Big Questions

"Tree of Life & Midnight In Paris"

Dan.....and all.....

Here is a review of 'Tree of Life' I found pretty interesting..... Especially I like a concise listing of the questions - and the reference to 'Midnight In Paris" see below....

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evil-deeds/201107/the-tree-life-does-terrence-malicks-new-film-bear-artistic-or-philosophical-f

It would be good to chat about this - then go see it again, for those who are willing! I do plan to go again, soon, if possible......

Love.......

"These include standard theological questions such as: What does God want of us? What do we mean to God? Why do we suffer and die? What happens after we die? And, of course, the classic query of theodicy: If God is good and loving, why does he (or she) allow evil in the world? Such questions derive from a Judeo-Christian Weltanschauung (world-view), and presume the existence of God, Satan, angels, demons, Heaven and Hell. But there are also serious secular existential questions posed here: Why are we born? Are we alone? Does God exist? What is the significance of life? Where did we come from? Where are we going? Are we free or determined beings? How much are we responsible for in life? What about fate or destiny? Is the universe inherently meaningless? Does death and loss negate the value and purpose of life? Is life worth living? Even when it seems unfair?"

"Woody Allen humorously touched on such themes in his films. (His newest offering, Midnight in Paris, which I can recommend, ponders playfully the importance of presence, appreciation and acceptance of reality and what we possess here and now.) "

"Who am I? What is life? Why is there evil? What is goodness? What does it mean to be a man or woman? Can we be "too good," as Brad Pitt's character tells his son? Is life a struggle to assert the ego's will, or to submit to what God dictates? How do we deal with our innate aggressive and sexual impulses? Our inherent human capacity for evil? Our shadow or what I call the daimonic? Mr. Malick attempts to pose these big questions in his picture, both from a personal and transpersonal perspective, as well as from the standpoint and through the eyes of both childhood and adulthood. But does so in a somewhat unsophisticated fashion. Religion, like philosophy, is, after all, a way of trying to make sense of life, evil, meaningless suffering and death. "

This helped a bit.....especially in telling the story and the positive comments, but also this quote:

"The film received overwhelmingly positive reviews for its technical and artistic merits, but there were also polarizing reactions in response to Malick's directorial style and, in particular, the film's fragmented and non-linear narrative.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tree_of_Life_(film)

Then also, the NY Times review. It pushes me toward seeing it again, now that I am more prepared for it......

http://movies.nytimes.com/2011/05/27/movies/the-tree-of-life-from-terrence-malick-review.html

Glad we saw it....