tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5970683153008645393.post472634407409768985..comments2024-01-09T16:17:22.327-06:00Comments on Bring the Books: Some Christian Reflections on The Tree of LifeAdam Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05826908205996140341noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5970683153008645393.post-18871688931955580502011-07-13T12:37:52.309-05:002011-07-13T12:37:52.309-05:00I look forward to hearing more thoughts from you o...I look forward to hearing more thoughts from you on this Adam. I saw the film last night. Overall, I thought it did a tremendous job of addressing deep questions/themes in a mature, honest fashion. The very selective dialogue never seemed forced, as if the film were just an agenda driven essay, but genuine.<br /><br />I think one of the things that stood out to me most was the power of the juxtaposition between the main narrative and Sean Penn in the present. The images from the present are scenes we see in movies all the time - high-power business men in tall skyscrapers, doing what they do best - yet the subtext throughout those scenes was remarkably uncommon, and oh so rich.<br /><br />I agree with the review you linked to that the film was too honest to be pretentious.<br /><br />While I enjoyed the film and will definitely be studying it in the future, I suppose I'm still waiting for that film that deals with things as poetically and honestly and powerfully as TOL, yet more biblically, to knock the wind out of me.Brandonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15693380017090778540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5970683153008645393.post-34037325304276975292011-06-28T21:48:25.008-05:002011-06-28T21:48:25.008-05:00Thanks for the thoughts, Bryan. For me, it's ...Thanks for the thoughts, Bryan. For me, it's all about how you feel about Malick's style in the first place. I can see how people do see his style as being pretentious. I generally find his style to be very much to my liking, so I'm very forgiving when it comes to the elements that I know others will find contrived, as you called it. But I hear where you're coming from. It's just a sheer matter of taste, as far as I'm concerned.<br /><br />But see, I'm not really a film auteur. I'm just somebody who was very touched by The Thin Red Line as a teenager and so I just always stuck with Malick ever since then.Adam Parkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05826908205996140341noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5970683153008645393.post-5556787507345800632011-06-28T15:33:00.133-05:002011-06-28T15:33:00.133-05:00Hey Adam, good thoughts on a difficult movie to de...Hey Adam, good thoughts on a difficult movie to describe. You touched on some of the really interesting theological themes that appeared throughout the film. I would also say that within the drama Malick is spot-on with certain elements of parent/child relationships, loss of innocence, and childhood. A lot of really cool "moments" of childhood and growing up that resonated with me (and I'm sure many others)<br />However, there is a fine line between being brilliant and profound and being contrived and pretentious. I think that this film often played with that line. Do you think that is so? Were there any parts of the film that you thought, "oh, come on!" ... or as Monty Python would say, "on with it"!Bryan Dyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10392164989268169679noreply@blogger.com