Rich DiBenedetto

Malick’s films (to me), especially this one are more of a puzzle and less of a novel - they don’t so much tell a story as they invite viewers to tell it to and for themselves. As such, he artfully provides all the elements needed for this quest. The style works well as a departure from conventional film making imho. Taken in this context, it’s like a baseball game where you get to take an at-bat; you’re part of it. If you compare it to a spoon-fed story as is delivered by most films you’ll be left wanting.