Watch Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life, which Milos considered a “masterpiece” of contemporary U.S. cinema. 

In this visually stunning and highly philosophical film by acclaimed director Terrence Malick (The Thin Red Line), young Jack (Hunter McCracken) is one of three brothers growing up as part of the O’Brien family in small-town Texas. Jack has a contentious relationship with his father (Brad Pitt) but gets along well with his mother (Jessica Chastain). As an adult, Jack (Sean Penn) struggles with his past and tries to make sense of his childhood, while also grappling with bigger existential issues. 

 The film initially divided critics and audiences before receiving the Palme d’Or at Cannes and has gone on to stand among the director’s most celebrated works. As a critic at WBEZ’s Worldview, FACETS Founder Milos Stehlik admonished critics for fueling the controversy, concluding: “Shortly after the Cannes Film Festival, someone asked me whether they should see The Tree of Life. I said, ‘yes, absolutely’ but read nothing before you go. Just accept it. I repeat that advice today.” 

 Read or listen to Milos’s full review of The Tree of Life on WBEZ here.