Voyage of Time (2016)

Film: Voyage of Time (2016)

Stars: Cate Blanchett

Director: Terrence Malick

Oscar History: No nominations

Snap Judgment Ranking: 4/5 stars

As part of our month-long celebration of the 10th Anniversary of The Many Rantings of John, I am completing all of the remaining gaps in my Terrence Malick filmography (one of my favorite film directors) with what we're calling "Terry Tuesdays" throughout June.

While it is not on a Tuesday (I almost put it tomorrow, but figured I'd stick to the long weekend promise), we are finishing up the "Terry Tuesdays" lineup with Voyage of Time, the final film I needed to see to have completed the entire filmography of one of my favorite directors.  Malick's documentary is a unique film in a variety of ways.  First, there are technically two versions of this movie.  The longer version, which we'll discuss today, played at film festivals, specifically in Venice & Toronto, but if you saw this in theaters in the United States, it was likely a shorter, IMAX version that was narrated by Brad Pitt.  I live in Minnesota, and when this was initially released it only played in one theater in my state, and it was at the Minnesota State Zoo of all places, which meant that my budget-conscious heart at the time couldn't afford the price of both the movie AND the zoo ticket (2016 was a time of saving in my world as I was shoveling away for a new house).  I assumed I'd be able to catch it on home release, but the movie is next to impossible to find in the United States, and I had to get an international copy of the DVD to finally be able to watch it (Criterion, if you're listening, a Malick box set would be most appreciated, and adding this movie into that collection would be a wise move).

(Spoilers Ahead) The movie is the culmination of a project that Malick has been attempting since the early 1980's.  Essentially, though it's a documentary really it's more of a visual art project, showing us initially shots of human beings playing and enjoying life, and then moving all the way back to the Big Bang.  We then see the entire history of our solar system, including evolution, dinosaurs, mass extinction, the evolution of man, and the eventual demise of the sun.  Malick intersperses the movie with heavy-handed narration from Cate Blanchett (in full Galadriel mode) talking about "mothers" and speaking almost in poetry, rarely adding a lot to the actual happenings onscreen.

Voyage of Time is stunning, and I definitely liked it.  I think the dinosaur sequence and the later hunting sequences, despite being scenes that were not gorgeous cinematography (which abounds) might be the most successful because they provide the most narrative structure.  I will admit that I wished Pitt was the narrator not because I don't like Blanchett (I do), but because I feel like Blanchett's already so well-known for narrating the Lord of the Rings any movie that welcomes comparison does so while also inviting inferiority (no one can compete with The Lord of the Rings).  Watching this movie, I was struck by how much of it also borrows from The Tree of Life, which is a better Malick property.  You almost get the sense that while this is the movie Malick always wanted to make, he got tired of waiting for it to happen and made a version of this tale with The Tree of Life instead.  If you don't like Malick or have a low tolerance for him, this movie is not for you, but as I am a superfan, I left happy.

And with that, we not only finish up "Terry Tuesdays" but also our monthlong 10th Anniversary celebration.  I hope you enjoyed this extravaganza of posts & our multiple series & retrospectives.  We will continue into July with a new Oscar Viewing Project starting tomorrow as well as more reviews, politics, & whatever else comes to mind, but I am so thankful you joined me, and that I have this little corner of the internet to share my thoughts & passions with you.