Four years ago, the cinematic world was waiting with baited breath for Terrence Malick‘s "The Tree Of Life." It was the first film in six years from the filmmaker, boasting two A-list stars in Brad Pitt and Sean Penn as well as a then completely unknown actress named Jessica Chastain in the lead roles. There was talk of the universe and dinosaurs appearing in the movie, which was also said to be Malick’s most personal work yet. Even now, it’s a movie that’s difficult to encapsulate, but his video essay does a pretty great job as such.
The New Yorker‘s Richard Brody spends just under five minutes unpacking "The Tree Of Life," and it’s a reminder of how layered Malick’s work is. Spanning time, memory, love and loss, it’s a movie that wrestles with big philosophical questions while remaining strikingly intimate. As Brody notes, the film is like "a cinematic self-psychoanalysis" on Malick’s behalf. Revisit "The Tree Of Life" below.