This movie is a prayer. It is a heart's cry out to God. How does one film such a concept? Terrance Malik tries his darndest and comes up with something that is visually flawless, emotionally compelling, and pretty near perfect.
It is very helpful to have read a synopsis review of this film before seeing it. I had, and so was expecting a non-linear (to say the least), impressionistic, film who emphasis was on images evoking emotions rather than on concrete narrative. Had I not read a review or 2 beforehand, I might have gotten lost at first. Hard to say. The film strikes a two-fold chord. On the one hand, it requires a lot of the viewer to assimilate the images and to understand what time period one is in. If you let your concentration slip, you might be asking "What's going on now?" But at the same time, the film is so soothing that you can actually relax and let the stunning imagery wash over you.
Several points are made. First and foremost, it is a prayer of the three lead characters as they seek to understand God in a world that can sometimes be cruel. Second, it is an analysis of living by "grace" versus living by "nature". Grace being defined as grateful in all circumstances, other-centric, seeing the love and wonder of the created universe. Nature being defined as the polar opposite. The mother represents the former and the father the latter (although he makes a change). However, the film shows their living out of grace and nature in a perfectly normal way, so that one could actually imagine real people living as they do. And lastly, the film explores the creation of the universe and the living out of it until the end of time. This is done from a distinctly Biblical point of view. Christianity is the underlying metaphor, with a quote from the book of Job as an underlying message.
What a majestic movie! It resonated very deeply with me as a Christian. It is hauntingly universal in the emotions it evokes and it captures the struggles one has while praying as well as the deliverance one receives through prayer. It shows resolutely the providence of God, the creator of all things, who orchestrates creation beautifully (the choral music during those scenes represents this excellently) even though from our limited perspective we may see only the chaotic side of nature. This movie will no doubt anger hardened "new-atheists". But then again, their opinion of a closed world view of life that excludes the unseen spiritual world is opinion. If you are such a person, I encourage you to see the film, if nothing else to understand why a person of faith can see God in the greater tapestry of life.
It is very helpful to have read a synopsis review of this film before seeing it. I had, and so was expecting a non-linear (to say the least), impressionistic, film who emphasis was on images evoking emotions rather than on concrete narrative. Had I not read a review or 2 beforehand, I might have gotten lost at first. Hard to say. The film strikes a two-fold chord. On the one hand, it requires a lot of the viewer to assimilate the images and to understand what time period one is in. If you let your concentration slip, you might be asking "What's going on now?" But at the same time, the film is so soothing that you can actually relax and let the stunning imagery wash over you.
Several points are made. First and foremost, it is a prayer of the three lead characters as they seek to understand God in a world that can sometimes be cruel. Second, it is an analysis of living by "grace" versus living by "nature". Grace being defined as grateful in all circumstances, other-centric, seeing the love and wonder of the created universe. Nature being defined as the polar opposite. The mother represents the former and the father the latter (although he makes a change). However, the film shows their living out of grace and nature in a perfectly normal way, so that one could actually imagine real people living as they do. And lastly, the film explores the creation of the universe and the living out of it until the end of time. This is done from a distinctly Biblical point of view. Christianity is the underlying metaphor, with a quote from the book of Job as an underlying message.
What a majestic movie! It resonated very deeply with me as a Christian. It is hauntingly universal in the emotions it evokes and it captures the struggles one has while praying as well as the deliverance one receives through prayer. It shows resolutely the providence of God, the creator of all things, who orchestrates creation beautifully (the choral music during those scenes represents this excellently) even though from our limited perspective we may see only the chaotic side of nature. This movie will no doubt anger hardened "new-atheists". But then again, their opinion of a closed world view of life that excludes the unseen spiritual world is opinion. If you are such a person, I encourage you to see the film, if nothing else to understand why a person of faith can see God in the greater tapestry of life.