Movieline's Handy Guide to the 20 New Tree of Life Clips

The official website for Terrence Malick's Tree of Life has launched with twenty new clips from the film! That said, the total running time of all the clips combined is probably somewhere under a minute. Yes, each time you click on a thumbnail, you get a whopping one to three seconds of footage. So before you endure the site's semi-frustrating navigation and incessant mystical soundtrack, take a look at Movieline's rundown of the clips to decide which ones are worth watching and which ones you've already seen on a National Geographic documentary about space.

So far, no one has cut these clips together and uploaded a You Tube video, and given the vigilance of the publicity and marketing department on this one, it's not likely that anyone who does so will get away with it for long. So, check them out at the official website, Two Ways Through Life, for a look at the clips.

I recommend Clip #1, Clip #2 and Clip #20 for maximum visual wonder and minimal hints of the plot. In fact, those who want to remain completely spoiler-free but still can't resist the temptation of new footage might want to stick to those. Despite the length of these clips, I feel like they may add up to quite a few minor spoilers. If you're OK with that, here's the rundown:

Mother Cycle

· Clip 1

Official Synopsis: He watches as his brother sets an offering at the base of an oak tree.

Say What? Not much action, but this may just be the titular tree!

· Clip 2

Official Synopsis: Into the world.

Say What? You have never seen underwater-kid-footage this beautiful.

· Clip 3

Official Synopsis: He admires his father.

Say What? Indeed, Brad Pitt's boy seems to admire him. Also: Who knew that Pitt could play the organ!

· Clip 4

Official Synopsis: He wanders through the desert.

Say What? He = Sean Penn.

· Clip 5

Official Synopsis: They do not endure by maintaining their rigidity

Say What? This looks like footage from when the movie switches to a microscope's point of view. I wish I understood science.

· Clip 6

Official Synopsis: There is another spirit in his brother.

Say What? Two children tapping on the window from opposite sides.

· Clip 7

Official Synopsis: Not only competition, but cooperation, plays a part in the ascent of life.

Say What? I wish even more that I understood science. This clip appears to be from the point of view of a more sophisticated, 3-D microscope.

· Clip 8

Official Synopsis: He grieves for her more than himself.

Say What? This clip is actually just a close-up of Pitt's face. There are also some trees, but I don't think that any of them is the tree.

· Clip 9

Official Synopsis: She thought it would last forever.

Say What? This footage, taken with this description, will probably make you cry. Especially if you have ever been blissfully, madly in love. Also, this clip offers the best look at the lovely Jessica Chastain, as she smothers Pitt with affection.

· Clip 10

Official Synopsis: Who is this stranger?

Say What? Spoiler: The stranger is a new baby brother.

Father Cycle

· Clip 11

Official Synopsis: Our sun has become a white dwarf. A remnant of earth trails behind it.

Say What? Nice organ sound! Nice planet footage! It takes longer to read the description than to watch this clip.

· Clip 12

Official Synopsis: The innocent one has no defense.

Say What? Brad Pitt is furious with his son. He grabs his son's shirt collar! I'm guessing his son does not defend himself.

· Clip 13

Official Synopsis: When someone hits you, do you hit back?

Say What? According to Pitt, the answer is yes! Here, he teaches his son how to fight.

· Clip 14

Official Synopsis: Until now, his eyes have been shielded from the sight of evil, suffering and death.

Say What? But now, the young boy has seen an arrested man struggling in a police car! Ah, life.

· Clip 15

Official Synopsis: The Father returns from his travels.

Say What? He also gives his son a vague pat.

· Clip 16

Official Synopsis: A large asteroid slams into earth.

Say What? It's actually very beautiful.

· Clip 17

Official Synopsis: What if?

Say What? Pitt's boy is getting some possibly bad ideas about a car.

· Clip 18

Official Synopsis: He turns from her way of doing things to his father's.

Say What? And guess what? His father's way is a bummer. Here, it appears that the boy from most of the other footage is ignoring Chastain and in effect, breaking her heart.

· Clip 19

Official Synopsis: Molecular clouds gather to form galaxies.

Say What? If you already know what that sort of thing looks like, I suppose you can skip this. For everyone else, it's very pretty.

· Clip 20

Official Synopsis: All a chaos.

Say What? Amazing. No words for this one.