[julianpye]

I watched Tree of Life in the cinema. I was spellbound. It spoke directly to me, no mental processing of a story, I was tuned to this film. I didn't feel its time. As the film ended a girl behind me said to her friends 'this was the biggest piece of shit I have ever seen'. I understood her and it was a perfectly fine opinion. She didn't 'get it', but it didn't have to do with taste or intelligence or anything like this. She was just not able to receive it - as if it was a signal sent she could not process.

Our wedding rings have these words from the film engraved: 'unless you love, your life will flash by'. We married late - our kids were already almost at school. The love in the words is about the love of your family, just like in the film.

And why the Thin Red Line is perfect - just view the "Swing Scene" as a work of religious art: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s40YpEsVkxk The inner monologue of Ben Chaplin's private Bell about what the role of love is when you encounter war, asking 'Who lit this flame in us' is a visual prayer.

(And yes, this is Miranda Otto, aka Eowyn)

[BizarroLand]

I know what you mean, I had the same effect from the David Lynch Dune movie. I went in blind, had no idea what I was about to see other than that it was scifi.

Put it on and didn't even make it to a chair before I was spellbound. I stood for the whole movie, feeling as if ages had passed while I was rooted to the ground like a mountain watching seasons pass in stop motion.

I've watched it maybe 6 times since, nothing has quite recaptured that perfect first watch.

[krrrh]

I love it too, I actually decided to never read the book because all the book readers I have talked to hated it.

Highly recommend the upscaled to 4k fan edit on YouTube. They splice in lost footage that was cut from Lynch’s initial edit.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=faHQA_0d9Mo

[BizarroLand]

The book is fine. I saw the movie before the book and there are some obvious changes but nothing so terrible that it ruins anything.

[ancillary]

I think I loved everything about The Tree of Life except for the scenes with Sean Penn. Whatever mysterious antipathy the girl behind you in the cinema felt for the movie, I felt for Sean Penn. The kind and probably accurate interpretation is that actors are at the mercy of their directors and editors in movies like this, but his scenes don't feel like they're part of the same movie.

[knolan]

The Tree of Life was one of the only films I’ve ever considered walking out of, I hated every moment of it. I’m delighted to hear you were spellbound by it.

[mongol]

I actually walked out of it. I was not alone, several others did before me.

I saw it without knowing what it was about, it was a summer evening, I was alone and just decided to see a movie as I passed the theatre.

When I came home and learned it was the same director as the Thin Red Line, I was blown away. Same director of both the best and the worst movie I have seen.

[julianpye]

That’s totally valid. I think the film either resonates deeply or not at all, and both responses are completely legitimate. I can absolutely see how it could feel pretentious drivel to some. I assume for me it directly evokes emotions of my childhood (catholic upbringing by a loving mother). I also really appreciate you being happy for me. That's true empathy.

[mynegation]

I am with you. I wept uncontrollably at times watching Tree of Life.