There can be no broader canvas than the one on which this film is painted. It reaches back to the beginning of life and seemingly goes beyond the end of time. Throughout is the intensely personal story of a 1950’s Texas family living with more than the usual problems, but not so unusual that we cannot relate. All of the action is seen through the eyes of a sensitive boy.
This is not a film for the casual movie-goer. There isn’t a single laugh, not even a smile. And while the beauty of the visuals is arresting, for viewers whose expectations have not been set, all of this beauty will only produce impatience and bewilderment.
The narrative voice at the beginning sets the underpinning which is a debate between “nature” and “grace.” Nature gives us beauty, sustenance, and life itself, but it cares nothing for us as individuals; it takes grace for that, embodied in this film by the actress Jessica Chastain, mother to three young boys.
To show how sweeping the time shifts are, consider this: Brad Pitt plays Sean Penn’s father. The story is told through visual echoes, sometimes very subtle. In nature, there is conflict; beauty is a by-product; just as real is the conflict between human beings. Dissatisfaction is a potent force. Creating beauty is an act of courage. I believe this is the director’s vision, but it may be too much to expect one-time viewers to share it.
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