Rev. Danny Fisher

At an opening weekend screening of Terrence Malick's "The Tree of Life" at the ArcLight Hollywood, Hollywood, CA, May 28th, 2011. Photo by the author.

The Tree of Life, this year’s Palme d’Or winner from reclusive American auteur Terrence Malick, is the most extraordinary and moving experience I’ve had at the movies in my whole life. Would that every film were this ambitious and deeply felt! That said, it’s decidedly not everyone’s cup of tea. For me, though, as one who made the final decision to leave film studies as an undergraduate after encountering Mr. Malick’s other works — “I can’t make better films than that,” I thought. “And he’s saying and doing the things I’d want to say or do with the medium, as well as things I didn’t realize I would want said or done with the medium. I have a spiritual and aesthetic kinship with this man.” — it’s very much my cup of tea.

I’ve reviewed the film (as well as all of Mr. Malick’s other films in a way) for The Journal of Religion and Film. I hope you’ll take a look. Most of all, though, I hope you will see the film…