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Is the Tree of Life one of the ten best films ever made like Ebert says?

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Is the Tree of Life one of the ten best films ever made like Ebert says?

Old 05-04-12, 01:20 PM
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Is the Tree of Life one of the ten best films ever made like Ebert says?

Do you agree with Ebert, that The Tree of Life is up there? Here is his full list for Sight & Sound 2012 (will be awesome to see all the other critics/filmmakers lists this year)

Aguirre, Wrath of God (Herzog)
Apocalypse Now (Coppola)
Citizen Kane (Welles)
La Dolce Vita (Fellini)
The General (Keaton)
Raging Bull (Scorsese)
2001: A Space Odyssey (Kubrick)
Tokyo Story (Ozu)
The Tree of Life (Malick)
Vertigo (Hitchcock)

To me it seemed that The Tree of Life was made to appear on lists like this. It is a bit safe and simplistic, it's just mainstream film is so stale and undaring that the first unusual thing that comes across will get hailed.
Old 05-04-12, 01:23 PM
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Re: Is the Tree of Life one of the ten best films ever made like Ebert says?

Hell no. It wasn't a bad film but to put it on a top ten list included with some of the finest films of all time is fucking ridiculous.
Old 05-04-12, 01:28 PM
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Re: Is the Tree of Life one of the ten best films ever made like Ebert says?

I'd put Tree Of Life on the list (with a ten in it) of one of the films I watched where it was painful to get through the first 10 minutes

ps. the 10 minutes that followed weren't much better
Old 05-04-12, 01:30 PM
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Re: Is the Tree of Life one of the ten best films ever made like Ebert says?

I don't know if I'd put any film made in the 21st century on a top 10 of all-time list, but if I did, I'd prob opt for There Will Be Blood over anything else.
Old 05-04-12, 01:33 PM
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Re: Is the Tree of Life one of the ten best films ever made like Ebert says?

Yes.

It's fine being on that list, it belongs in such company.
Old 05-04-12, 01:47 PM
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Re: Is the Tree of Life one of the ten best films ever made like Ebert says?

Originally Posted by CloverClover
Do you agree with Ebert, that The Tree of Life is up there? Here is his full list for Sight & Sound 2012 (will be awesome to see all the other critics/filmmakers lists this year)

Aguirre, Wrath of God (Herzog)
Apocalypse Now (Coppola)
Citizen Kane (Welles)
La Dolce Vita (Fellini)
The General (Keaton)
Raging Bull (Scorsese)
2001: A Space Odyssey (Kubrick)
Tokyo Story (Ozu)
The Tree of Life (Malick)
Vertigo (Hitchcock)

To me it seemed that The Tree of Life was made to appear on lists like this. It is a bit safe and simplistic, it's just mainstream film is so stale and undaring that the first unusual thing that comes across will get hailed.
I've never see anyone describe Tree of Life as safe and simplistic. You must be smarter than a computer.

P.S.-Doesn't the fact that it's so different than almost anything out there currently not make it safe?
Old 05-04-12, 01:51 PM
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Re: Is the Tree of Life one of the ten best films ever made like Ebert says?

Since it's his Top Ten list, yes, it belongs on there.
Old 05-04-12, 02:00 PM
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Re: Is the Tree of Life one of the ten best films ever made like Ebert says?

You decide; it's all subjective.

I thought it was a very good film, and a wonderful technical achievement, but I can't see myself sitting down to watch it more than once every couple years.
Old 05-04-12, 02:07 PM
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Re: Is the Tree of Life one of the ten best films ever made like Ebert says?

I remember the article he wrote about it after first seeing at at Cannes; he wrote at length about how deeply moved he was by the film, how the childhood depicted in it was his same childhood in the 1950s. Knowing that he is towards the end of his life gave great significance to mystery and awesomeness of the cosmos. Watching the movie was a profoundly emotional experience for him, so it is no surprise he would include it on such a list.
Old 05-04-12, 02:08 PM
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Re: Is the Tree of Life one of the ten best films ever made like Ebert says?

No Braveheart, Fight Club and Dark Knight? Pft.
Old 05-04-12, 02:10 PM
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Re: Is the Tree of Life one of the ten best films ever made like Ebert says?

NSFW for language:

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/1GIGcWLwSDQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Old 05-04-12, 02:10 PM
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Re: Is the Tree of Life one of the ten best films ever made like Ebert says?

Here is Ebert's first piece on Tree of Life, worth reading.

http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2011...tree_of_l.html

Originally Posted by Roger Ebert
Terrence Malick's new film is a form of prayer. It created within me a spiritual awareness, and made me more alert to the awe of existence. I believe it stands free from conventional theologies, although at its end it has images that will evoke them for some people. It functions to pull us back from the distractions of the moment, and focus us on mystery and gratitude.
Old 05-04-12, 02:25 PM
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Re: Is the Tree of Life one of the ten best films ever made like Ebert says?

Originally Posted by KillerCannibal
You decide; it's all subjective.
I agree with this. Film is subjective. If Ebert loved it that much, then from his perspective it's one of the 10 best films ever made. You may disagree, but neither you or he would be wrong. It's as simple as that.
Old 05-04-12, 02:44 PM
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Re: Is the Tree of Life one of the ten best films ever made like Ebert says?

I usually really enjoy Malick's movies, but I couldn't even get to the end of Tree of Life. Kept forcing myself to watch more and more, then realized life is too short.

I think the directors that Ebert names there are some of the best ever, but, imho, most of those films listed aren't their best work. The movies picked are a bit dull, over serious, and, for lack of a better word, academic, which is something Ebert usually avoids.
Old 05-04-12, 03:06 PM
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Re: Is the Tree of Life one of the ten best films ever made like Ebert says?

If you follow Ebert on Facebook or Twitter...he said the last time he did this survey for them, he wanted to put in a recent movie, so that's what he did this time. He dislikes the whole idea of a "best list" (he doesn't even like doing one at year's end, but he basically does one because the Sun-Times wants him to do one).
Old 05-04-12, 03:08 PM
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Re: Is the Tree of Life one of the ten best films ever made like Ebert says?

Originally Posted by CloverClover
Do you agree with Ebert, that The Tree of Life is up there?

Hell no!!!
Old 05-04-12, 03:24 PM
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Re: Is the Tree of Life one of the ten best films ever made like Ebert says?

No. Tree of Life isn't one of the best 10 ever made.
Old 05-04-12, 03:47 PM
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Re: Is the Tree of Life one of the ten best films ever made like Ebert says?

We could all post lists of the top 10 best films ever and nobody would would agree with them. We could even try to name just one film that belongs on that list and I doubt we could come to a consensus. The point is that looking at a list like that objectively is pointless. It's all subjective personal taste. Films are about what you bring to the viewing with your life experiences and how it affects you because of that. All of our experiences watching a movie are completely unique to us.
Old 05-04-12, 03:49 PM
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Re: Is the Tree of Life one of the ten best films ever made like Ebert says?

Originally Posted by Crocker Jarmen
I remember the article he wrote about it after first seeing at at Cannes; he wrote at length about how deeply moved he was by the film, how the childhood depicted in it was his same childhood in the 1950s. Knowing that he is towards the end of his life gave great significance to mystery and awesomeness of the cosmos. Watching the movie was a profoundly emotional experience for him, so it is no surprise he would include it on such a list.
Sounds to me like it belongs on his list of top ten religious experiences, not a list of films.
Old 05-04-12, 03:51 PM
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Re: Is the Tree of Life one of the ten best films ever made like Ebert says?

Originally Posted by DaveyJoe
All of our experiences watching a movie are completely unique to us.
Bingo.

Even though I liked Tree, there are other Malick films that were way better.
Old 05-04-12, 04:13 PM
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Re: Is the Tree of Life one of the ten best films ever made like Ebert says?

Originally Posted by Jules Winfield
I've never see anyone describe Tree of Life as safe and simplistic. You must be smarter than a computer.

P.S.-Doesn't the fact that it's so different than almost anything out there currently not make it safe?
I should've said instead, that it is good at faking being daring and complex.

the creation and heaven scenes for example, are too easy. they are the most literal expressions of 'creation' and 'afterlife' that someone can make. just showing a montage of animals. then showing a heaven where all your dead relatives are dancing. It means nothing to an audience. He surely could have gotten more creative than that.

Originally Posted by AVP77
I think the directors that Ebert names there are some of the best ever, but, imho, most of those films listed aren't their best work. The movies picked are a bit dull, over serious, and, for lack of a better word, academic, which is something Ebert usually avoids.
I agree, TTOL was made only to appear on 'best movies ever made' lists. It is why before the film was even released, people were saying it's the new 2001: A Space Odyssey. It's just hero worship and confirmation bias. ToL isn't like 2001 in any way shape or fashion. Compare the 20 minute hyperdrive scene to the 20 minute creation scene and you will see a filmmaker who knows what he is doing, vs a filmmaker who only sort of knows what he's doing.

Last edited by CloverClover; 05-04-12 at 04:21 PM.
Old 05-04-12, 04:17 PM
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Re: Is the Tree of Life one of the ten best films ever made like Ebert says?

Originally Posted by troystiffler
No Braveheart, Fight Club and Dark Knight? Pft.
Of course not.

I'm extremely surprised he didn't put Ten Commandments, Maltese Falcon, Casablanca, or films like that. Citizen Kane ? Seriously ?
Old 05-04-12, 04:22 PM
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Re: Is the Tree of Life one of the ten best films ever made like Ebert says?

Tokyo Story over Make Way for Tomorrow? I disagree with that pick.
Old 05-04-12, 04:25 PM
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Re: Is the Tree of Life one of the ten best films ever made like Ebert says?

Originally Posted by troystiffler
No Braveheart, Fight Club and Dark Knight? Pft.
I agree that the hero worship of gen X, pseudo-important stuff like Fight Club is nauseating as well, that's another issue all together.

Tree of Life's inclusion says more about America's desperation for Bergman/Tarkovsky-caliber filmmaking... so that the first thing that comes along that is remotely vague and grand will get lauded. There's my inner Armand White
Old 05-04-12, 04:40 PM
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Re: Is the Tree of Life one of the ten best films ever made like Ebert says?

Originally Posted by CloverClover
showing a heaven where all your dead relatives are dancing. It means nothing to an audience. He surely could have gotten more creative than that.


I wouldn't say I'd put TOL in the top ten, but I've got to disagree with the above statement.

On a purely artistic level, I think the simplicity of this scene rocks. What Dreams May Come by contrast, is maudlin, kitschy, gimmicky, etc.

Malick's quietly evocative summation of the backbone of religion - that we can be with our loved ones after they die - is smart and successful because he doesn't try to get 'creative', he shows with subtlety what many (most) people who've lost someone they care about really want.

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