Review of The New World (2005) by Ryan M — 11 May 2011

Terrence Malick does it again. "The New World" is a fascinating, captivating and astonishing poem of the settlers at Jamestown in the 1600's, with the romance of Cpt. John Smith and Pocahontas (she is never addressed by that name in the film) taking centre stage for the first half.

It is more of a poem than a simple film, the narrative plods along at a relatively slow pace, but at the heart of this film are themes that are a given in a Malick film: Loss of innocence, Man's relationship with nature and God.

Firstly, this is one of the most beautiful films ever made, like "Barry Lyndon", almost the entire film was shot with natural sunlight, and Malick only used "images that had an emotional resonance".

The scenery is more than just a glorious backdrop, it's almost another character in the picture. The title is perfect: Smith's "New World" is the Paradise of the natives, where he falls in love with Pocahontas, but the natives and the settlers inability to connect drives a wedge between their love.

These two cultures could have built something wonderful together, they could have created a "New World" devoid of evil, a real Paradise. But the Settler's disruption of the peaceful native's lifestyle caused this rift, and "The New World" remains almost a myth, as mankind constantly searches for a perfect existence, but it is almost always out of reach.

Pocahontas "New World" comes around after Smith's departure, where she meets, marries and moves to England with James Rolfe. Her unspoilt innocence was tarnished after the battle sequence (wonderfully filmed) between the natives and the settlers, and her new surroundings, coupled with her new baby son are her attempts to regain that innocence, and to "Understand where her mother has gone".

The acting is for the most part quite good, Colin Farrell's portrayal is nicely nuanced, as his thick-skin is penetrated by the innocence of Pocahontas, only to sacrifice his love for her to further his own career.

Christian Bale gives a restrained performance as Rolfe, definitely in love with Pocahontas, but always curious as to whether she still loves Captain Smith. But the real star is Q'Orianka Kilcher, she captures the innocent purity of Pocahontas incredibly well, she is the soul of the film.

It is a film that makes you wipe the slate clean, stays in the moment, and contains sequences that are as incredible as almost anything seen this decade: The moment where the natives first meet the settlers, smelling them, touching them, their cultures almost alien to each other.

It's a mind-blowing moment in a film of incredible beauty, seemingly documenting how America was built, and that maybe we haven't changed an awful lot in 400 years. The plodding pace, various images of tree-life may not be for some, but submit yourself to this film, and it will take you on a wonderful journey.