Malick, What is the Meaning
Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life takes us on a passage through the Heavens, and then we are carried above volcanoes and then plunge below the surface into the deep ocean.
We see a few of our most celebrated scientific images of all time. I have wondered why we are on this journey with Malick. I don’t think this concept received an answer.
During the movie, we visit diverse locations, including Waco, Texas; Villa Lante; Death Valley; and the Sun. Malick reminds us of space, living things, and the significance of our humanity. Bringing up such questions: Being raised by a violent father and an angelic mother, does it balance a person? Does history shape our existence?
I had the opportunity to watch the movie the other night. A viewing experience that sometimes bewildered me with visual and aural beauty. Almost bored with wandering attention, I was surprised to see dinosaurs in the movie, which I believe was meant to explain why man is so violent, but I’m not sure.
The DVD comes with a 30-minute featurette about the behind-the-scenes look at the making of the movie. I watched the featurette, and it didn’t help explain Malick’s choice of locations.
“The nuns taught us there are two ways through life: the way of nature, and the way of grace. You have to choose which one you’ll follow.”— Mrs. O’Brien (Jessica Chastain) in Terrence Malick’s “The Tree of Life”
Death Valley
In the Mojave Desert, located in Eastern California, lies Death Valley. Records indicated the area registers the lowest, driest, and hottest locations in North America. The valley gained fame in 1849 during the California Gold Rush. Its title, “death,” didn’t hold much weight in the era, with only one death recorded during the Gold Rush.
On July 10, 1913, the hottest air temperature ever recorded was 134 degrees Fahrenheit at Furnace Creek, a perfect name for the event. During this period, the desert reached 129 degrees Fahrenheit for five days.
At one point (2.588 million to 12000 years ago), the area was a succession of inland seas called Lake Manly. A freshwater lake that eventually evaporated as the temperatures in the region grew hotter. How this relates to Malick’s movie, I don’t know.
Texas
The second-largest state in the United States is Texas, nearly twice the size of Germany and Japan combined. The large size of Texas brings divergent climatic regions, and rivers form three of its borders. Thus, the state is diverse yet beautiful, with deserts, prairies, grasslands, forests, and coastlines. For this reason, the large state resembles the American South and Southwest.
Villa Lante
The Villa Lante is a historical garden of wonder near Viterbo in central Italy. Construction of Villa Lante started around 1566. The estate has changed owners many, many times since its development. Families lived in the Villa until around the 19th century.
The property is famous for its architectural design and water fountains, drawing thousands of visitors for centuries.
In 1944, Allied bombing heavily hit the estate due to the fall of Rome. In the late 20th century, Dr. Angelo Cantoni purchased the Villa. He managed a very long restoration process. As of 2014, the Villa belongs to the Republic of Italy.
The Sun
The Sun is a star at the center of our Solar System. It has a mass 330,000 times that of Earth. The Sun emits sunlight that supports all life on Earth and shapes Earth’s climate and weather. Because of the Sun’s godlike nature, it controls Earth’s well-being. Some societies have believed the Sun to be a deity.
Mauna Loa Volcano
Mauna Loa, located in the tropical paradise of Hawaii, is one of the largest volcanoes on Earth. One of the five volcanoes that form the Islands of Hawaii, the volcano has remained active for roughly 700,000 years. However, Mauna Loa’s most recent eruption in 1984 caused no deaths, whereas those in 1926 and 1950 devastated villages.
Hilo, Hawaii, has been built on lava flows from Mauna Loa since the 19th century. Because Mauna Loa is still active and evolving, the volcano is watched continuously for the safety of its inhabitants.
“I film quite a bit of footage, then edit. Changes before your eyes, things you can do and things you can’t. My attitude is always ‘let it keep rolling.'”— Terrence Malick
Malick: A Hidden Life
I have shown you scenes from Malick’s movie, hoping it helps you understand his overall message about the nature of man and his many forms.
Malick said once, “Perhaps when I have ten films behind me, I will have something worth saying.”
A pivotal part of Malick’s films is the music he uses for the score. We cannot hear his music now; it plays only in the movie, where the soundtrack plays a vital part in The Tree of Life. The visual locations with the significant compositions by the greatest composers, including Mozart, Brahms, Berlioz, and others, experience the nature and grace of humankind.