The Should-Be Front Runner for Best Picture

Rating: 10/10 (23 January 2006)

"The New World" is a perfect fit for Terrence Malick's film-making style. He is the film equivalent of Ansel Adams with his astounding ability to capture beautiful, natural landscapes.
Malick begins the film with a lot of landscapes and shots of the English settlers surveying this new land that gives the viewer the feeling that they are seeing a foreign land for the first time. The pacing at the beginning of the movie is admittedly slow, and and remains at that pace for most of the movie. This pacing works on every level since the film covers three developing relationships; that of the settlers and the land, Pocahantas and John Smith, and Pocahantas and John Rolfe.
The film's relationships are also beautifully written. John Smith is truly infatuated with Pocahantas and the native culture. When they interact Pocahantas is often seen running freely through the grasses and they are often alone acting outside of the constraints of their colliding cultures.
John Smith is also dealing with the inherent beauty in not only Pocahantas' character, but the culture that the natives inhabit. Although they are primitive and the British are clearly more advanced, Smith acknowledges that what they have is unique and he is ambivalent towards the British intention to colonize their land and although he truly loves Pocahantas and the Indian culture, his eventual decision to leave her is made with her interests in mind and an unwillingness to end a freedom that only exists in the environment she has grown up in.
The romance between John Rolfe and Pocahantas is a stark contrast to that of Pocahantas and John Smith. Rolfe is the consummate British colonial force, a tobacconist in the New World to further his fortune and status. He has no consideration for what his love for Pocahantas could mean for her and consequently she is taught English, begins to wear dresses and high heels, and converts to Christianity before their eventual marriage. Although this can be seen as advancement, and undoubtedly is, the vibrant, inexplicable, raw quality that she previously possessed nearly disappears, clearly stifled by British colonialism.
The settlers colonial efforts and battles with the native tribes mirror these events, and although a sidebar to the film's relationships, also help to establish the film's themes. Malick's choice to shoot the film on the rare 65mm film stock not only makes this a unique and beautiful viewing experience, but significantly aids in establishing the native culture's inherent beauty.
Colin Farrell and Christian Bale both do very good jobs with their respective characters, but the shining star is Q'Orianka Kilcher. The film really settles on her shoulders and both her and Malick deserve credit for this performance that is almost silent, yet perfectly embodies the qualities unique to her people. Watching the changes in her mannerisms from her interaction with Smith to her relationship with Rolfe creates pathos both for her and for her tribe.
This film is immensely rich and the film's ending beautifully captures Malick's observations on the end of this culture. Yet, as the credits began to roll the cinema - goer's around quickly began laughing and/or complaining. For a passive observer this film is a complete bore, but to one open to a journey that is established visually this film is easily the best release of the past year.