Oddly, for such a Malick fan, I'm not as enamored of this one as I was of “Tree of Life,” “New World,” etc. I'm less excited for the film.

Is the style overly familiar now? The images? The wheat fields and water and waves?

Or is it the theme?

This is the voiceover narration we hear from Javier Bardem, broken down:

1. You shall love, whether you like it or not.
2. Emotions, they come and go like clouds. Love is not only a feeling; you show love.
3. To love is to run the risk of failure, the risk of betrayal.
4. You fear your love has died; perhaps it is waiting to be transformed into something higher.
5. Awaken the divine presence which sleeps in each man, each woman.
6. Know each other in that love that never changes.

I like the first line, particularly the implied threat in it.

Another site has the second line ending with “You shall love,” which is a repetition of the first sentiment, but I thought he said you show love. It's not just a feeling, in other words; there's action involved. It's something, you could add, you can't hide. Another implied threat.

3. is obvious. Not a fan of 3.

4. is where I fear I am sometimes. Nice thought at the end, though. Wish fulfillment?

The last two lines connect the human and the divine through love. The messy human component, with its failures and betrayals and fadings (per “Annie Hall”), is a mere flake of the divine, absolute, unchanging love of God. We just deal with it poorly. We render it less than absolute, less than divine. But know it to be divine.

That seems to be what we're getting here. I'd like to agree. But I'm stuck on 4.

Opening limited April 12.