“And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’” (Revelation 21:2-4)

“…also, on either side of the river, the tree of life.” (Revelation 22:2)

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Schizophrenia is a frequently misunderstood mental health diagnosis.  It gets confused with Multiple Personality Disorder, where one assumes multiple identities.  But symptomatically, schizophrenia is more accurately characterized by visual and aural hallucinations, delusions, or the belief that there are people and objects in places where they actually aren’t.  “Take Shelter” is framed around this diagnosis, delivering what was one of the best films I have ever seen.  Rife with tension, brilliantly acted, and technically masterful, it deserves a place in your home theater line-up.

“Take Shelter” is a film about a family.  The Father, Curtis (Michael Shannon) and his wife Samantha (Jessica Chastain) live in a rural part of Ohio with their daughter Hannah (Tova Stewart).  One day, Curtis walks outside into the rain, only to notice it is a dark yellow color.  From here, Curtis begins to have visions, hear sounds of thunder, and have nightmares which leave him frightened to his core.  Some of the visions are in dreams, others are while awake, but all of them feel real to Curtis.  To make matters more scary, be seems to be alone in his experiences.

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It’s been about a week since The Tree of Life came out on DVD/Blu-Ray, which means lovers of the film like me can watch, re-watch, dissect and pause to our heart’s content. As I’ve reflected on the film (I think I’ve seen it about 8 times now), I’m no less awestruck by its beauty now than I was in the beginning. It’s a film overflowing with the sublime, the transcendent, the holy. I’ve heard others call it a worshipful experience and I certainly concur.

The following are the scenes that get me the most, each time I watch Life. They are, in my opinion, the 10 most transcendent sequences of the film. WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD.

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