Terrence Malick made two pieces of classic cinema in the 1970's, Badlands and Days of Heaven. He then disappeared from view for many years, much to the consternation of film critics who thought they had lost a master of the art. He then returned twenty years later and made The Thin Red Line, a critically celebrated film. 7 years later he made The New World, a dull and ponderous account of Pocahontas. The Tree of Life, in my opinion his best film, followed several years later. Then, in 2012, he made the incredibly boring To The Wonder and then this film, impenetrable to anybody not able to read his mind and intent.

Visually this film is beautiful in parts but narratively it is very thin. Some may call it art but not all art is good. This is more Picasso than Van Gogh, abstract and difficult to piece together. I am sure Malick knew what he was doing but I fully appreciate the baffled response of the reviewers on this site. A good film? A cinematic painting? Pretentious drivel? I don't know and its unlikely I will rewatch it to unravel its supposed meaning. After waiting so long for Malick's return, his output since then is variable to say the least.