The New World of Cinematic Tedium

Rating: 5/10 (24 January 2006)

Acclaimed Director Terrence Malick comes out of hibernation to concoct this moribund outlook on the legend of Pocahontas. The year is 1607, and King James envoys set foot on the rustic shores of Virginia, intent on building the first European Colony in America. They encounter the Powhatan Indians, but no epic battle ensues. Terrence Malick focuses his energy on the romantic bond between authority challenged sailor John Smith ( Colin Farrell ), and the Powhatan princess Pocahontas ( Q'Orianka Kilcher ). I haven't watched a movie this slow paced since Moby Dick was Tuna. Scenes of affection between Smith and Pocahontas are repetitious, and indeed the order of the day. The accompanying monologues in voice-overs complete the moviegoer's zombification process in an "EYES WIDE SHUT" sort of way. I did manage to refrain from exploding in an outcry of " WHAT'S NEXT ? ". What's next is more of the same, with settler John Rolfe ( Christian Bale ) vying for Pocahontas' heart, following Smith's departure from the settlement. A reprieve from the doldrums is granted in the form of sporadic attacks by the indians, but this is not sustained. You see, war is not an angle of this historical saga Malick wishes to contemplate, and that's really a shame. Wes Studi, known for his compelling Indian Warrior performances in "Dances with Wolves", and "The Last of the Mohicans" is only here to adorn the Virginia wilderness. He might as well have been building sand castles at nearby Chesapeake Bay. I hope his star rating doesn't drop like a cliff-diver in Acapulco. Malick compensates for an obvious lack of variety in his material by prolonging scenes of Pocahontas' playful disposition to kingdom come, slowing the pace of the movie to a nightmarish crawl. The Cinematography is eye catching, and the symphonic score is somewhat enjoyable. The acting by the main actors is commendable ( Kudos to Kilcher for a respectable debut ), but this is a rather boring flick destined for the DVD shelves in double quick time. The storyline is painfully mono-directional, and I just couldn't keep myself interested for 2.5 hours. I could be standing on the buffet line for crow two months from now, but I don't anticipate huge Box Office receipts for this tortoise of a movie.