Good, although laboured and ponderous

Rating: 6/10 (16 October 2006)

You have to be really, really in a precise mood to watch this movie and get the most out of it. Malick's style is very prevalent and instantly recognisable to anyone who has watched The Thin Red Line (shots of nature, character narrations), which is a more fulfilling film in my view.
The premise is a love story between the famous explorer John Smith and the impudent Pocahontas set against the backdrop of the beginnings of a new nation. The story takes its time and never feels forced, but is quite poorly paced and feels laboured and a bit overwrought.
If you want to watch this movie, bear in mind what you're in for - a slow burning romantic drama which is beautifully filmed and masterfully crafted, though it does take a good bit of effort to sit through the whole thing.