The New World-review
August 7th 2007 04:50
The New World
Terrence Malick is a director whose name may not immediately ring any bells of recognition, but you may know of some of his movies by reputation. He was one of the new wave of 1970s auteur directors, alongside Scorsese, Coppola, and Allen. Director of such acclaimed art masterpieces as Badlands (starring a young Martin Sheen, pre-Apocalypse Now; and Sissy Spacek before Carrie) and Days of Thunder (with Richard Gere), Malick curiously disappeared for about two decades, becoming a recluse. He came back rather spectacularly with 1998’s Pacific World War Two drama The Thin Red Line, featuring an all cast cast (Sean Penn, Adrien Brody, George Clooney). Released in the same year as Spielberg’s epic Saving Private Ryan, it seems audiences believed there was only room for one WW2 production, and hence, Thin Red Line sadly fell below the radar somewhat. A crying shame, because for many, the latter was clearly the superior film. Whilst Saving Private Ryan manipulated the audience’s heartstrings in a saccharine manner characteristic of Spielberg’s oeuvre; Malick’s magnum opus transcended the genre conventions of a mere war narrative. He conveyed an existential, ethereal sort of atmosphere; where war was more than just ludicrous, but an affront to Nature itself. The film was beautifully photographed, probably a result of Malick’s background in photography.
He averages about one movie each decade; so, needless to say, 2006’s The New World was highly anticipated by serious film students. The film is concerned with the founding of the first English settlement in North America at Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607. Captain John Smith (played by Colin Farrell) is captured by Algonquian natives whilst on a trek up river to make peace and establish trading with said tribe. Chief Powhatan is persuaded to spare his life by his daughter, Pocahontas (played by newcomer Q’Orianka Kilcher). The rest of the story is legendary. Smith and Pocahontas fall in love, he returns to the British colony, where Pocahontas serves as a mediator between the belligerent English pioneers, and the locals who are less than happy about these foreigners invading their land.
The film blends factual information about the first British colony in Virginia, with the folklore about the Smith/Pocahontas love affair. And for the most part, it is extremely successful. To call this film a mere retread of Dances with Wolves (as a foreigner learns to respect and ultimately feel affection for a group of simple, nature-loving people) or The Last Samurai would do it a great disservice. It is far more than that. Even comparing it to Disney’s popular rendition of the Pocahontas mythos is a dangerous mistake. For that would be much like uttering McDonalds Restaurant in the same breath as cordon bleu cuisine. The New World is a true feast for the senses. Eyes, ears, and heartstrings; none are left wanting. Those looking for dialogue in copious quantities will be dissatisfied, I warn you. There is nary a word of spoken language to be heard for large stretches of this work. Think of it as resembling a painting of a famous historical event, a Brechtian representation of truth, and not something claiming to be a dramatisation of the actual fact. Malick assumes the viewer already knows his or her history, and does not waste a lot of time with expository dialogue, or scene-setting. And if you don’t know your history, maybe you’ll be enticed into discovering more about it after viewing this sensory smorgasbord of a movie. As I did. I was inspired to read more about the early days of post-colonial America after seeing this.
It is not dumbed down in the slightest. Hollywood conventions are thrown completely to the wayside. Prepare to be patient, to be challenged, and to be stimulated. There is one battle scene between the ‘naturals’ (as the stuffy Britons call them) and the colonists, but this is by no means an action movie. Historical accuracy is phenomenal, from the costumes, to the makeup designs (the cast are all pock-marked and unkempt looking, as was common in the early 1600s!), to the language. The characters either speak in authentic Middle English (Shakespeare, who would have still lived, at the time this was set; would feel right at home) or in Algonquian dialect (I can’t testify to the veracity of that tongue, as I have no experience with arcane Native American languages).
The film is about cultures. How they clash, and how they are irrevocably altered when challenged by another unfamiliar one. We see this occur from two distinct perspectives. The Algonquian people are confronted by Westerners (in a great scene, Pocahontas is re-christened with the English name Rebecca, and she is fitted into an English dress, complete with corset), and the English monarchy are confronted when Pocahontas is shipped over to Blighty (where she is subjected to strange looks from passers-by).
The only problem, really, is the incongruous music. Mozart’s piano concerto number 23 is utilised prominently throughout the film. But he was not born until quite some time after the events depicted here. It bothered me, but if you didn’t know it was by Mozart, you probably would not be too troubled by this oversight. The same problem befell Elizabeth, in which Mozart’s Symphony No. 25 in G minor was used.
See it. I urge you. But don’t expect thrills, action, or instant gratification. This is a film where subtlety is the order of the day, and it no doubt rewards patience, and repeated viewings. Co-stars Christopher Plummer (Captain Von Trapp in The Sound of Music) and Christian Bale (Batman Begins)
Terrence Malick is a director whose name may not immediately ring any bells of recognition, but you may know of some of his movies by reputation. He was one of the new wave of 1970s auteur directors, alongside Scorsese, Coppola, and Allen. Director of such acclaimed art masterpieces as Badlands (starring a young Martin Sheen, pre-Apocalypse Now; and Sissy Spacek before Carrie) and Days of Thunder (with Richard Gere), Malick curiously disappeared for about two decades, becoming a recluse. He came back rather spectacularly with 1998’s Pacific World War Two drama The Thin Red Line, featuring an all cast cast (Sean Penn, Adrien Brody, George Clooney). Released in the same year as Spielberg’s epic Saving Private Ryan, it seems audiences believed there was only room for one WW2 production, and hence, Thin Red Line sadly fell below the radar somewhat. A crying shame, because for many, the latter was clearly the superior film. Whilst Saving Private Ryan manipulated the audience’s heartstrings in a saccharine manner characteristic of Spielberg’s oeuvre; Malick’s magnum opus transcended the genre conventions of a mere war narrative. He conveyed an existential, ethereal sort of atmosphere; where war was more than just ludicrous, but an affront to Nature itself. The film was beautifully photographed, probably a result of Malick’s background in photography.
He averages about one movie each decade; so, needless to say, 2006’s The New World was highly anticipated by serious film students. The film is concerned with the founding of the first English settlement in North America at Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607. Captain John Smith (played by Colin Farrell) is captured by Algonquian natives whilst on a trek up river to make peace and establish trading with said tribe. Chief Powhatan is persuaded to spare his life by his daughter, Pocahontas (played by newcomer Q’Orianka Kilcher). The rest of the story is legendary. Smith and Pocahontas fall in love, he returns to the British colony, where Pocahontas serves as a mediator between the belligerent English pioneers, and the locals who are less than happy about these foreigners invading their land.
The film blends factual information about the first British colony in Virginia, with the folklore about the Smith/Pocahontas love affair. And for the most part, it is extremely successful. To call this film a mere retread of Dances with Wolves (as a foreigner learns to respect and ultimately feel affection for a group of simple, nature-loving people) or The Last Samurai would do it a great disservice. It is far more than that. Even comparing it to Disney’s popular rendition of the Pocahontas mythos is a dangerous mistake. For that would be much like uttering McDonalds Restaurant in the same breath as cordon bleu cuisine. The New World is a true feast for the senses. Eyes, ears, and heartstrings; none are left wanting. Those looking for dialogue in copious quantities will be dissatisfied, I warn you. There is nary a word of spoken language to be heard for large stretches of this work. Think of it as resembling a painting of a famous historical event, a Brechtian representation of truth, and not something claiming to be a dramatisation of the actual fact. Malick assumes the viewer already knows his or her history, and does not waste a lot of time with expository dialogue, or scene-setting. And if you don’t know your history, maybe you’ll be enticed into discovering more about it after viewing this sensory smorgasbord of a movie. As I did. I was inspired to read more about the early days of post-colonial America after seeing this.
It is not dumbed down in the slightest. Hollywood conventions are thrown completely to the wayside. Prepare to be patient, to be challenged, and to be stimulated. There is one battle scene between the ‘naturals’ (as the stuffy Britons call them) and the colonists, but this is by no means an action movie. Historical accuracy is phenomenal, from the costumes, to the makeup designs (the cast are all pock-marked and unkempt looking, as was common in the early 1600s!), to the language. The characters either speak in authentic Middle English (Shakespeare, who would have still lived, at the time this was set; would feel right at home) or in Algonquian dialect (I can’t testify to the veracity of that tongue, as I have no experience with arcane Native American languages).
The film is about cultures. How they clash, and how they are irrevocably altered when challenged by another unfamiliar one. We see this occur from two distinct perspectives. The Algonquian people are confronted by Westerners (in a great scene, Pocahontas is re-christened with the English name Rebecca, and she is fitted into an English dress, complete with corset), and the English monarchy are confronted when Pocahontas is shipped over to Blighty (where she is subjected to strange looks from passers-by).
The only problem, really, is the incongruous music. Mozart’s piano concerto number 23 is utilised prominently throughout the film. But he was not born until quite some time after the events depicted here. It bothered me, but if you didn’t know it was by Mozart, you probably would not be too troubled by this oversight. The same problem befell Elizabeth, in which Mozart’s Symphony No. 25 in G minor was used.
See it. I urge you. But don’t expect thrills, action, or instant gratification. This is a film where subtlety is the order of the day, and it no doubt rewards patience, and repeated viewings. Co-stars Christopher Plummer (Captain Von Trapp in The Sound of Music) and Christian Bale (Batman Begins)
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