Cinematography: Wow. The images shown are a lot like still life photography. The lighting is absolutely perfect. It creates a warm, intimate feeling throughout the movie. The sun is always visible shining through the windows.
God, Love, and Family: Once or maybe twice the mother asks the rhetorical question, "Where were you?" referring to where her son was during the creation of the world. I just love that a Hollywood movie with Brad Pitt and Sean Penn brings the gospel truth of the eternal nature of our souls to light. Of all the creations God has made, the family is the most important. The ways they captured love within the family was my absolute favorite, especially between the mother and her sons. To see what I do as a mother all day on the big screen being glorified as monumental and important was incredible. The books, the laughter, jumping on beds, chasing each other. These are the things that are important to a child and these experiences shape and influence them greatly. We are doing a great work!
Temporal things are spiritual: I also appreciated the contrast and comparison between the prosaic (washing dishes, hanging up laundry, watering plants, bedtime routine- brushing teeth, reading books) and the extraordinary (the creation of atoms, volcanoes, the sun, dinosaurs!) By small and simple things are great things brought to pass.
"The only way to be happy is to love. Unless you love, your life will flash by."
Just remember, it doesn't have a plot and it is slow and long and somewhat random, but that is the point I think. If you do see it, comment on this post and share your thoughts. I'd love to hear them!
*We rented this from Red Box for free. Here's some codes.
7 comments:
I watched this movie last week and also loved it. I found myself pausing the movie and re-watching scenes to absorb more of what I was taking from the film. So great!
Will have to check this one out.
Deanna, your blog is BEAUTIFUL!
Jared and I watched most of this last night (but weren't able to finish it) and were also confused. When she said "Where were you?" I took it to be a question to God, our of anger and confusion, when her son died. The chronology is mixed up so I don't know, maybe I'm wrong. I liked watching the boy make choices and be guided by the light of Christ. It seemed very realistic. I loved the artism; I did not love the non-plot. It may have helped if I had gotten to see the end, too.
I think you are right Maren about her question being directed to God and not to her son, at least one of the times she asked. I was a little confused by the scene where he goes into that house but, now that you mention the light of Christ I can see that. If I remember the end is pretty random and I don't know if it would give any closure to the movie.
I need your address! Can you send it to mmlauritzen@yahoo.com? Thanks!!
i have never heard of this movie. (where have i been, geez). but now i am curious so i will look into it!
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