Jeffrey Wells (via Hollywood Elsewhere) reports on Malick’s new epic movie starring Brad Pitt and Sean Penn. Here is a snippet from the Empire interview:
“We’re just starting work on a project for Terrence Malick, animating dinosaurs, the film is The Tree of Life, starring Brad Pitt and Sean Penn. It’ll be showing in IMAX — so the dinosaurs will actually be life size — and the shots of the creatures will be long and lingering.” — from an Empire magazine interview with VFX artist Mike Fink that some sources claim to have read but which can’t be located by the mag’s search engine.
Here is a synopsis of the film via Summit:
Our picture is a cosmic epic, a hymn to life.
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.
It’s kind of weird to think Malick (The Thin Red Line, The New World) will be working with dinosaurs and IMAX, but I suppose anything can happen. I wonder if the film will be out by the end of the year like it is supposed to. I love all of Malick’s work so I’m eagerly anticipated any bit of news we can get.
What do you think of Tree of Life?