Well executed

Rating: 8/10 (4 September 2018)

I am taking a History through Film class at school and this was the first film we watched. Terrence Malick tells the story of Pocahontas that people may be more familiar with. Although not historically accurate, it's a well-known take on the story. This film tells the story of the journey of John Smith in Jamestown and all the trials that came with it, along with Pocahontas. We get to see both sides, from the settlers with John Smith to the Natives with Pocahontas. This enabled us to see the background in the two groups interactions and how the relationship between John Smith and Pocahontas intertwined in it all. Other than Disney's 'Pocahontas' (1995), this was the only other movie I'd seen that depicts this story of Pocahontas and I did end up enjoying it. I thought the film was beautifully shot, especially the nature visuals throughout the movie. I also thought the soundtrack was great and fit the film well. It was well casted and I thoroughly enjoyed all the actors performances, especially Q'orianka Kilcher. I liked how the story extended past Jamestown and we were able to see Pocahontas' arrival with John Rolfe back to England. We got to see her in a new environment with a completely different culture and I thought Kilcher did an excellent job at showing those emotions she was feeling. One part that was probably my favorite was the final sequence. It shows the moment of Pocahontas running through the courtyard with her son with a brief narration from her, which then cut to John Rolfe's voice-over of a letter to their son stating her sudden death. Malick was able to stunningly piece together the final moments in her bed, to the moments where she was running around outside and enjoying the world around her. The score by Richard Wagner, I think, is what ties it all together. The music builds as we see the final shots before it abruptly stops and we finish with shots of nature and it's surrounding sounds. This ending reminds me of the way the more recent film 'Arrival' (2016). Both movies ended in a similar way, with an assortment of different shots and a complementary musical score of a bittersweet moment that bring the whole thing together. Although I can see how some people may not like this film, I really did enjoy it. I probably with look more into Terrence Malick's other work.