While Terrence Malick’s highly anticipated Tree of Life has yet to see its theatrical release, there is already a great deal of buzz surrounding the highly acclaimed writer/director’s latest film. In an interview with the LA Times, Malick’s cinematographer, Emanuel “Chivo” Lubezki, describes working on the set with Malick: “Once you think you got the formula, you realized there is no formula…it’s like no set I ever worked on.” Later on, Chivo explains that “Photography is not used to illustrate dialogue or a performance…[w]e’re using it to capture emotion so that the movie is very experiential. It’s meant to trigger tons of memories, like a scent or a perfume.” Of particular interest to filmmakers is Malick’s direction to film other things while the actors talk.
While Malick is certainly not the first filmmaker to do this, the technique certainly bears consideration. In particular, the technique should force the thoughtful filmmaker to consider what dialogue gets filmed (and why) and what dialogue would be more powerfully accompanied with a different set of visuals. Of particular interest for the low-budget filmmaker is the use of this technique as a way of dealing with practical concerns (such as unavoidable sound disturbances). The judicious use of this technique could be used to save a scene that would otherwise have to be re-filmed or re-located.
For the complete interview, check out the LA Times. For more on the film, again check out the LA Times.
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