To the Wonder
I saw a To the Wonder and I have to say.....I really liked it. Terrence Malick is known for being non linear, hard to follow and extremely interpretive. When Tree of Life came out, I was getting over an injury and was super irretable. I actually walked out of the theatre mid way through the movie. My mind wasn't open or interested in the "metaphors" and "symbolism" represented in the film. For some reason I gave Days of Heaven a lot more rope when I watched it. Perhaps because it was easier to follow and the wheat fields were hypnotic. I decided the next time I watched one of his flicks, I would be well slept, fresh from a yoga class with a cup of green tea in hand!
Next one to roll out was To the Wonder. As with his other work, To the Wonder leaves a lot to the imagination. Watching it, I almost felt like I was being fed a series of scenes that threaded together to give me the curves of a life. The long and short curves that define, direct or re-direct you in ways you didn't plan. One of the curves that was eluded to was re-birth and was touched on by Javier Bardem's character. He talked about when love appears to be dying, it might be in the process of a re-birth as another kind of love. I did not see that at all. What I saw were two very distinct relationships, neither of which were full.
There were two "love stories" in the movie to draw a parallel against; The fall back and the delusional. I personally didn't feel like they were different kinds of love. When I say delusional, the couple never looked at the day to day life they would need to lead together. Groceries, hospitals, growing as a couple and as an individual. Satisfying personal growth along with growing a family. I don't think it's selfish to want to grow both as a person and as a unit. That growth feeds back and forth and lines up nicely with Javiers' call out about love evolving.
The fall back was easy, made sense and looked good on paper. There were no scenes of them yearning for each other and at no point do you aspire to their love. Neither "love stories" are very appealing. In a perfect world, both relationships would merge, taking the best of each other to make the perfect relationship. Passionate, smart, fun and committed.
I think I get it now....Terrence, are you getting us to come to the realization that there is no such thing as a perfect relationship, but we must endeavour to create a balance where we can love, live and grow with our partner within our wild space...Our city, our town, our culture. Wow, now I have a lot more to think about...Damn you Malick and your crafty storytelling!