have always been looking forward to this film, not only because of the attractive trailer or strong cast, but also because of the fact that the film won the Palme d'Or. Huge controversy and repercussions, what kind of advantages can actually make it stand on the highest podium of the Cannes Film Festival, and what kind of shortcomings lead to fierce criticism and doubts from the audience, which is very appetizing. I was fortunate enough to find the disc the day before yesterday. Yesterday, after gnashing my teeth patiently for 139 minutes, I still have some indigestion. After reading it, in my humble opinion, everyone's views on this film will roughly be divided into three kinds of consensus, one is a perfect work that is broad, profound, exquisite and wonderful, and the other is a stream of consciousness that is artificial and tricky, but it seems easy to understand, but it is actually broad and esoteric. Three is one plus two, and I fall into three.
The picture and the soundtrack are the two magic weapons for the success of this film, which vividly and artistically express the profound, broad and rich ideological connotation of the film. The elegant and moving soundtrack makes people linger and forget to return. Even if the film's esoteric and grand theme makes it a little confusing, it is still meticulous and perfect in terms of look and feel, and it is an audio-visual feast. Another thing I have to mention is that there are both pros and cons in the film. The advantage is that it is novel, special and dare to break through and innovate. The disadvantage is that it is too deliberate and contrived.
In essence, it wants to put forward many philosophical questions and viewpoints related to the essence of human beings, the complexity of human nature, the meaning and truth of life, etc. through the trivial matters and fragments of the life of an ordinary family of five people, but the film does not give a smooth flow. The clear and clear process and platform are reflected in the way of flashback and interspersed. The original temperament of the film has a kind of illusory and even a little psychedelic and treacherous meaning. I have to carefully figure out the trivial and philosophical dialogues and narrations of the characters in the film, and I have to coherently splicing the front and back plots in my mind, and I have to rack my brains to experience the deep meaning and inspiration of the film. Maybe my realm is not yet reached. Or maybe your IQ is not high enough, and you can't really think about it without burning your brain.
In order to make the connotation more profound and grand, the director also incorporated a segment that is more grand and broad like exploration and discovery, as far away as the age of dinosaurs, as close as the underwater world, as large as the universe, volcanic eruptions, stormy waves, small and delicate Bacteria, blood vessels and nerves..., the mysterious and wonderful nature, cruel harmony, turbulence and calmness are vividly and indescribably expressed through the charm of the images. Although these can lay a solid and solid foundation for the film's theory, there are many The big metaphor has a subtle cause and effect relationship with the subsequent plot development, but it still gives people a subconscious sense of disconnection. Finally, he expresses the extraordinary significance of love in life directly; the family is like a reunion in the spiritual world, the mother dances with a group of messengers; and the middle-aged Jack passes through the door that he does not understand. Too suspenseful, hypocritical and artificial, not natural and convincing enough.
Taking off the dazzling and gorgeous coat, "The Tree of Life" is actually a very simple story, from the happiness of a family's simple life at first, to the gradually deepening estrangement and contradiction, and finally to the resolution and understanding. It is such a clichéd plot, but it is such an ordinary experience that is wrapped with many philosophies of life that are worth pondering. The pictures of the three children when they were just born were so pure and flawless, like young angels, they grew up with incomparable innocence and happiness, but as they grew older, they began to have self-awareness, cognition and analysis. After the ability, coupled with the influence of the environment, we have to devote ourselves from pure simplicity to a complex and full of unknown and crisis life state. The film focuses on Jack among the three sons. Through his communication and interaction with his family, he philosophically ponders and discusses the results of his thoughts in speech and behavior.
Disability, hunger, poverty, and death Jack saw in his eyes, coupled with his father's extremely severe and harsh education methods, his fear of the world and his reluctance to cater to and obedience to his father, made Jack forget his mother's love-oriented teaching , began to gradually act according to his own thoughts and instincts, thus becoming rebellious and extreme, coupled with his subjective consciousness, all he saw was the dark side of life, cursing his father, hurting his younger brother, reckless behavior regardless of the consequences, But in the end Jack was influenced by love; there are a lot of messages and prayers to God in the film, as well as the shaping of the spiritual kingdom; the death of my brother; in my opinion, I can see from the ordinary family in the film. These inviolable fates, the struggles of human nature, the cruelty of the living environment, the sustenance and dependence on belief, the sublime and great love in the meaning of life, are all profound and powerful manifestations of natural philosophy, just like burying the inconspicuous. Just like the extremely small seeds can grow large dense and lush forests, the director skillfully and wisely achieved the effect of zooming in from small to deep, in addition to the senses, this is the biggest charm of the film.
It is difficult to use a clear good or bad as the only criterion for evaluating this film, just like appreciating a contemporary art, for most people, it is difficult to guess or see the author's mind, and want to see through abstraction. The metaphors and connotations that the avant-garde works want to express, but they can still involuntarily express their deep appreciation and admiration for the artistic value revealed in them, and "The Tree of Life" also has the same meaning. This kind of arduous display, although it is difficult to win the love of the public, with mixed praise and criticism, as far as I am concerned, it is both shocking and regrettable, but the pursuit of perfect art form to achieve the ultimate beauty, the expression method is bold and full of innovative consciousness of ideas , plus an unprecedentedly vast and magnificent core, it is enough to leave a name in film history.
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