Thursday, December 16, 2010

tree of life


Tree of Life is a period piece centered around three boys in the 1950s. The eldest son (Hunter McCracken none SAG) of two characters (Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain) witnesses the loss of innocence.

We trace the evolution of an eleven-year-old boy in the Midwest, Jack, one of three brothers. At first all seems marvelous to the child. He sees as his mother does, with the eyes of his soul. She represents the way of love and mercy, where the father tries to teach his son the world's way, of putting oneself first. Each parent contends for his allegiance, and Jack must reconcile their claims. The picture darkens as he has his first glimpses of sickness, suffering and death. The world, once a thing of glory, becomes a labyrinth.

Framing this story is that of adult Jack, a lost soul in a modern world, seeking to discover amid the changing scenes of time that which does not change: the eternal scheme of which we are a part. When he sees all that has gone into our world's preparation, each thing appears a miracle precious, incomparable. Jack, with his new understanding, is able to forgive his father and take his first steps on the path of life.

The story ends in hope, acknowledging the beauty and joy in all things, in the everyday and above all in the family -- our first school -- the only place that most of us learn the truth about the world and ourselves, or discover life's single most important lesson, of unselfish love.

Esta é a sinopse, já há algum tempo divulgada, do próximo filme do sublime cineasta Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life. Desde a sua divulgação, mais nada se soube do filme, à excepção dos sucessivos rumores sobre datas de estreias sucessivas que acabavam por não se verificar, o que já é costume nos filmes de Malick, por dificuldades com as distribuidoras e pelo longo tempo que Malick costuma dispender a montar os filmes.

Com as expectativas em alta, saiu agora finalmente o trailer de The Tree of Life. O que vi não me podia ter deixado mais satisfeito. O típico estilo Malickiano está lá, na contemplação das imagens, na reflexão em voz-off, na relação do Homem com a Natureza e na perfeição dos planos. No entanto, há algo mais aqui, que não existia nos anteriores filmes do realizador, nem mesmo em The Thin Red Line: um tom épico poderosíssimo e incrivelmente ambicioso, estilo 2001: Odisseia no Espaço, como se se quisesse fazer o maior filme de todos os tempos.

Na maioria dos realizadores, este tom seria certamente ridículo. De Malick, espera-se o melhor. Aqui fica o trailer.