The Tree of Life

Started by modage, January 28, 2009, 06:54:07 PM

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RegularKarate

SPOILER?

but wouldn't characters who believe in such a cliche experience it like that?  They make their own, right? 

socketlevel

***SPOILERS (FOR VANILLA SKY AS WELL)***

Quote from: RegularKarate on June 16, 2011, 11:22:28 AM
SPOILER?

but wouldn't characters who believe in such a cliche experience it like that?  They make their own, right?  


I guess, but that sounds like an afterthought. It's a little reaching, but I'll give you that this is a possibility. However from the dialog and tone of the rest of the film, for malick to suddenly address that the boy became cliched in his views on life doesn't seem like it fits.

Oh Sundown, i finally thought of a movie in which a big time director did it before... Vanilla Sky. It ends on the top of a building, somehow visually suggesting a higher form of thinking, Tom cruise is now being explained why his reality is in flux. The setting and the lighting, coupled with the actor who plays some form of God/mainframe computer in his world is very cliched. One could argue the point RK just made that because this is his subconscious, then cliches are what he would conjure. And there is some validity to that, but in the end i guess I just think it's too easy.  In many ways the last scene in Vanilla Sky captures the same aesthetic of an afterlife. This is the scene where Cruise must chose to let his dream die so he can go live his life again.  I think the pretense mixed with a cliched way of depicting it is what easily makes this the weakest part of the film.  The only saving grace for that scene is Kurt Russell; a humorous performance that draws attention to the fact the whole situation is silly (much like the hypothetical Warren Beatty or Chris Rock examples i previously mentioned)
the one last hit that spent you...

MacGuffin

Too Much Of A Good Thing? Terrence Malick Apparently Preparing 6 Hour Cut Of 'The Tree Of Life'
Source: Playlist

Terrence Malick may be done with "The Tree Of Life," but "The Tree Of Life" ain't done with him. Or something like that. With film already stamped with Palme d'Or and rolling out across the country adding a bunch of new cities this weekend it appears that Malick isn't through tinkering with the film just yet. In an interview with the latest edition of high brow fancypants film magazine Les Cahiers du Cinéma (via The Film Stage), as part of an extensive feature about "The Tree Of Life," cinematographer Emmanuel Lubeski reveals that Malick is still playing with the 300 plus miles footage he shot for the picture and cutting a six hour version of the movie. Here's what he had to say (roughly translated by IMDB user nlvg): Do Malick think about editing when he's filming ? We speak about it almost everytime. But most of the ideas about the editing we share on the set don't make the final cut. (...) We maybe have been shot 600.000 metres (around 370 miles) of film (...) The first cut was 8 hours long. Terry is working on/preparing a 6 hours long version of the movie. What I've seen (of this) is absolutely incredible, it's wonderful. The longer version will have to/will likely, for the most part, relate to the children part. There were outstanding things, we've shot many, many things about Jack's childhood : his friends, his evolution, his changes, his awereness of the loss of his childhood... I don't know if I'm supposed to say all of this ! Of course, this isn't the first time Malick has gone back to the editing bay after a movie has been released. His last effort, "The New World," first screened for critics in a 150-minute cut, before being revised—with slightly different narration and some new footage—into a shorter, 135-minute theatrical cut. Then, a longer 172-minute "Extended Cut" was released on DVD and BluRay. So could we be in for a treat when "The Tree Of Life" goes to home video? Better start saving those pennies now. It's interesting to note that the section Malick is choosing to expand is actually the most "straightforward" aspect of the entire film. Granted, more of the cosmos stuff will appear in the still gestating documentary "Voyage Of Time" but with "The Tree Of Life" his most clearly autobiographical film to date—we discuss that at length here—it's perhaps not too surprising he's continuing to mine the portion of the film closest to his heart. In fact, in a lovely article that appeared in The Millions, it's revealed that Malick quietly screened "The Tree Of Life" in his hometown of Bartlesville, Oklahoma for his 99-year old mother Irene recently. Those who have seen the film already won't be too shocked to hear that his father Emil, did not attend. But six hours? The film succeeds because of its lyrical, enigmatic nature. One that captures the mixed feelings of childhood—joy, rebellion, jealousy, anger, love—in a structure that's almost like stumbling across an incomplete set of home movies. Spelling it out much, much further would seem somewhat like overkill. Of course, there is probably undoubtedly all kinds deleted or extended scenes—one reader whose late father was cast as an extra told us there was an entire day spent shooting a courtroom scene that in the theatrical cut lasts barely thirty seconds—and we can only imagine how much footage was captured as Malick searched for his "moments." It almost seems like six hours would be too much of a good thing, but given half the chance, we'd be the first to watch it. So yet another curious chapter added to the lore of "The Tree Of Life" and career of Terrence Malick. In addition to this, he's still got the untitled romance with Ben Affleck and Rachel McAdams, another film he might shoot later this summer and "Voyage Of Time" all cooking so we'll eagerly await whatever comes next from the director.
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


Skeleton FilmWorks

Fernando

what the hell is wrong with the playlist and these paragraph-less articles? I can't even bother to read that mess.

seriously mod, teach them how it's done.

bigperm

All I can offer is I felt it was wonderful. I feel silly even typing that word. I don't feel I can really say anything worthwhile or "review" this film, all of you do a far better job of putting things into words than I. But if you haven't seen it or you're on the fence - I say, regardless of the outcome, experience this film.
Safe As Milk

MacGuffin

Quote from: Fernando on June 17, 2011, 09:31:53 AM
what the hell is wrong with the playlist and these paragraph-less articles? I can't even bother to read that mess.

seriously mod, teach them how it's done.

I copy and paste them that way. I'm doing it from my phone so its more dificult to keep going back and forth to see paragraph breaks. Sorry.
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


Skeleton FilmWorks

Fernando

 :oops:  now I feel like a douche

no need to apologize my friend, you earned virtual heaven long ago.

socketlevel

I'd watch this. It would be amazing if the 6 hour cut fixes many of my issues.

Yo that was some mad love fernando :)
the one last hit that spent you...

Pubrick

It doesn't help that the articles have so much extraneous bullshit, but the single paragraph just pushes it over the edge of readability, which is a shame since there is usually good info somewhere in the mess.

maybe we should assign someone else to keep us posted of movie news from around the webs until mac can get back to a real computer.

under the paving stones.

Gold Trumpet

The only negativity about a 6 hour cut is that it may make this theatrical release feel a little unsatisfying by the end. Ingmar Bergman's theatrical version of Scenes from a Marriage and Fanny and Alexander got good reviews and nice income, but each version was eventually forgotten when the television cuts became readily available and audiences yearned for the full vision. Audiences already unimpressed with Malick on every level will still probably just log the theatrical cut as the cut, but the rest of us will wonder if Malick knew his vision would be at least 6 hours and his audience was never going to get a fair shake to see it in theaters.

If Malick is already designing a 6 hour cut now, I believe it was always his vision. Considering the complaints here, I know some will rag on an even longer version, but I fear this previous knowledge may dent my own expectations for experience with the theatrical cut when I finally get a chance to see it.

Ravi

QuoteMalick quietly screened "The Tree Of Life" in his hometown of Bartlesville, Oklahoma for his 99-year old mother Irene recently. Those who have seen the film already won't be too shocked to hear that his father Emil, did not attend.

Wait a minute...BOTH of his parents are still alive???

Sleepless

I have mixed feelings about that. I liked the film, but I don't know if I could sit through a 6 hour version. If it didn't fix the problems the theatrical cut had, that would be 6 hours of my life I'd never get back.
He held on. The dolphin and all the rest of its pod turned and swam out to sea, and still he held on. This is it, he thought. Then he remembered that they were air-breathers too. It was going to be all right.

Fernando

bad news my Mexican friends

just spoke with a woman that talks about film on the radio, and told me that the distributor Artecinema Gussi has it, and apparently the plan is to release it at the Morelia Film Festival in OCTOBER!!

I hope she's wrong cuz if true this means we will see it maybe til november/december in other cities.

and I don't think ill risk going to mcallen, highways are a little dangerous right now, and by plane it's just too expensive for me right now.

Stefen

Someone who has seen it, please watch this clip and tell us if it's a spoiler or not?

http://content.foxsearchlight.com/inside/node/4878
Falling in love is the greatest joy in life. Followed closely by sneaking into a gated community late at night and firing a gun into the air.

RegularKarate

Quote from: S.R. on June 17, 2011, 05:35:30 PM
Someone who has seen it, please watch this clip and tell us if it's a spoiler or not?

http://content.foxsearchlight.com/inside/node/4878

It's hard to spoil the movie plot-wise, but I would definitely avoid seeing this for the first time on the internet.  It deserves big screenness.