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1. Tree of Life: In the Beginning

In the run-up to the release of Tree of Life, as well as in head-scratching reviews once the movie hit theaters, much was made of a brief and somewhat inscrutable scene between two dinosaurs. Prehistoric creatures are rare in arthouse flicks, but here's what's rare in any film, of any kind: a 20-minute, near-wordless sequence showing the birth of the universe, the stars, and planet Earth, and finally those two dinos. Nebulae flow though the void, the Milky Way rolls on its mighty axis, the surface of the Sun churns and roars. It's patient and immaculate, and the only thing more astonishing than this cosmic meditation is how it was created.



Some of those shots are animated versions of the static images captured by the Hubble Space Telescope. Others feature lower-tech photographic effects, such as the use of dry ice and miniatures for celestial bodies, and shooting without a lens to encourage light leaks. Our favorite trick by far: creating an ominous, on-screen nebula by filming the languid billow of half-and-half poured into a tank of water. Light cream has never been so heavy.