Terrence Malick's "The Tree of Life" is one of the most stunningly beautiful and heart-wrenching films I've ever seen. And it actually begins in silence; upon the black screen in white lettering are the following words from the Book of Job: “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? When the morning stars sang together, and the sons of God shouted for joy?” (Job 38:4, 7).
These words of God to Job refocus Job's vision of existence, both his own and the whole of creation. And we the viewers of "The Tree of Life" are invited into just such a re-envisioning of how we view ourselves, and ourselves in relation to others, creation, and the Divine Cause of all goodness. After these biblical themes are introduced, over the next few hours, the film thrusts us through the grandness, grandeur and glory of existence, of reality. And this reality in almost every dimension and depth. Its glory, beauty and joy, though none of this as untouched by tragedy, sorrow, and the deep torments of living a truly human life. We find ourselves as viewers juxtaposed between the glory of the whole of creation and the particular joys and sorrows of human lives.
Throughout the movie, we hear its characters address God, address that by which all this stands as possible. So one especially perceptive way of viewing the film, then, is as a sort of confession to God. A confession of both one’s misdeeds and wrongness of thought and action, but also a confession of praise, gratitude and thanksgiving. It, then, can be seen as a very St. Augustine-like movie.
Guiding us through this particular way of viewing "The Tree of Life" today is Paul Camacho, who is Associate Director of the Augustinian Institute and Arthur J. Ennis Post-doctoral Fellow in the Humanities at Villanova University. Related Links:
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