Beautiful movie. Also, let's talk metaphor & symbolism & so on!

I loved this movie. Here are some things I was thinking about and would love to talk about (after only having watched it once...):

The most aesthetic movie I've ever seen. Especially the water scenes. Wow.

In terms of the two lady characters... I thought their childlike characteristics, or otherwise very womanly characteristics were very interesting. They were the "mothers", the givers, the sustainers of life. Jane was a farmer, working the earth, feeding the animals. She was open and loyal and loved Neil. She was vulnerable and giving.
Marina was a mother. Giver of life literally but then also similar to Jane in that she was vulnerable, open, loving to her fingertips, physical, spontaneous...
They are LIFE! Perhaps...

Then Neil.. he is death-like. His character is an empty vessel in a lot of ways. We don't know what he feels or who he is or even what he wants. He is what the priest's character describes in terms of men who don't choose, who don't risk. And then on top of it... he has a destructive job. He is surrounded by dark ugly messed up earth-destroying scenes. All the poor disenfranchised people ask him desperate questions... he is numb and wandering, not answering, not helping (well, until later with his epiphany of sorts). He lives in an empty house in a suburban cookie-cutter neighbourhood.

So, of course, then, there is the obvious contrast of Oklahoma (in terms of the suburbs and city scenes) vs the nature scenes and the scenes of France. It is such an obvious juxtaposition, I thought, of this same life/death or love/no love thing.
I saw Neil as the future, the unfeeling, undeciding, commodified "America" that can't love or be loved. And I saw the women as these life-giving, childish people wanting and giving love. I also interpreted their child-like qualities as, well obviously, innocence and the pure pursuit of love. But perhaps my extreme bias is showing through... and really Malick was highlighting two different versions of delusion and futile "love". Like for the women it was perhaps all fantasy and giving oneself away totally and being subsumed and that didn't work out for either of them. I am split here on my opinion. Not sure yet.

And the priest... wow. Not enough words or space. So much seeking... of earnest connection... and so on.

Anyway, just some initial thoughts. Please kindly add whatever you can to any of that.