“Those rambling philosophical voiceovers; the placid images of nature, offering quiet contrast to the evil deeds of men; the stunning cinematography, often achieved with natural light; the striking use of music – here is a filmmaker with a clear sensibility and aesthetic who makes narrative films that are neither literary nor theatrical, in the sense of foregrounding dialogue, event, or character, but are instead principally cinematic, movies that suggest narrative, emotion, and idea through image and sound.” – Chris Wisniewski about Days of Heaven and The New World
Or, as my husband says, “Terrence Malick understands how to use the medium of film.”
To The Wonder is my only experience with Malick’s work. Most likely because the subject matter he previously tackled ventured beyond my typical realm of interest. But a beautifully made movie about life and love that isn’t centered around war? The parallels between romantic and spiritual love and trust? Dreamy cinematography? I’m in.
This movie was a brilliant example of using non-traditional methods to communicate the story to the audience. As Drew pointed out, the blend of tools that Malick used to tell the story would only work in film. He skillfully and artistically combined four languages, imagery, subtitles, diegetic and non-diegetic music, and voiceover to create a mood and reveal his vision to us.
Next on my list is The Tree of Life. In case you’re interested, here’s the trailer.
Watching movies like this make me think about the different mediums we have available to us to tell stories about our lives and our work. It’s something I’ve been passionate about ever since I got my first camera and typewriter in elementary school. I love being challenged and inspired to think about new ways of communicating.
If you want to learn more about incorporating storytelling as a way to share (and sell) what you make or do, be sure to sign up for my Story Sharing mailing list. Also, come back on Monday. I have something for you.
Have a great weekend! xo