Director Terrence Malick (The Thin Red Line, The New World, The Tree of Life, To the Wonder) is known for his unique approach to filmmaking with each release more polarizing than the last. His latest, Knight of Cups, is probably the oddest and most experimental of the bunch. If you don’t care for his previous titles, you should stay far, far away from this one. But if you’re interested in non-narrative features, the movie’s collection of beautiful montages will make up for some of its deficiencies.
The story itself is very loose. Much is made of the fable The Hymn of the Pearl, about a boy who is sent to retrieve a pearl by his father, but who soon forgets about his quest. Rick (Christian Bale) is a Hollywood screenwriter facing an existential crisis. He’s successful and wealthy, but feels completely alone in the world, with no purpose or aim in life. After visiting a tarot reader, he’s assigned the “Knight of Cups” card. As events progress, we meet several family members and girlfriends who signify other cards in the deck as the man attempts to find an objective to his existence.
This movie has many of Malick’s trademarks. Interior monologues, characters pensively wandering alone in nature, contemplations of the city as a chaotic and soul-crushing environment. As it moves from segment to segment, we see the vapidity of life in show business and its many distractions. Much of the story is told in montages with narration, at times even taking on a fuzzy, dream-like quality.
There are some interesting chapters, as when Rick deals with his father Joseph (Brian Dennehy) and brother (Wes Bentley). Joseph is a frustrated, career-obsessed dad who has a strained relationship with his son. Much like Rick, this is a lonely guy whose accomplishments in Hollywood have faded and don’t seem to mean all that much in the grand scheme of things. Another interesting segment is one of Rick’s many romantic relationships, specifically his ruminations on an ex-wife (Cate Blanchett) whom he always kept at an emotional distance.
In the, this effort doesn’t rank among my favorites from the filmmaker. Based solely on first impressions, it may be too centered on its lead; others in his life are glimpsed briefly and not as developed. It might have benefited from highlighting different viewpoints and showcasing personalities in conflict. While we get bits and pieces of this from other characters (and many do detail their own philosophies on life), the attention is almost always on Rick and his perspective. He’s alienated and for the majority of the film we follow this figure moving about the world without much direction. It’s all well done, but without a specific foil or secondary lead some of the material feels repetitive.
At the very least the gorgeous images from Emmanuel Lubezki (The Tree of Life, Gravity, Birdman, The Revenant) keep out attention throughout. Frankly, even without a narrative the images are stunning. The Aurora Borealis is seen from outer space, as is the rocky beauty and stillness of Death Valley. There are impressive macro shots of tarot cards, underwater angles of animals and humans in water and Los Angeles lit up in twilight. It all looks fantastic. There’s also some interesting close up photography with the camera placed inches away from the lead performer, sometimes swaying around them and adding to the sense of unease. Overall, it might be best to just go and take in the images without concerning yourself with any sort of plot.
So yes, this is an abstract film more interested in conveying a feeling than providing a conventional narrative. It isn’t for everyone and features things that most viewers will hate (again, a lack of conventional story and a protagonist who isn’t pro-active). Heck, you won’t even get an emotive or revelatory finale, just another mosaic of sights and sounds with a simply stated resolution.
Yet for all its flaws and ponderousness, it does challenge you to think about what we truly value in life and ultimately question our decisions. And it’s so rare to see an art film get a national release. Whether you love it, despise it or fall somewhere in the middle (as I did) on Knight of Cups, it’s impressive to see someone implement some variety and experimentation using the medium.