To the Wonder is Terrence Malick’s most recent film, and like The Tree of Life, it has been either highly praised or criticized. Most of the criticism points at the lack of plots and dialogues and character construction which make it inaccessible, too many seemingly beautiful but empty shots, and the preaching which most of the people cannot stand. I agree that this film does not emphasize on its plots and character building, but perhaps it is because the director is using the film to indicate a general situation or circumstance that could apply to everyone in this world. I do not think preaching is a problem because the film is actually not talking about a certain type of religion (in the film it is Christianity). The themes of To the Wonder are actually love and faith, and how the characters manage to deal with the loss of love and faith. The characters are like guinea pigs being tested in the film, and instead of dialogues, their emotions are only portrayed through the images and their poetry-like monologues, which forces audience to feel how the characters feel rather than to understand. Lovers fall out of love through time, priest doubts his own belief because he could not feel the existence of God: love and faith are two words easily to be said but hard to maintain. However, the film is probably indicating through the ebbing and flowing of the tide around Mont Saint-Michel that the loss of love and faith is natural, and most of the people will have to face it sooner or later.
邊境男子的漂流記事 