More or less a work-in-progress, which was kickstarted years before 2011’s "The Tree Of Life,” Terrence Malick's much-delayed "Voyage of Time" has taken forever to finally reach U.S. theaters. It is now set for a worldwide December 11th, 2021 release on IMAX via MUBI.
Even years before “The Tree of Life,” Malick had tried to develop a film for Paramount in the ’70s about the origins of earth, titled “Q.” He eventually abandoned the project, but some of the footage, shot nearly 40 years ago, is employed in “Voyage of Time.” There’s also a bunch of deleted scenes from “Tree of Life” added in for good measure.
Malick and cinematographer Paul Atkins have tried to achieve the impossible with this film: make a movie about the beginning, the middle, and the end of time. With such an ambitious concept, it’s not surprising that “Voyage of Time” took forever to make and complete. What is however surprising is that Malick finally ended up with a scant 90 minute running time for the final cut, and a subdued, but precise narration by Brad Pitt.
Malick’s rapturous film will no doubt screen in planetariums worldwide, perhaps until the end of time. I saw it at TIFF 2016, and this was an immersive experience about existence and the grand history of the cosmos. Malick tackled the origins of the stars and galaxies, and the explosion of diverse life-forms on planet earth, including humankind and, of course, dinosaurs.
This is a symphony to the glories of nature, life, and scientific discovery. Don’t miss it. I know I’ll be watching it again.
Meanwhile, I know a producer close to Malick, and every time we talk, I ask about “The Way of the Wind,” the Jesus of Nazareth film Malick shot and completed around two years ago. Last time we spoke was maybe 7 months ago, and, at the time, he told me the tentative plan was a Cannes premiere in “a year or two.” Maybe Cannes 2022?