I plan on doing a different kind of evaluation. I am going to do an evaluation of The Tree of Life by Terrence Malick (IMO, it is the most inspiring movie ever created).

Here is a link for the movie in case you haven't seen yet. (I doubt you have since it was an independent film).

http://www.novamov.com/player.php?v=28515bd9e7f34

Planning Guide for “The Tree of Life”

Step Uno:

Claim:

The film, The Tree of Life, is a breakthrough in the world of popular cinema because of the use of cinematography, the multiple layers of depth and meaning, and its ability to connect with the audience on a personal level.

The Tree of Life is one the best films to date becasue of it being a breakthrough in cinema, its depth and meaning, and its ability to connect with the audience on a personal level.

Criteria:

Cinematography:

Creation of the Universe

Camera Angles

Wordless but yet very meaningful camera shots

Amazing CGI

Cast of Actors:

Brad Pitt

Sean Penn

Jessica Chastain

Layers of Meaning:

Sean Penn reconciling with his father and himself.

The way of nature and the way of grace throughout life.

Simply, what is life?

How love gets us through life.

Malick’s impression of childhood.

Step Dos:

People who like a strong storyline or plot will disagree with my point of view, while those who think cinema is an art will tend to agree with me.

Discourse Communities: Writer’s Guild, movie critics, everyday cinephiles

Step Tres

I.      Introduction

II.     Background of The Tree of Life

III.    Cinematography is the first reason why The Tree of Life is a breakthrough in cinema.

                    A. Creation of the Universe

                    B. Computer generated Images (Dinosaur scene)

                    C. Wordless but yet meaningful camera shots.

                    D. Superb camera angles capturing the most important parts of a scene.

IV.    The Tree of Life is a breakthrough because of the superb acting done by the cast of actors and actresses.

                    A. Expression by Jessica Chastain when hearing of her son's death.

                    B. The portrayal of a 50s mid-western father by Brad Pitt. 

V.     Due to the multiple layers of meaning, The Tree of Life is a great and monumental movie in the world of cinema.

                    A. Sean Penn reconciling with his father and himself.

                    B. There are two ways through life: the way of nature and the way of grace.

                    C. Malick's impression of childhood.

                    D. How love gets us through life.

VI.    The Tree of Life is a breakthrough in cinema because other movies that are similar, like 2001: A Space Odyssey, have been known for being breakthroughs in          the world of cinema.

                    A. Both had amazing CGI effects.

                    B. Both had nonlinear plots. 

VII.    In refutation, one would claim that The Tree of Life is not a movie but rather collection of random shots put together.

VIII.   Another argument would be that it is not a breakthrough movie because in order to be classified as a movie, one must have a direct storyline or plot, which          is not the case here.

IX.     Conclusion

Where does one think that this quote came from: "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'll follow". If one were to guess that a famous philosopher said this, they would be wrong. Instead this quote comes from the beginning part of the film, The Tree of Life, and pretty much sums up the movie as a whole. The Tree of Life, written and directed by Terrence Malick, is a metaphysical film that tries to answer some the most philosophical and dumbfounding questions known to the human race. Many critics, such as Roger Moore and Kenneth Turan, argue that it is a pretentious film that misses on every level; however, I believe that the film is not only one the most important films to date but also a breakthrough in popular cinema for some important reasons. The film, The Tree of Life, is a breakthrough in the world of popular cinema because of the use of cinematography, the multiple layers of depth and meaning, and its ability to connect with the audience on a personal level.

    Lastly, The Tree of Life is a breakthrough in popular cinema because of its ability to connect with the audience on a personal and meaninful level. Nowadays, most movies are more about action and less about making a meaninful connection with the audience; however, with The Tree of Life, one of its most important purposes is to make the audience remember their own childhoods so as