Film as Art

Rating: 10/10 (27 February 2006)

Terrence Malick produces art. It is important to understand this when considering watching one of his movies. If you're looking for a night out eating popcorn, slugging down a coke and giving your brain a break give his films a skip. If you want to challenge the way you perceive reality, open your heart and gain appreciation for the beauty of life, don't look anywhere else.
The New World is not a love story, any more than it is a historical epic. Rather the film is a slow, profound meditation on innocence, the balance of nature and that odd disturbance of equilibrium that is so characteristic of Western civilization. The acting in Malick's films is absolutely superb, and he brings out evocative and sincere performances from all his actors. I have heard comments that this film is merely a complaint, but I think this reveals a basic ignorance of the fact that Malick allows viewers to reach their own understanding and insights from his images, and his scripts are free of polemic or propaganda of any sort.
Another common complaint against Malick is the length of his films. This once again betrays a fundamental lack of insight into his work. Malick's films play out slowly precisely so one can tune into the deep current of emotion and beauty in his work. The length of the films appears to me to be a subtle indictment of the haste, superficiality and mindless stimulation of modernity. People who think otherwise are welcome to challenge themselves with a 50 Cent music video on MTV.
There is no point in comparing this film to other releases this year. It stands alone, an expression of integrity, passion and the peaks of cinematic endeavour. If you like it, check out the Thin Red Line and Days of Heaven.