A film of true depth and emotion

Rating: 10/10 (2 January 2006)

"The New World" marks the triumphant return of director Terrence Malick, who after a seven year absence, has delivered one of the most impressive films of the past year. Though perhaps too long for his fans, Malick's hiatus was shorter than the 20 years that passed between 1978's "Days of Heaven" and 1998's "The Thin Red Line". Stylistically, his newest work is more of a continuation of the latter than of his seminal debut, "Badlands", and will likely arouse debate among followers of Malick's career. Although it is not very accessible to the average movie-goer, "The New World" carries tremendous rewards for viewers in the mood for something artistic.
In terms of plot, "The New World" is a retelling of the tale of Pocahontas (Q'Orianka Kilcher) and John Smith (Colin Farrell). The film begins with the founding of Jamestown and continues through the Smith-Pocahontas relationship, the conflict between the settlers and the Powhatans, and Pocahontas' eventual marriage to John Rolfe (Christian Bale). However, this only scratches the surface of the film's focus.
A deeper connection with nature is the unmistakable, driving force of the work. When John Smith first travels to the natives' camp, Malick depicts the Powhatans as a race that exists in harmony with their surroundings. After spending an extensive amount of time with the natives, Smith's return to the English settlement is visually jarring as the palette moves from lush greens to shades of brown. The English outpost is a fort sinking into the mud, confined by looming log walls. Its settlers are contrasted as a group that seeks to shut itself off from nature rather than embrace it. As such, they are unable to thrive in the new world.
Pocahontas' eventual journey to England enhances this disparity. One of the film's most effective moments has a Powhatan, Opechancanough (Wes Studi), wandering through London's royal gardens. For him, the topiary designs are an artificial and alien "forest", illustrating how man has endeavored to recreate nature despite denying us an authentic experience.
However, the film is not just a meditation on the natural world. Malick uses the love story of Pocahontas and Smith to explore the meeting of two very different civilizations. The fact that the title is "The New World" is but one indication that Malick has structured his film assuming viewers will automatically begin by identifying with the English. Nevertheless, Malick invests effort to convey the experiences of native life. The sequences he films are effective enough that viewers should find the experiences of the settlers to ultimately be the more foreign of the two.
The meetings between the cultures evoke a range of emotions from wonder to fear. Also clear is the immense range of possible outcomes that existed during these first meetings. As the relations between the groups continue to break down, the results are tragic. The relationship between the characters of Smith and Pocahontas represent the idyllic middle ground between the civilizations. Their relationship is a demonstration of understanding that, unfortunately, seems lost on those around them.
The film is also successful in its more tangible qualities. The editing is economical, skipping from moment to moment without a traditional set-up and conclusion for each scene. This is not jarring in the MTV sense, but thoughtful, and it allows Malick to include an impressive number of images and emotional moments into the running time. The film's music, scored by James Horner with contributions from Wagner, Mozart, and others, is evocative and complements the on-screen action. It is gratifying in particular that Horner clearly understands Malick's intentions and his serene touches are welcomed.
The acting, cinematography, and production design is strong all around. However, newcomer Q'Orianka Kilcher deserves special mention in her impressive performance as Pocahontas. Kilcher communicates a maturity well beyond her age (14 at the time of filming) with a youthful energy that brings her character alive. Kilcher eventually becomes the heart of the film and holds the screen well on her own. It is hard to say at this point what future Kilcher may have in other roles, but her performance in this film certainly is notable for its merits.
The film has two minor flaws. First, Colin Farrell, in spite of delivering a strong performance, falls victim to "Last Samurai-itis" in that he is too recognizable a personality to truly disappear into the character of Smith. Secondly, the voice-overs used throughout the film are at times more pedestrian than insightful and may strike some viewers as pretentious. The strength of the voice-overs is that despite their weakness in content, they fit extremely well into the mood of the film. Combined with the lyrical pacing and editing, the voice overs prove that Malick is a director who can successfully realize poetry in a visual medium. As a result, these flaws do not diminish the emotional impact one feels by the time the end credits roll and to make too much of them would be a disservice to the recommendation that this film carries.
Even among the handful of strong releases currently in theaters, "The New World" is a must-see. At its core, it is what cinema should be, a visual work of art that succeeds in arousing a strong emotional reaction. Viewers can rejoice over the fact that this film is seeing wide-release and one won't have to search far and wide for an obscure theater in order to experience Malick's vision. Want to see a truly great film in theaters? Go see this.
RATING: 4.5 stars out of 5