Terrence Malick is known for writing and directing obscure films that push the limits of typical filmmaking, and The Tree of Life is no exception. Whether you love it or hate it, you can’t help but admire its purpose or visual elements. Because it so heavily relies on this, you can’t help but wonder if the quality is diminished with the Blu-ray release. As good as the home video format is, it’s still a ways off from its theatrical counterpart.

QUALITY:
The Tree of Life opens by telling you to turn your sound up very loud. What its definition of very loud is can be vague but I understand the need to mention it. There are moments that feature very soft whispers and if your TV isn’t loud enough, you can easily miss them.

The Tree of Life also features plenty of scenes that depict life in its infancy; from the formation of stars and galaxies to dinosaurs and all other forms of Mother Nature taking its course. The majority of these scenes are purely visual, as minutes can pass by without as much as a word. While they do look rather spectacular on Blu-ray, the experience is not the same. There’s something about seeing the film in theaters that makes its meaning more defined and that much more astounding. Even on Blu-ray, the quality just doesn’t have the same effect.

BONUS FEATURES:
- DVD & Digital Copy
- Exploring The Tree of Life

There isn’t much in terms of extras aside from the 30-minute documentary that goes behind the scenes of The Tree of Life. If you want to know what it was you just watched for two hours, then this is a good place to start.

Overall, while I can appreciate what the film represents, I couldn’t bring myself to enjoy it. Perhaps the experience is different in theaters, but at home, The Tree of Life fails to live up to expectations. 

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