Random cuts of imagery that depict early stages of the birth of earth and the rest of the universe (saving the rumoured dinosaurs for the final film) are cut together with scenes of a young boy raised in the 50's by a soulful and nurturant mother, who teaches 'the way of love and mercy', and a hard father (Brad Pitt - a part originally meant for Heath Ledger) who tries to teach '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.'
The trailer then moves to the adult (Sean Penn) in modern times, who believes he's witnessed the loss of innocence after struggling and failing to find a path satisfying to the way of either parent.
I think part of the reason the story grabbed me was due to its similarity to a treatment our group produced as a potential short film earlier last term. Our story followed a young adult who was essentially beginning to suffer cold feet before his wedding. It explored his disconnection with society and hesitation to embrace life that stemmed from the weight of childhood fears and expectations, as well as the relationship of (and with) his parents.
I'm hoping the amount of times I've seen the trailer hasn't created unreasonable expectations for the film. Malick has earned himself a reputation as one of the most enigmatic film-makers alive, keeping an unheard of level of secrecy surrounding both his film productions and private life. A Harvard graduate and MIT Philosophy lecturer, he's directed only four films so far in his 40-year career and is famed for lengthy film-making processes, unconventional visuals and narrative structures, and is often referred to as a visionary and his films as masterpieces.
No comments:
Post a Comment