Terrence Malick is a filmmaker that cinephiles adore. He makes movies that appeal to no one other than those who love the visual storyteller.

Films comprise of so many elements that all come together moment to moment to tell a story. However, what makes film different from every other storytelling medium is its visual aspect. A lot of films never try to actually use this aspect of the medium to its full potential and at times will lean too heavily on exposition. A truly great film will always rely on show and not tell so as to engage the audience’s imagination with stark imagery that will be seared into the viewer’s mind in such a way that they are left dumbfounded by how someone could put this marvel together so as to do the same thing as have an actor sit there with a campy accent and just say “remember the time…”.

This however has its drawbacks. It generally excludes the general popcorn fun movie population, i.e. the one billion dollar movie market, from the joy as they would just sit there with a big question mark plastered on their faces as to what the hell their watching. However, for those select few who whenever they go to the movies are willing to give themselves to a film, to let the film not only let them discover something new about the world but from time to time about themselves, then this is the movie for you.

The film’s core is with the story of a family in the fifties with three boys. We witness the father’s, Mr. O’Brien (Brad Pitt), fierce style of upbringing that he enacts out of nothing other than love for his children. He wishes, like all parents, to prepare his children for the world they’re going to have to eventually face when they leave the house to go and make a life of their own. We see it through the eyes of Jack (Sean Penn) reflecting on these days.

Just like with his previous film, The New World, it’s shocking how much narrative Malick can cram into a film with so little direct dialogue. While this movie doesn’t go as quiet as The New World for as long stretches, it does feel almost like the dialogue is a bonus feature that you’ve turned on for this viewing. You feel that the film stands on its own and the rest of it is additional information that is nice but not vital.

The eventual problem with this movie is when it decides to divert from the plot of Jack’s childhood. For the first twenty minutes of this film we’re treated to what I can only imagine was Malick’s version of the creation of Earth. We even get a scene where dinosaurs exist, and these are not encapsulated in any crazy dream sequence as half of Penn’s scenes are, and it did nothing for me other than confuse me. While I respect Malick enough to believe that it truly serves a prupose and believe that one day when I’ve read up enough interviews about it all I’ll see what it really meant I have nothing to offer other than it being a moment of deep breathing waiting for the film to get around to the story of Mr. O’Brien and his family.

In the hands of a lesser director this audacious journey would’ve been more focussed so as to avoid mixed feelings and misunderstood intentions, but is that what we want every filmmaker to decide to do? To take the slightly more taken road and make sure that everything is set up clearly in a black and white read that gets the point across and minimizes discussion? I don’t think so. However, in order for that to happen you have to on occasion get it wrong from time to time, and this just so happens to be one of those times when it’s gone just a little bit wrong.

Rating: 7.0/10