THE TREE OF LIFE
TERRENCE MALICK | USA | 2011 | 139 MIN | PG-13 | ENGLISH
Terrence Malick’s equally confounding and transformative Palme d’Or winner heralded the return of a coveted auteur discovering a new, contemporary voice that would continue to influence his subsequent prolific output of the next ten years. Astonishing all who dared to lay their eyes on the film or attempt to interpret it, the pure sincerity and seeming disjointedness of THE TREE OF LIFE challenged the traditional narrative and fashionable cynicism of the time to create a unique experience that is as intimate and hushed as it is a roar with flames from the vast cosmos. Lost in a rueful daze, architect Jack (Sean Penn) wanders vast city landscapes remembering his short-fused father (Brad Pitt), doting mother (Jessica Chastain), and the early death of his younger brother. Little, inconsequential moments of Jack’s childhood linger over the film, yet Malick inspires pure awe at the formation of the universe and how we, as humans, are just a trivial blip in the journey. Whether you get lost in Malick’s blissful reverie or balk at his complete evisceration of cinema as we know it, THE TREE OF LIFE is an undeniable major work of the past twenty years.
Cast: Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, Jessica Chastain, Hunter McCracken
Part of the Cannes I Get A Boo? limited series
Relive the thrill of Cannes’ legendary croisette over the years as we present our favorite film debuts and prize winners along the French Riviera that were initially met with jeers from the festival’s notoriously vocal audience.
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