Directed by Terence Malick
Written by Terence Malick
Starring Q'orianka Kilcher, Colin Farrell, Christian Bale, Christopher Plummer, Wes Studi
Release Date December 25th, 2005
Published Decemeber 23rd, 2005
A Terence Malick movie is an event. Not just because that, in his thirty plus year career, he has only directed four features. It's because each of those four pictures have been accomplished by a master director. That doesn't mean that Malick or his work is universally beloved. Only that his work is undeniably the work of a director who's heart and soul goes into every film.
All of Malick's features have the divisive of power of great art that brings out strong emotions in those that love it and those that do not. Malick's latest feature may be the ultimate example of his polarizing work. The New World has split the critics and moviegoers more than any of his previous films. The New World examines the founding of America in a stylized epic fashion that utilizes its environment as a character as much as its actors. It's one extraordinary experiment.
By 1609, The New World had long been discovered by Europe, but it was yet to be colonized. A ship carrying the very first Americans, as they would someday come to be called, arrived with all of the grandeur and arrogance that has come to define the American character in the nearly 400 years since. Great English ships with huge sails soaring arrive in what would become Jamestown to establish the first colony.
Led by Captain Newport (Christopher Plummer) the settlers are aware of the indigenous people, or naturals as they call them, that await them in the new world, and Newport sets the tone early on, urging his people to engage the naturals peacefully. The first encounter between these two tribes is a fascinatingly Malick experience. Mostly wordless, they meet in a field of high weeds with the soundtrack bereft of all but the sounds of nature. The naturals greet these alien newcomers with wary fascination; the settlers with edgy excitement bordering on murderous fear.
After this initial encounter, the naturals watch as these newcomers begin building their makeshift forts and homes. There is more interaction but the language and cultural barriers lead often to violent misunderstandings. Eventually it is decided that in order to make peace with the naturals, a group of settlers must go forth to their encampment and attempt to establish trade, while Newport sails back to England to gather more supplies.
Captain John Smith (Colin Farrell), who arrived in the new world as a captive, is chosen to lead this expedition because of his military training. The trip initially becomes a violent encounter as the naturals defend their camp from this outside intruder. Smith is beaten and captured. Taken to Chief Powhaton (August Schellenberg) he is sentenced to die until the chief's daughter, nameless in the film though history calls her Pocahontas (Q'orianka Kilcher), throws herself across Smith's body and begs for mercy. The Chief acquiesces to his daughter and Smith is allowed to live. Staying among the naturals, Smith and Pocahontas begin a unique and transfixing love affair.
The story of The New World continues beyond Smith and Pocahontas' love affair and basically bypasses the story of the founding of America to tell the story of this extraordinary young girl who braved the frontiers of her family, her tribe and the unknown dangers of the of Americans and their English home. When John Smith chooses to disappear, Pocahontas meets John Rolfe (Christian Bale) and eventually makes her way to England in scenes that are just as powerful as the initial scenes in set in America.
The New World is as much a beautiful travelogue vision of early America and England as it is a history lesson or a love story. All of these diverse elements work because each is part of the same symphony, all being conducted by Terence Malick. His mastery of visuals is unquestioned, and his legend only grows with the wondrous landscapes of The New World. Terence Malick is underrated is in his storytelling which, in this case, mixes perfectly a realistic representation of American history with a powerful and deeply moving love story.
15-year-old Q'Orianka Kilcher is the centerpiece of The New World and is all the more amazing for the fact that this is one epic film that she holds together brilliantly. Malick's camera seeks her at every moment and bathes in her radiant spirit. It is not difficult to see why Malick cast this beautiful teenager, she has that innocent star quality and assuredness that can only be ascribed to the naivete of youth. She is never nervous about being the center of an epic movie because she doesn't appear to realize that she should be.
Be forewarned that The New World is not for every audience. Fans of Malick, like myself, walked into The New World expecting to fall in love with it and were not disappointed. On the other hand, non-fans may find Malick's love of scenery and luxuriant pacing off-putting. The film is long, at nearly three hours, something else that might test the patience of non-Malick fans.
However, if you consider yourself a film fan, I cannot imagine not loving The New World. Malick's painterly directorial strokes, Q'Orianka Kilcher's enthralling performance and the wide historical scope of the film are just the kind of ambitious film-making exploits that film buffs love. Malick is an auteur, a visionary whose genius makes even his indulgent flaws endearing.
A work of wondrous imagination and skill, The New World is Terence Malick at the height of his powers. Not for all audiences but for an audience willing to indulge a masterful director's vision, The New World is a more than rewarding experience. If you can't tell, I love this movie!
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