The impressionistic story of a Midwestern family in the 1950s, chronicling the journey of the eldest son, Jack (played as an adult by Sean Penn), through the innocence of childhood to his disillusioned adult years—trying to reconcile the complicated relationship with his father (Brad Pitt). Jack finds himself a lost soul in the modern world, seeking answers to the origins and meaning of life while questioning the existence of faith.
spiritual,
my way or god's way theme
extremely thought-provoking
a masterpiece. malick is up there with the greats like dreyer and tarkovsky. as for the reviewers who trashed it because it didn't make sense or there wasn't enough nudity (!), what can you say - that's what years of mindless tv junk does to your head.
Quite possibly the most self indulgent train-wreck of a film I've ever seen. First film I walked out on since 'Armageddon' (but for entirely different reasons). Watching this was akin to being battered about the face by the flaccid, shriveled member of the director (Malik). I invested two hours into this time sink before dashing for the exit. The religious mumbo-jumbo didn't do a thing for me either. Pseudo-intellectual garbage.