Product Details

• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B005LLX582
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,176 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars thought-provoking, December 25, 2011

By 

V. Pettus (Frankfort, Kentucky USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: TREE OF LIFE (RENTAL READY) (DVD)

This is the type of film you have to watch several times in order to appreciate and understand. Highly recommended for those who think about the meaning of life. Good product and was delivered quickly.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Visually Stunning and Deeply Moving, February 17, 2012

By 

Carmen Ferreiro "Author Two Moon Princess" - See all my reviews

This review is from: TREE OF LIFE (RENTAL READY) (DVD)

The Tree of Life is not only a movie, but an experience. It's a visually stunning, deeply moving and perfectly acted film. And if you know what to expect, you may enjoy it as much as I did.

But be warned. The Tree of Life does not have a linear narrative, and doesn't tell a story as much as it shows it. And the regular viewer--that is, most of us--, used to be told in images and words what we are supposed to see and feel, may find this story hard to follow.

The movie starts with a flaming light and a quotation from the Book of Job: "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation...while the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?"

Then we are shown a woman (Jessica Chastain) as she learns in a letter the death of her son, age 19. In her grief and despair, enhanced by the absence of sound in the subsequent images, the mother questions God's design in such a seemingly cruel act.

From here, the movie proceeds in two alternating levels. One shows the creation of the universe, the gathering of dust to make the planets, the apparition of microscopic life, scenes from the time of the Dinosaurs and the destruction of most life on Earth as a consequence of a meteor hitting our planet.

In another level we are shown images from the life of a contemporary middle aged man (Sean Penn): his birth in the 1950s to a loving mother (Jessica Chastain), his growing up in Texas under a strict father (Brad Pitt), his rebellion as an adolescent and his relationship with his two younger brothers. The second, the one he is closer to, will die later at 19 as we learned at the beginning of the movie.

The story unfolds in pieces and bits, the way our memory works: some scenes from our past are vividly clear while others are lost. The overall picture that unfolds is both that of a unique human being and an universal story.

If the movie sounds dreadfully boring, it's my fault. The Tree of Life maybe slow but it's never boring.

So, in conclusion, if you want an adrenaline rush, a fast moving thriller or a light comedy, don't watch The Tree of Life. But if you want to take a break from a too stressful life and step in a world made out of memories and dreams. If you are ready to be moved and awed and inspired, then this movie is perfect for you.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Nature Vs. Grace or What Do You Expect, It's a Terrence Malick Film, February 7, 2012

By 

tvtv3 "tvtv3" (Sorento, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: TREE OF LIFE (RENTAL READY) (DVD)

THE TREE OF LIFE was released in U.S. movie theatres at the end of May 2011. It came about the same time as the movie BRIDESMAIDS. I know this because I was an extra in a car commercial at the time and several of the female extras on the set were talking about which movie they were going to see that weekend and I heard many comments like, "Yeah, I've heard good things about BRIDESMAIDS and THE TREE OF LIFE, so I don't know which one to see." I didn't say so aloud, but when I heard these comments, I wanted to tell these women, "If you're debating between watching BRIDESMAIDS and THE TREE OF LIFE, then you need to go see BRIDESMAIDS because THE TREE OF LIFE is not a movie you will enjoy." I'm pretty sure that most of the women went to see BRIDESMAIDS and that the only reason they were mentioning THE TREE OF LIFE is because they wanted to seem like they knew something more about film than they really did because THE TREE OF LIFE had won the Palme d'Or at Cannes and it's directed by Terrence Malick.

THE TREE OF LIFE is a Terrence Malick film. That's something you need to know because Terrence Malick films aren't like other movies. Terrence Malick films are stunning works of cinematography and visual art. In that regard, they are incomparable and people who are serious about film often like them solely for that aspect. Terrence Malick films also usually have beautiful musical scores and if you were able to turn the dialog off and just listen to the film's music with the film's score, you'd have an amazing visual musical combination. It is largely because of these two things that Malick is considered a genius.

However, Terrence Malick films aren't like other films, so in addition to gorgeous cinematography and moving musical scores they also really don't have much of a plot. For instance, THE THIN RED LINE is about WWII, but it's unlike any war movie you'll ever watch again. THE NEW WORLD is supposed to be a love story between John Smith and Pocahontas, but if you watch it for romance or action, you'll be bored out of your mind.

If you know all of this ahead of time and you still haven't been turned off by it, you might enjoy THE TREE OF LIFE.

The film revolves around Jack O'Brien, portrayed as an adult by Sean Penn and as a child by Hunter McCracken. Flashing back and forth between the present and the past (and possibly the future), Jack wrestles with an internal struggle as illustrated by a line from Mrs. O'Brien (Jessica Castain), "The nuns taught us there were two ways through life - the way of nature and the way of grace. You have to choose which one you'll follow." Jack had to decide as a boy becoming a man which path he would follow and as an adult it is a choice he has to make everyday.

In addition to those already mentioned, THE TREE OF LIFE features Brad Pitt in the role of Mr. O'Brien. Pitt makes a great 1950s father. He's got the look and moves down perfect and reminded me of old 8mm films of my own grandfather.
The movie has some dinosaurs which is pretty cool, though they don't seem to add anything to the plot.
I can't say I enjoyed THE TREE OF LIFE, but I did appreciate it. I did really like the concept of nature versus grace and felt the film did a decent job of getting across the power of grace over nature (aka sin).

Overall, if you like Terrence Malick movies or if you like art films, you will probably like THE TREE OF LIFE. However, if you've never seen a Terrence Malick movie or if you don't like non-linear movies with very little structure, you're probably best skipping THE TREE OF LIFE. It's pretty much for film aficionados only (and if many of them don't like THE TREE OF LIFE).