Green Lantern was something of a breaking point for me. I had spent the last month and change subjecting myself to a seemingly endless parade of blockbuster motion pictures, and none of them were really clicking with me. Even X-Men: First Class, which I generally enjoyed, was problematic. But watching Super 8 and Green Lantern burned me out. I wanted to like these movies. I want to like every movie I see. I'm not one of those people who will go see a motion picture just to make fun of it, in the style of MST3K. No, I save that for the privacy of my own home. I go out to the movies to be entertained. And the last few trips to the multiplex were anything but entertaining.
Luckily, my local movie house was kind enough to provide me with a break from the big budget mediocrity with two smaller films that I desperately wanted to see: Werner Herzog's 3D documentary Cave Of Forgotten Dreams and Terrence Malick's Tree Of Life.
Cave Of Forgotten Dreams introduces the viewer to the Chauvet Cave in southern France. Do you, Dear Imaginary Viewer, know what the Chauvet Cave is? No? Why, it's only one of the most significant archaeological discoveries of the 20th century, that's all. The Chauvet Cave was sealed off from the outside world thousands of years ago, leaving the interior of the cave perfectly preserved. And the cave happens to contain numerous artifacts left behind by human beings from the Aurignacian era, over 30,000 years ago, including some surprisingly detailed paintings and charcoal drawings nearly twice as old as the oldest documented cave paintings found prior to this discovery. That's exciting.
In order to preserve this delicate cave system, the French government does not allow the general public to view it. Only a handful of individuals are allowed to the enter Chauvet Cave each year, and only under severe restrictions. Werner Herzog had to receive a special permission from the French minister of culture to enter with a skeleton crew to capture the wonders of this place with battery-powered equipment and minimal lighting, in order to protect the paintings. This ordeal by necessity becomes an integral part of the documentary, because there was literally no way for Herzog and his crew to film within the cave and remain outside of the narrative.
The documentary itself spends most of its time within the cave, interspersed with short interview segments involving various scientists and philosophers who speak of the academic and artistic merits of Chauvet Cave. But that's not really what interests Herzog. When he gazes at the images adorning the walls of this cave, his mind immediately begins to dwell on the people who created them. What were they like? What were they thinking? How did they live?
He sees the personalities of the primitive artists coming alive in their art. These striking, often beautiful images were made by human hands before civilization as we know it existed. Their fingerprints are sometimes literally incorporated into their art. Herzog isn't interested in an academic discussion of Chauvet Cave. He wants to immerse his audience in the overwhelming beauty of this fascinating environment. And that's where the third dimension comes into this.
I'm not excited about 3D, anymore. I simply don't care about it. The last movie I saw in 3D was The Green Hornet, and that was only because I wanted to see it in IMAX. I have ignored the 3D releases of all the big summer movies, choosing instead to view their 2D counterparts, because 3D adds nothing to the experience.
That is not the case with Cave Of Forgotten Dreams. This film needs to be seen in 3D. Werner Herzog chose to shoot this documentary in 3D in order to capture the three-dimensional quality of the paintings that adorn the walls of Chauvet Cave. The paintings take advantage of the uneven cave walls, sending panicked animals stampeding around soft angles, creating the illusion of motion. The 3D cinematography allows these images to be captured properly, the way they were meant to be seen. This is the first case in which I believe 3D viewing should be mandatory. It becomes an indispensable addition to the narrative.
When Cave Of Forgotten Dreams ended, I wanted to see it again immediately. I was absolutely enthralled throughout its 90 minutes, allowing the beauty of Chauvet Cave to captivate me in a way that no other motion picture this year has been able to do. I am in love with this film.
I don't think it's possible to spoil Terrence Malick's Tree Of Life. There's really nothing to spoil. It doesn't follow a traditional narrative, existing more as a series of moments than a linear storyline. A death in the family acts as a catalyst for the film to reflect on existence, mortality, and spirituality in a feature-length montage of loosely connected scenes both literal and metaphorical.
Rather early in the film, a series of seemingly abstract images began to unfold. There were bursts of light and color, endless trails of amber dust spinning in a void, and other brilliant visuals that held no immediate meaning, accompanied by a beautiful musical score. Slowly it dawned on me that I was viewing the birth of the universe. The Milky Way galaxy coalesced before my eyes, the superhot planet Earth began to cool as it orbited the Sun, the first rains fall, cellular division begins, and complex animal life swims, flies, and walks on this newborn world.
This sequence was poetic. It was awe-inspiring. I found myself lost in the imagery, consumed by this truly amazing moment. The "Genesis" sequence in this film is an astounding achievement, and worth the price of admission all by itself. The rest of the film, although less grand in scope, is no less important.
The film focuses on Jack as we explore life through his eyes, both as an adult (Sean Penn) and as a child growing up in 1950's Texas (Hunter McCracken). Life is portrayed not as a tidy narrative, but as a series of moments as I said earlier. In a traditional motion picture, many of these scenes would have no bearing on the plot, but because there is no "plot" to Tree Of Life, these scenes mean everything. Children playing games in their backyards, tying frogs to fireworks and blowing them up, sitting down to dinner with ther parents, staring out their bedroom windows on a rainy summer afternoon, riding their bicycles... these vignettes are the film's purpose.
When you think back to your childhood, your memories aren't complete. You can't trace the events of an entire day without gaps. What sticks with you is often random. The little moments that seemed so trivial at the time carry greater significance as we get older.
I remember visiting my grandparents in Arkansas for Thanksgiving when I was a child, no older than 10. I was sitting atop a hill on their heavily-wooded property, shooting at trees with a pellet gun, fancying myself a big game hunter. Later, my grandpa took me for a ride on his tractor. I was sitting on his lap, and after a few minutes he allowed me to take over steering duties. I accidentally drove the tractor right into my grandmother's rose bushes, flattening them. Much to my surprise, grandpa started laughing. My grandmother ran out of the house, yelling at grandpa for being reckless, and he just laughed harder.
That's what stuck. It all seemed so small to me, but as an adult I cherish those memories. They're very dear to me. I'll carry them with me until the day I die. This is the feeling that Tree Of Life effortlessly conveys, and it's one of the reasons why I walked away so profoundly affected. The entire film felt genuine to me. It was a rare cinematic experience, and it provoked a reaction from me that only Terrence Malick can seem to do. It's like this man is making movies just for me.
P.S. - Reviews of Captain America: The First Avenger, Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part 2, and Cowboys & Aliens are coming eventually. Also: a new podcast!
No comments:
Post a Comment