The Tree of Life (a detailed look)

analysis of images and important sounds

The Tree of Life (a detailed look)

 

This is an analysis of the film from beginning to end with prominent images and important thoughts that are voiced by the characters. You will note that as Mother describes, she represents Grace. Father represents Nature. Jack is prominent as the most important of the children. We see him grown up as actor Sean Penn

 

Chapter 1 The Two Ways  0’00”

[Sounds of waves]

Biblical quote on black screen

Job 38:4, 7      

Where were you when I laid the foundations of earth? When the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

 

Man’s voice:  Brother. Mother.  It was they who led me to your door.

 

Mother at window (her inner voice) 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 will follow.

 

Mother (Jessica Chastain) holding lamb, with cows, field of sunflowers.  Father (Brad Pitt) holds her.

v.o.  Grace accepts being slighted, forgotten, disliked.  Accepts insults, injuries.

[Black screen]

Mother on swing, child on swing  {Note way family is seated. It rarely changes!]

Family at dinner table�"Father says grace

v.o. Nature only wants to please itself.  Finds ways to be unhappy, when all the world is shining around it.

Outdoors, Mother and boys

Tree,

Waterfall

 

Chapter 2 Grief   4’10”

 

Mailman delivers letter

Mother opens letter, reads. She is upset.

Father at airfield. Receives call which is hard to hear due to plane noise, looks depressed.

Mother wanders in street aimlessly. Father joins her.

v.o. Mother: I just want to die, to be with him.

Father tells mourners they can be alone now.  Older woman passes along wisdom. Quick cuts to trees, mother outside, Father inside.

Father laments from within,  making dead son feel shame.

Mom thinks about what he says.

Father among trees

Black screen

 

Chapter 3 The City  11’15”

 

Flame

Flash forward many years to urban environment.  v.o. How did you come to me?  In what shape?

Older Sam (Sean Penn) standing before free-standing doorway, which symbolizes the passageway to death.

Cut to bedroom. He lies down. his wife sits on side.

He put hand beneath running water in bathroom.

His wife, now dressed watches him down stairs in living room surrounded by windows.

She brings flowers inside and leaves them in kitchen. They walk separately through house.

He sits at table and lights blue candle while she stands behind him.

His thoughts return to childhood and he remembers the child he was.

thinking about brother’s death. Wife watches him.

Sam lights candle. Wife stands behind. He thinks about childhood and about his brother

v.o. He died at age of 19.

black screen

 

Images of buildings, Sam rising in elevator

flash of final scenes, people walking randomly on water

Water

Sam riding up in elevator, talking to Father on phone. He apologizes.

Continued in meetings, thinking and envisioning the past. 

In the midst of the buildings, a tree has been planted!

Sam walking through hills up wooden path.  Thinks of himself and his mother.

Buildings

Boy’s v.o.  Find me.

Images of childhood

Black screen

 

Older Sam, Mother & Father together

Flocks of birds making patterns in air above buildings

Mother v.o. Was I false to you?  Trees Mother wanders

Black screen

 

Chapter 4 Creation 19’42”

 

Flame

Mother v.o.  Lord, why? Where were you? Did you know? What are we to you?

Images of clouds, celestial objects, other effects

Volcano, steam, geyser, hot springs, underwater, cell splitting, desert, ocean, dinosaurs

Cathedral bell tolling

Older Jack v.o.   You spoke to me through her. You spoke to me from the sky.

Jack walking over rough ground

The trees. Before I knew I loved you

 

Chapter 5  Innocence   37’00”

 

Jack v.o. “When did you first touch my heart?”

Mother and Father�"first love

Father’s ear to pregnant stomach

Moving through opened gate

Giving birth,

Black screen

 

Baby’s first steps, walking, language, playing, toys,

Crawling up stairs to???

Mother puts hand up and butterfly lands on her hand

Child learns names of animals

Second birth child in bassinet

First child watches second

Father plants a tree

Mother says “You’ll be grown before that tree is tall.”

Exploring stairs in darkness strange room that is pointed at top.

Mother puts boys to bed

 

Chapter 6 Jack is now  12

 

Father shows Jack where property line is at house.

Hallowe’en

reading bedtime stories

playing

Dinner Father says grace

Kids ask Mother to tell them about a time before they remember. She explains about flying on a plane

Mother floats through the air by tree in yard

Older Jack  and buildings

Father in factory

 

 

 

Chapter 7  Mother  55’30”

 

Mother wakes the boys up with ice as a joke

Jack and brother acting silly as they walk behind their mother, see a crippled man and wonder who he is. They stare.

They walk past police cars, see their hostility, watch their mother give a drink to the arrested man.  One child asks, “Can it happen to anyone?”

Jack is praying,

School  [Music: Couperin�"Les barricades mysterieuses

playing with kids

Black screen

 

Chapter 8  Father   58’50”

 

Music: ominous Bach

Father wakes up kids in a more brusque manner

plays Bach Toccata and Fugue at organ as Jack watches

Hoses down boys

Scolds Jack about closing door quietly. He makes him do it 50 times.

Tells Jack, Mom is naïve, Never let someone else dissuade you from your goals Pursue your dreams

Plays poker with friends.

Father tells Jack�"Don’t do what I did.

Family at church Minister talks about Job and how he dealt with misfortune

We watch Father light a candle and leave.

Boys remain to play inside church.

Mother and sons wait in car.

Dad is talking

Drives off

switches to Father and sons in car

Family at church barbecue

Mother in garden

Father trying to show boys how to protect themselves

Keeps saying “Hit me” but they’re not really interested.

Family meal.

Father is upset because the boys are not acting the way he wants them to act.

Son on porch playing guitar�"Pachelbel Canon

Father joins him on piano

Jack is outside

Father and boys playing together

Jack considers his father does not practice what he preaches.

We see dark room with pointed roof.

 

Chapter 9 School  60’28”

 

Spelling test. Jack is noticing girls’ hair

He is following one girl on street. They do not talk

 

Chapter 10 Drowning   70’50”

 

Boys are at public swimming pool.

Taylor drowns. Mother and Father try to save him.

We hear opening of Mahler Symphony 1

We see family after service

Boys playing in cemetery

Jack and boys playing outside. He asks himself “Why should I be good when you aren’t?”

Mother hanging clothes on line  [*We hear wind chimes!]

 

Chapter 11 Weeds   75:50

 

Father criticizes Jack about condition of yard, since it is part of his chores

Father tells Jack about Toscanini

Jack asks “Why does he hurt us?”

He talks about the facts he has many patents.

 

 

Chapter 12 “Be Quiet”    79’45”

 

Family meal  Father becomes abusive

even to his wife.  He blames her

and gets rough with her. He won’t let her go.

Clown gets dunked.

dad and one son in dark room with pointed roof.

Black screen

 

Chapter 13 Dad’s Away  85’00”

 

Brother asks; Where’s Dad? Mother says he’s away on business trip

Playing of brothers and mother!

She thinks “Love everyone”

 

Chapter 14  Robert    86’35”

 

Jack in street at evening. He hears and see neighboring couple arguing in their house

Wind chimes again!

Daytime Boys playing, setting off firecrackers

breaking windows in abandoned shed

Robert is neighbor boy who gives Jack differing insights on life.

He says, “They say you can’t try stuff? They do.  You’re afraid. I see it.

Mother walking in sprinkler.

 

Chapter 15 Mrs. Kimball  90’20”

 

Wind chimes. Jack looks up at them and second story window. Stands behind tree and watches Mrs. Kimball leave in car. He enters house and walks through it. He enters her bedroom on second floor and goes through her dresser. Removes a s***s slip and steals it. He considers putting it under a board away from house, but he throws it in river and sees it float away.  He comes home, and Mother is standing in street with arms folded. He guiltily walks past her. He gets on swing. Finally he sits with her, although we don’t see Mother.

Jack says, “I can’t talk to you. Don’t look at me.” She wipes tear from his face. He looks away.

Cut to mother and cat on porch, framed by doorway from inside house.  Dark clouds in sky.  He wanders through house, avoiding Mother.

 

Chapter 16 I Trust You  97’13”

 

Mother and Jack at dining room table put jigsaw puzzle together. Screen door closes. Brother on porch playing guitar.  Brothers playing with light socket.  Brothers running in alley.  Playing with neighbor boy. 

 

 

Chapter 17   I do What I Hate  99’43”

 

Jack watches his brother painting a picture.  Jack is defiant to Mother, saying “I’m gonna do whatever I want” and “You let him run all over you.”  Mother finds painting that Jack has poured water upon.   Jack runs out of house and down street.  Jack and brother swimming.

 

Chapter 18  Father Returns   101’30”

 

Father returns and shows things he bought in Germany and China. Jack asks if his friend Cayler can come over. Father asks if his family is not good enough for him. father and boys dining out. There is hatred in Jack’s eyes.  He has a quiet argument with father. He says “It’s your house. You can kick me out whenever you want.  You probably want to kill me.”

Mother and Father are quietly disagreeing. Jack is lying on bed and he asks his mother, “Why did he have to be born?”  She closes his door when she leaves. She watches Father playing a very quiet lyrical piece on piano, and wonders how there is this dichotomy within him.

 

Daytime  Father is underneath car making repairs. Auto is on jack. He looks at jack as though he is considering crushing Father underneath.

 

Back yard�"Jack walks by his parents and screams at Father: “She only loves me!”

Jack sits quietly on couch with Father.

 

Chapter 19  Gun   107’05”

 

Jack and brother taking turns shooting BB rifle in woods. Jack dares his brother to put his finger over muzzle while he shoots. Brother is hesitant. Jack finally talks him into it. He fires; brother screams. Brother runs away.  He later feels guilt and apologizes to brother, even asking brother to hit him.

 

Jack v.o.   I didn’t know how to name you then.  But I see it was you.  Always I see you were calling me. 

Jack sits with father in garden

 

Chapter 20  They’re Closing The Plant  114:05”

 Exterior of plant  Father v.o.   I wanted to be loved because I was great. A big man. I’m nothin’. Look at the glory around us.  I dishonored it all and didn’t notice the glory.

 

Jack v.o. while looking at father. Always you wrestle inside me.

Father apologizes to son.  Jack talks with him and they reach an understanding.

Jack sits with brother and cries. 

 

Chapter 21 Moving Away 118’10”

 

Family gets in car and leaves neighborhood.  Brother buries coins in handkerchief in back yard by tree.

 

Chapter 22 Eternity    120’30”

 

Mother v.o.  Wonder. Hope. Blue candle that Jack lit earlier in film.  Up through rocks at gorge.   Jack stands before doorway.  Finally walks through.  Planet moving around sun.

Jack v.o.  Guide us till the end of time.  [Music: Berlioz: Agnus Dei from Requiem] Older Jack follows young Jack. Images of gate. Ladder.  People walking on shore with water in random directions.  Various family members see each other and hug.  A mask floats down through water. Mother and two other women hold hands. Mother v.o. I give you my son.  Sunflowers. Elevator moving down in glass building. We see tree outside buildings. Older Jack looks at buildings and smiles. Bridge with water flowing underneath.

Fade to black [Sound of waves]

FLAME

end credits begin at  132:50

 

 

 

 

Chapter 23  Was It a Dream?   131’46”

 

FLAME

 

 

Author's Note

If you like this, please look at the other articles about film in My Writing