Winston Churchill once described Russia as "a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma," so what better place for these utterly beautiful new pics from the year's most mysterious release to pop up? The Film Stage has laid its hands on new shots from Terrence Malick's Tree Of Life that arguably give a better idea of what the film is than eventhe trailer managed.
So what is? On a simplistic level, Tree Of Life is a coming-of-age tale that links grown-up Jack (Sean Penn) with his childhood self growing up in the '50s with his dad (Brad Pitt) and mum (Jessica Chastain). Of course, this is Malick and it's a whole lot more than that. Expect profound, metaphysical ideas on life, the Universe and everything. Expect spectacular cinematography. Expect dinosaurs. Expect explosions.
Okay, don't expect explosions. But still, among this summer's 'bot-bashing, buccaneering tentpoles, the return of one of cinema's greatest craftsman should be cause for much whooping and cheering, if not actual fireworks.
Click on the images below to see the full gallery on The Film Stage.
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Tree Of Life makes its long-awaited US bow on May 27. The UK release is still TBC, but watch this space for more.