In this early experiment by Todd Field ("In the Bedroom", "Little Children" and "Tár" fame), he presents the evolution faced by a young boy growing
up to be a man, and evolving along with nature, in this case represented by a tree from his backyard, and time made them change in drastic manners. From swinging
on it, getting the apples that from it, then seeing the fallen leaves, the boy matures, falls in love, goes to war and returns to wife and a kid, yet the tree
was always there with some changes.
It's a beautiful and silent look about the ever changing variations of life and our presence as living being who witness how times and things change,
people grow and die, and nature sometimes survives through it all dealing against technology, nature disaster or the greed of men for needing more space to live.
Not much a so original view but it was great for a reflection. Sure, Field was just starting out (he was an actor back then) and didn't have much resources to
actually get a real scenario to it, which can distract the more attentive viewers who'll notice the fake grass and the matte painting in the background. Small
distractions, but the message is the one that speaks volumes and they're the ones that makes us remember this short film with a nostalgic look to similar special
places we had in our lives and were present for a long time, or places we can revisit and see how much it changed, if they even exist. 7/10.
