Round of 64 (Tier 3): The Tree of Life vs. The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

Round one is here. 61 years of film with 3 convenient ties. What film will come out on top?

For this round, we start with:

THE TREE OF LIFE, Terrence Malick's magnum opus about trying to find our place in a world that is simultaneously dismissive of us and full of beauty. To what extent is our plight even important in a world that is billions of world, with asteroids and seismic changes that do not even know who we are? Should we be uncaring like nature or should we follow the grace of God, the literal God and the God in ourselves?

Against...

THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY, the perfection of the Man With No Name formula that he had begun with A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS. The addition of the amoral Tuco in the struggle between the upright Blondie and the villainous Angel Eyes adds much more color to the struggle to find the lost gold, and it features a Mexican standoff that makes you wonder why anyone else tries.

The winner will move on to the next round. The full bracket is attached below.

 

Ttol

 

Both essential to me, but my personal leaning is for Tree of Life.

 

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly has style to spare, but The Tree of Life is one of the two or three best films remaining in the bracket.

 

Team Malick this round.

 

i’m fine being the only vote for TGTBTU. it’s pretty much a perfect film.

 

I do love TGTBTU but Tree of Life is probably top 5-10 all time

 

I havent seen Tree of Life, so Ill abstain on this, though TGTBTU is really good.

 

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

 

It is hard to think of a moment or a scene in The Tree of Life that captures it in a nutshell because so much of the film is more conventionally plotted than you are led to believe. A lot of American kids who grew up in a two-parent family will recognize that confusion and battle that comes from being led and commanded by two different people, the first time in your life that you will come across contradictory ideas and rules. Being Malick, though, there is a well of sympathy and sadness in the father, just like there was in the Colonel who is desperately trying to take the hill in The Thin Red Line. These are not evil people, but corrupted ones. They are not beyond saving, as the father has his moment of introspection. "Stop and smell the roses" is a cliche but it is a key message here.

 

With 55 percent of the vote, The Tree of Life will face There Will Be Blood in the Round of 32.

 

That's gonna be an interesting round.