Fr. Barron comments on Terrence Malick's "Tree of Life" (SPOILERS)

Another part of a video series from Wordonfire.org. Father Barron will be commenting on subjects from modern day culture. For more visit http://www.wordonfire.org/

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[xjaskix]

IMO the movie was about evolution and its highest achievement: empathy. the first glimpse of the evolution of empathy is seen in the dinosaur sparing another dinosaur scene... also, the movie shows that the will world end with the red giant sun swallowing the earth (many miss this), and NOT when "Jesus comes back". Christianity is just part of the setting in the movie, not the point. it acknowledges that our great human empathy CAN manifest through religion (in this case Christianity).

[wordonfirevideo]

@xjaskix Oh come on! The title of the film is taken from the book of Genesis and the statement that opens the entire movie is taken from the book of Job. More to it, Malick is a passionate Christian. And you think it's about evolution?!

[skworq]

I disagree. He so naively saw this film via his religious agenda, and has interpreted these scenes quite differently to how I did, which of course is the wonderful ambiguous nature of impressionistic art forms. Btw, I viewed the dinosaur sparing the other's life as a form of Grace. Nature has grace woven throughout it.

[wordonfirevideo]

@skworq Friend, why would you think it "naive" to provide a religious interpretation to a film that commences with a citation from the book of Job?!

[MrWakeup71]

This is, by far, the best Tree of Life commentary. I've showed this to some of my friends who had mixed feelings after seeing ToL- they were able to see the film from an entirely different and more complete context.

[xudnoxaj]

so if that 20 minute sequence was "GOD's" perspective, wouldn't then CARL SAGAN'S the "COSMOS" - be a different take on "GOD'S" perspective?

Wouldn't the movie BARAKA also be GOD'S PERSPECTIVE?

[Terrence1242]

This is a wonderful movie and even if you are not religious I think this is a very interesting and true analysis.

[7YOBMOfficial]

Nonetheless a respectable interpretation!!!

[7YOBMOfficial]

Terrence Malick has a degree in philosophy, and went to Harvard. I don't think it's too hard to believe that, upon creation of this film, he expressed ideas from different religious backgrounds. Evolution included.

[bluemoonrising26]

@garbot12

What you're saying does not oppose my interpretation of Malick's movie

[garbot12]

@bluemoonrising26 See you're not getting it. All things stem from God, the scene of evolution is God's speech. Evolution is God's creation story in a way, and that I think is what is being expressed.

They both were highly religious, because science is of God as well.

[DATART85]

i think that's the great thing about this film. people can discuss for ever on what is it exactly about, but everybody will always see something different and it will mean something different for each person. i think the director achieved his goal, on making people think outside the box a little bit, and reminding people that there's so much more to life than what we limit ourselves to see now days. wether it's about religion, science, evolution, etc.....we all came to a personal conclusion.

[prolatey]

Thank you so much for all these extremely relevant points in this film. I surprised myself at how many I missed.

[bluemoonrising26]

Also, why is it not possible to appreciate Biblical literature and to be accepting of science? I'm very much an atheist and in no way religious, but I am certainly moved by parts of religious texts. Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8, for instance. (And I'm not saying Malick is the same, as he clearly IS a Christian man)

[bluemoonrising26]

@wordonfirevideo

Why the arrogance? I think it's clear that Malick is a Christian, but equally so that he is an appreciator of science and knowledge. He uses the latter to explore life and the former to explore religious interpretation of it.