Tree of life - The Reversed Meta-Narrative
The legendary Terrence Malcik's, latest movie 'The Tree of Life' (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_tree_of_life_2011/) is one of the most unique movies I have ever seen. Within 10 minutes of the start, there is a 20 minute visual depiction of creation of life through big bang and subsequent evolution, without a single spoken word. The visuals are so astoundingly beautiful that in spite of the lack of verbal content, I is absolutely engrossed. The 140 minute movie has very few words. Malick communicates a feeling rather than content.
The movie is about the strained relationship between the father (Brad Pitt) and a son. The movie is sort of a 'dreamy narration' of the grown-up son (Sean Penn), which is probably why I think words are so few and the visuals so vivid. In the movie theatre... Some people loved it. Some hated it. Some slept through it. None laughed. Watching this movie... some may cry and sniffle, some may sigh, some may snore, but none will smile.
The meta-narrative (big story that serves as a backdrop for the main story) of the movie is 'Darwinism'. The resolution for all the pain and suffering in Sean's heart is found in Darwinism. 'God-ism' is made into a minor narrative within the Darwinian framework.
Sean Penn, struggles in reminiscence of his childhood trying to make sense of his cruel nature. He painfully remembers his 'Freudian-urge' to want to kill his father. As a kid, he even went down on his knees in prayer for God's help to kill his father. The other part of Sean Penn's guilt is the jealousy and, at times, even hatred the he harbored against his talented brother who dies young. Towards the end of the movie, Sean finally seems to resolve his guilt in that his cruel nature can only be explained through the Darwinian 'struggle for survival', where man finds himself 'red in tooth and claw' - and that is the way of Mother Nature. The movie begins with the 20 minute wordless visual sequence elaborating Darwinian evolution. The movie ends with a sort of mystical union with Mother Nature on the 'sea' shore. After all, as per Darwinism the sea (of premodial slime) is the Mother of all life.
Given the Darwinian meta-narrative, it is ironic that of the few spoken words in the movie, the word 'God' is generously bandied about. The movie starts with the profound verse Job 38:4 “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand." The movie ends with Sean's mother raising her hands and committing the fate of her dead son to 'god'. All along the dreamy narration, Sean questions God, why bad things happen. A dear Christian friend of mine said it seemed like a 'Godly' movie. I would beg to differ, not because Darwinism and God are incompatible, but because Terrence Malick does a brilliant reversal of the Christian idea of God. Malick makes Darwinism is the meta-narrative within which he subtly introduces 'god' as the smaller (imaginary) story giving comfort to people dealing with pain and suffering.
On the surface, though the movie seems so profusely to depict the idea of God, it really talks about a 'mystical god' who is a 'figment of imagination' in the Darwinian human mind. It deals with human understanding of a silent god. The god that is depicted is not a God with a Personality whom one can talk to and get answers from. In the movie, Sean keeps questioning a god within his mind, but only hears silence. Finally, Sean sees meaning in Darwinism. Job 38:4 is brilliantly twisted into the Darwinian context. God of the 'Tree of Life', is no God, but a god-ism - a 'mystical god' who is a creation of the human mind that is going through pain and suffering. That is why even though the movie is so full of god, it is Godless.
This sort of subtle reversal of the meta-narrative is not a new phenomenon, not among Christians at least. Our Pharisaical lives are so full of 'god-isms' like praying before dinner, seeking blessings, giving tithe, participating in ministries, attending Church, attending Bible Studies, going to marriages, baptisms and funerals... God is a figment in our imagination, we can't live without. But when it comes to dealing with real life issues, Christians, like Sean, hear a silent god. The problem is, sometimes Christians do not see God from within the Biblical meta-narrative. Rather, they see god from within the framework of their 'radical individualism', 'rampant materialism' and 'personal affluence'. Sometimes, Christians are led to believe God saved us to make use feel good. Such Christians worship and 'imaginary' God who supremely exists to bestow the 'Best Life Now' after 'Discovering the Champion in You' (plz. Google if the phrases in quotes don't ring a bell).
We forget that the Patriarchs in our religion were a bunch of vagabonds who were 'called' to live ridiculously tough lives just to glorify the Name of God. Often it is lost upon Christians that God saves us for the glorification of His own Name. We have to SEE God in the meta-narrative of His glorification. If we don't SEE God in the story of His glorification, we'll end up living our lives in the wrong story - the story of our own personal glorification. In as much as we don't SEE God from within the Biblical framework, we won't know who we are.
'Tree of life' asks deep questions about pain and suffering, but it does so from within the wrong meta-narrative. Consequently, Malick makes Darwinism the 'Tree of Life', and God as the creation of the human mind. The Christian Truth is the opposite. God is the creator of 'Tree of Life' and Darwinism is the creation of the human mind. The ultimate question we need to ask ourselves, is whether we SEE ourselves in the meta-narrative that glorifies God, or if we reverse the meta-narrative, and SEE God from within the framework of our own self-aggrandized stories of 'radical individualism', 'rampant materialism' and 'personal affluence'.
The movie is about the strained relationship between the father (Brad Pitt) and a son. The movie is sort of a 'dreamy narration' of the grown-up son (Sean Penn), which is probably why I think words are so few and the visuals so vivid. In the movie theatre... Some people loved it. Some hated it. Some slept through it. None laughed. Watching this movie... some may cry and sniffle, some may sigh, some may snore, but none will smile.
The meta-narrative (big story that serves as a backdrop for the main story) of the movie is 'Darwinism'. The resolution for all the pain and suffering in Sean's heart is found in Darwinism. 'God-ism' is made into a minor narrative within the Darwinian framework.
Sean Penn, struggles in reminiscence of his childhood trying to make sense of his cruel nature. He painfully remembers his 'Freudian-urge' to want to kill his father. As a kid, he even went down on his knees in prayer for God's help to kill his father. The other part of Sean Penn's guilt is the jealousy and, at times, even hatred the he harbored against his talented brother who dies young. Towards the end of the movie, Sean finally seems to resolve his guilt in that his cruel nature can only be explained through the Darwinian 'struggle for survival', where man finds himself 'red in tooth and claw' - and that is the way of Mother Nature. The movie begins with the 20 minute wordless visual sequence elaborating Darwinian evolution. The movie ends with a sort of mystical union with Mother Nature on the 'sea' shore. After all, as per Darwinism the sea (of premodial slime) is the Mother of all life.
Given the Darwinian meta-narrative, it is ironic that of the few spoken words in the movie, the word 'God' is generously bandied about. The movie starts with the profound verse Job 38:4 “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand." The movie ends with Sean's mother raising her hands and committing the fate of her dead son to 'god'. All along the dreamy narration, Sean questions God, why bad things happen. A dear Christian friend of mine said it seemed like a 'Godly' movie. I would beg to differ, not because Darwinism and God are incompatible, but because Terrence Malick does a brilliant reversal of the Christian idea of God. Malick makes Darwinism is the meta-narrative within which he subtly introduces 'god' as the smaller (imaginary) story giving comfort to people dealing with pain and suffering.
On the surface, though the movie seems so profusely to depict the idea of God, it really talks about a 'mystical god' who is a 'figment of imagination' in the Darwinian human mind. It deals with human understanding of a silent god. The god that is depicted is not a God with a Personality whom one can talk to and get answers from. In the movie, Sean keeps questioning a god within his mind, but only hears silence. Finally, Sean sees meaning in Darwinism. Job 38:4 is brilliantly twisted into the Darwinian context. God of the 'Tree of Life', is no God, but a god-ism - a 'mystical god' who is a creation of the human mind that is going through pain and suffering. That is why even though the movie is so full of god, it is Godless.
This sort of subtle reversal of the meta-narrative is not a new phenomenon, not among Christians at least. Our Pharisaical lives are so full of 'god-isms' like praying before dinner, seeking blessings, giving tithe, participating in ministries, attending Church, attending Bible Studies, going to marriages, baptisms and funerals... God is a figment in our imagination, we can't live without. But when it comes to dealing with real life issues, Christians, like Sean, hear a silent god. The problem is, sometimes Christians do not see God from within the Biblical meta-narrative. Rather, they see god from within the framework of their 'radical individualism', 'rampant materialism' and 'personal affluence'. Sometimes, Christians are led to believe God saved us to make use feel good. Such Christians worship and 'imaginary' God who supremely exists to bestow the 'Best Life Now' after 'Discovering the Champion in You' (plz. Google if the phrases in quotes don't ring a bell).
We forget that the Patriarchs in our religion were a bunch of vagabonds who were 'called' to live ridiculously tough lives just to glorify the Name of God. Often it is lost upon Christians that God saves us for the glorification of His own Name. We have to SEE God in the meta-narrative of His glorification. If we don't SEE God in the story of His glorification, we'll end up living our lives in the wrong story - the story of our own personal glorification. In as much as we don't SEE God from within the Biblical framework, we won't know who we are.
'Tree of life' asks deep questions about pain and suffering, but it does so from within the wrong meta-narrative. Consequently, Malick makes Darwinism the 'Tree of Life', and God as the creation of the human mind. The Christian Truth is the opposite. God is the creator of 'Tree of Life' and Darwinism is the creation of the human mind. The ultimate question we need to ask ourselves, is whether we SEE ourselves in the meta-narrative that glorifies God, or if we reverse the meta-narrative, and SEE God from within the framework of our own self-aggrandized stories of 'radical individualism', 'rampant materialism' and 'personal affluence'.