it. One of the critics, in the year end special, named it the best film of the year. One didn't even have it on the list of the 10 best.

It is a polarizing film. People have either loved it or hated it. I guess I'm the exception. I didn't love the film — in fact, I found it somewhat frustrating to watch. But I didn't hate the film — in fact I was intrigued, somewhat, by the way Terrance Malick seemed to be working out a deeper musing on life.

Those that have been negative about the film have pointed to the structure, which is a valid criticism. The film lacks a coherent narrative through line, which is usually essential to the medium. It is a collection of scenes and random musings, faux theology, and disconnected thoughts. And it is. But I would argue that is a standard aspect of a Malick film.

Think about "The Thin Red Line" or "The New World," both films that lacked a strong narrative structure. They were about people who — predominantly through voice over monologue — talked about their problems while interacting with the world. Is "Tree of Life" really so different — I don't think it is.

What was different, perhaps, were the expectations. Though I will grant that this film has less of a definitive plot than previous Malick films. Still, I don't think it's too out of the bounds of what we've seen through his work, especially his work over the past 15 years.

The film is meant to be an all encompassing musing on the foundation of the world, the ethereal reality of God, and the way that factors into the way we deal with difficult things in our lives. Hence the Big Bang, Dinosaurs, and sequences of the cosmos. Again, I'm not saying I subscribe to the theological veracity of his work, just trying to explain the ultimate goal.

So that speaks to the structural element of the film, which is a major turn off for most people, including myself. But what about the content, and the way that content is explored in this film? That I find more interesting.

Consider the quote from Job at the top of this post — that is the quote that opens "Tree of Life." It is not there by accident. It is meant to be the basis from which we view all that comes afterward, and if you look at it in that context, then things start to come into view.

Job is oft quoted and oft misunderstood. It is a book about the human experience, focusing on the suffering and sorrow that are a part of every life after the fall, and how that relates to our faith. Job gets to ask some of the tough questions and express some of the deeply felt doubt and anger we all feel at one point or another. But the important thing to remember is that it never causes him to lapse in his faith. That can't be said of all individuals who grapple with the same ideas.

Clearly Malick isn't a strong Christian. Clearly he has a knowledge of the Bible. My best guess, watching the whole scenario play out, is that Malick is perhaps a Deist, but more likely an Agnostic. That explains the somewhat worldly approach to this spiritual search as it plays out on the screen, hence the Big Bang and dinosaurs.

Consider the verse at the start in context, then consider the film. The verse is a response from God after Job questions him based on the trying life experiences he's endured. The film begins with a tragedy, showing how it deeply affects the characters both at the time and in the future, and how it causes them to question deeper things in life. Then the film spins to a protracted prologue of the foundations and formations of the Earth.

Again, consider the text — God asks Job, "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the Earth?" Malick is, in his own way, depicting a variation of that Job account with "Tree of Life." He is seriously considering these issues, but he doesn't have the answers the way we might, and he approaches the whole issue in his own way. That is fascinating. That is a window into the spiritual search of an artist. That, in short, is what I love about film, and the driving force behind the Faith in Film program. Does Malick's worldview match my own? Certainly not, based on the evidence, but it's fascinating and compelling all the same.

Owen Glieberman, the critic from "Entertainment Weekly" who named "Tree of Life" the best film of 2011, compared it to a James Joyce poem. I think that's a beautifully apt description of what you get with this film. When I was in college, in order to not have to take classes on Fridays, I took British literature of the 1900s for my literature requirement. The teacher took that a step further, making it a survey of British poetry. I hated every part of the reading and response to literature in that class. It was all metaphors, overly long, and purposely vague. Doesn't that describe Malick's work in "Tree of Life" perfectly? That is why people struggle with the film.

I am not a Malick apologist, and I wouldn't even say I like the film. I rated it a 5 out of 10 on Internet Movie Database. But I can appreciate and understand what he is trying to do. I don't love the form, but I admire an artist who is trying to work things out in a thoughtful way.

I have said before that all films, like all other forms of art, serve as a reflection of the beliefs and struggles of their creators. It's clear that Malick is wrestling with something big here — he is wrestling with measuring our lives against the history of time. "Tree of Life" is his way of working it out. It remains a flawed view of God and the world, but you can't help but hope it's a step on the path toward the ultimate truth that is found in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.