As his extensive yet enriching use of voice-overs may testify, Terrence Malick is well known for having a deep interest in observing the introspective perspective of his characters. He has the distinct gift of being able to create a symphony of words, images and sounds through which he is often able to capture the internal, tumultuous essence of what they are feeling, using the unique nature of cinema in a literal attempt to make emotions tangible. With Tree of Life, however, Malick additionally seemed intent to try to recreate the process of memory, arguably the deepest form of introspection possible. The same could be said about To the Wonder. While the story is (somewhat) more linear than Tree, he continues to eschew clear narrative connections by favoring a wandering style of editing and prioritizing poetic, narrated texts (and beautifully invasive music) over spoken dialogue, the presence of which is minimal (or inaudible) throughout the film.
Taking our emotions for a hectic ride, Malick possibly comes the closest I've ever seen to capturing and illustrating the conflicting inner joys and turmoils of being in love. Fairly limited narrative-wise, the film instead attempts to establish the main intimate moments of pain, passion and pleasure that make up the doomed relationship of Neil (Ben Affleck) and Marina (Olga Kurylenko). With his signature stunning photography and flowery narration voiced by Marina, Malick conveys with engaging clarity the illogical nature of love, a nature rooted in instinctual feeling and accumulated moments of intimacy rather than practical rationality. This notion can be felt in his choice of denying the audience an understanding of Neil's perspective, leaving his actions to speak for themselves, making us wonder why the hell Marina is so in love with. He's distant, afraid of commitment and overall kind of a prick, breaking the hearts of two women in the process. The answers lie in Marina's outspoken emotional process and the oneiric treatment of the intimately telling moments she shares with him, culminating in the constant fluctuation of primal emotions that is both the curse and the blessing of being in love. Marina's reasons behind her feelings are essentially seen as being irrelevant, the important part being that they exist in a powerfully undeniable way.
Another perspective adopted throughout the movie is that of Father Quintana (Javier Bardem), a parish priest that is slowly losing his faith in response to the evident futility of his social interventions, which include dealing with the faith of prisoners on death row. While his presence may seem somewhat incongruous at times with the rest of the movie, it serves to establish a link between love and faith. Some critics interpreted this as Malick stating that belief in God is necessary to make love work. Rather, I see it more as him equating faith to love, both of which are born within and require a certain amount of blind belief to go on existing. And whether you believe in To the Wonder or not, you will certainly feel something for it, even if only awe for the magnificent feast for the senses a new Malick film always promises. Because, much like love itself, his films are all-encompassing experiences that stay with you forever.
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