THE TREE OF LIFE - IMAGE: MERIE WALLACE TM & (c) 2011 Twentieth Century Fox Film
The musical montage is a disparaged and mostly abandoned
trope, and maybe its rarity makes it more powerful—the two films that
most affected me this year both worked their magic with it. Drive,
which opens its first run this weekend (see review here), enchants
audiences with synth-heavy ’80s cruising and a swooning Europop song by
College called “A Real Hero.” The Tree of Life, which
opens its second run this weekend, is nothing but musical
montage—Terrence Malick’s childhood reveries and sacred visions are like
abstract stained glass that allows high-Romantic compositions
(especially Bedrich Smetana’s swooning “Vltava”) to shine through. These
movies feel like dances. Academy, Laurelhurst.
- Best paired with: Ninkasi Radiant Summer Ale.
- Also showing: Showgirls (Mission, 10 pm Saturday).
