Colin Farrell Movie:

Editorial Review:
The legend of Pocahontas and John Smith receives a luminous and essential retelling by maverick filmmaker Terrence Malick. The facts of Virginia's first white settlers, circa 1607, have been told for eons and fortified by Disney's animated films: explorer Smith (Colin Farrell) and the Native American princess (newcomer Q'orianka Kilcher) bond when the two cultures meet, a flashpoint of curiosity and war lapping interchangeably at the shores of the new continent. Malick, who took a twenty year break between his second and third films (Days of Heaven and The Thin Red Line), is a master of film poetry; the film washes over you, with minimal dialogue (you see characters speak on camera for less than a quarter of the film). The rest of the words are a stream-of-consciousness narration--a technique Malick has used before but never to such degree, creating a movie you feel more than watch. The film's beauty (shot in Virginia by Emmanuel Lubezki) and production design (by Jack Fisk) seems very organic, and in fact, organic is a great label for the movie as a whole, from the dreadful conditions of early Jamestown (it makes you wonder why Englishman would want to live there) to the luminescent love story. Malick is blessed with a cast that includes Wes Studi, August Schellenberg, Christopher Plummer, and Christian Bale (who, curiously, was also in the Disney production). Fourteen-year-old Kilcher, the soul of the film, is an amazing find, and Farrell, so often tagged as the next big thing, delivers his first exceptional performance since his stunning debut in Tigerland. James Horner provides a fine score, but is overshadowed by a Mozart concerto and a recurring prelude from Wagner's Das Rheingold, a scrumptious weaving of horns fit to fuel the gentle intoxication of this film. Note: the film was initially 150 minutes, and then trimmed to 135 by Malick before the regular theatrical run. It was also the first film shot in 65mm since Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet. --Doug Thomas

The New World Reviews:
Lovely film and revisionist interpretation
2009-12-23 - I won't give you a blow by blow detail of what goes on in this movie. I'm only chiming in because I bought the "Extended Cut" and had to own it after seeing more intimate, cut-out scenes with Captain Smith (Farrell) and Pocahontas (Kilcher) on the internet; very beautiful, emotional scenes. I was surprised at the nudity--native women swimming-- in the beginning; nothing tasteless mind you. I'm pretty sure that was a double used for "Matoaka". There are many cut scenes that will help the viewer better understand the original release. I only wish there were more. I was expecting to see scenes from the trailer; they're not there! And where in the heck were the ALL subtitles for the Native American characters?! I very much wanted to understand the dialogue between them and the "invader". What was up with all those one-sided conversations?? I was hoping it would be included in this version. This movie is definitely Euro-centric... So if you don't own this dvd, and have only seen it on cable, this is a better deal...almost. The ending is especially a let-down: Captain Smith and Pocahontas meeting again. I was hoping she would let him have it!



The New World
2009-12-23 - The New World is a movie of discovery. It also is a movie that allows the audience to experience the meeting of cultures and the full range of adversity that both needed to overcome and deal with. The film is unpretentious and dedicated to details and authenticity. The young lady portraying Pocahontas is very credible. She brings a natural innocence to the story that later conveys great sadness and loss.
The story of Captain John Smith's eventful meeting with Pocahontas, and how their lives intertwine as two very different cultures clash is a story wrought with tragedy and sadness, but nevertheless one that helps bring a better understanding to viewers of how our Country evolved.
This movie was beautifully filmed and there was a great deal of effort paid to authenticity of dress and detail.

Norman

The New World
2009-12-14 - History provides many stories that are worth putting onto the silver screen. It's too bad the writers and producers don't read it first. This movie has an interesting premise, it depicts the first settlement in English America that took hold, Jamestown. That story is one of tragedy, perseverence, and ultimately triumph. Along the way there was death, violence, and human drama, all of which Hollywood thrives upon. But this movie is choppy with little continuity between scenes. The actors do a good enough job to convey the story but they are in an endless morass of incomplete scenes and poorly edited material.

John Smith and Pocahontas did much to assure the survival of the Jamestown colony. Even so, by the end of the first full year the colonists were on the verge of giving up. Had it not been for the relief ship's arrival, the colony may well have been abandoned. Over time the tobacco culture gradually emerged to give the colony its life blood. Here is where men like John Rolfe were essential. But in the meantime, colonists died in droves because of the lack of survival skills and the lack of structure to the colony's governing system. The gentlemen did not want to work, thinking such labor was beneath their status. The laborers were sold on the notion that gold would be readily available so none were inclined to till the soil.

All of these elements are true to the real Jamestown but are only superficially touched on in this film. It is true that Pocahontas journied to London where she later died, but even this scene is treated with little emotion in the film. The final scene has John Rolfe preparing to return to Virginia, again, with no emotion or determination to succeed inspite of his recent loss. In a way, the New World is little different from Disney's Pocahontas, in that neither really gives the viewer any real lesson in American history even though the script from the real world experiences was already written.

"I will find joy in all I see . . ."
2009-11-28 - Terrence Malick is known for creating very a different sort of cinematic art. Like the late Stanley Kubrick, he moves away from standard Hollywood material, and creates a style of his own. What we see in his films are brief narratives by different characters, beautiful shots of natural scenery, and some moments that place no insight on sound (we just see the beauty of the surroundings, and the only sound we hear is either the breeze or distant animals). If you've seen The Thin Red Line (one of my favorite films), then you know what I'm talking about. Like his other films, this one delves into the meaning of life, love, war, hate, violence, etc. But now, in the new millennium, we have seen something different from Malick. The New World is yet another beautiful film by the master filmmaker, and like his other films, it relies on history when telling the story. Here we have the creation of Jamestown, Virginia, and the bond between John Smith and Pocahontas. While it isn't entirely historically accurate, it does borrow certain elements from popular American folklore respectively.

It's 1607, and the English set out to found the land of North America. After setting foot on the land, Captain John Smith is captured by a tribe of Native Americans, and is about to be executed. However, one of the young women wants him alive, and he is now considered a prisoner. The woman turns out to be Pocahontas, and she and Smith fall in love. This rather complicates matters between the English and the Native Americans, and what follows is a breathtaking movement of beauty, mysticism, and new discoveries about life.

Almost everything is what you would expect in a Malick film. Nature shots, voice-overs, philosophical implications, the works. From beginning to end, it is more of a spiritual experience rather than an entertaining one. But this probably wouldn't have fully succeeded if it weren't for the outstanding cast. Colin Farrell, Q'Orianka Kilcher, Christopher Plummer, Christian Bale, and Wes Studi make an interesting combination. Their performances are absolutely stunning (there is no melodrama in the way they interact with each other). Cinematography from Emmanuel Lubezki is really a sight to see: the dark colors really add to the mystical atmosphere that is conveyed through this film. I wish I would say something special about James Horner's music, but most of it had been cut out and replaced by classical music. I guess I could say that Mozart's Piano Concerto and Wagner's Das Rheingold were unexpected but nonetheless pleasurable additions to the soundtrack.

It's pretty obvious that this movie is not for everyone. Anyone who is looking for an exciting film might want to look elsewhere. This is a slow-moving, yet hauntingly effective motion picture which lacks nonstop action, witty dialogue, and softcore sex. I personally have come to admire it, despite the last thirty minutes of the film being a bit plodding at times. It's as great as The Thin Red Line, and I would happily recommend it to those who love to see some fine cinematic art.

Grade: A-

P.S.
People say that the extended cut is much better than the original 135-minute cut. If that's the case, then I might as well watch it and see for myself. Stay tuned.

Embracing the New World
2009-11-19 - Terence Malick (Thin Red Line) directs this film about the meeting of two worlds. English explorer's land on the west coast of North America, near what today is Virginia, and build a settlement named Jamestown. They encounter the Naturals, as Captain John smith (Colin Farrell) calls the indigenous Indian population. Initially there is a uneasy period as the two cultures get acquainted. John Smith takes a small party up river to meet the Naturals. As is often the case with Malick's films nature is brought to the forefront. The inland landscape is like a confusing labyrinth that overwhelms the explorers. John Smith loses his comrades when they go off exploring in the marshes. Like a large spider's web, the natural world traps the men. This is a beautiful, but dangerous world that the Europeans have not yet tamed. The Naturals have learned to live within the landscape. Like a spider that is shown making its way over a tree trunk the Naturals have found a way to coexist with nature, but for the Europeans this is not the case as their situation deteriorates.

John Smith is captured by the Naturals and has his life spared by Pocahontas (Q'Orianka Kilcher). He lives amongst the Naturals for a time, learning their ways. A romance develops between Smith and Pocahontas, but once the Naturals realize that the Europeans intend to stay the Naturals are determined to chase them away and attack the settlers. Nothing is resolved, but many die on both sides. Eventually John Smith leaves the settlement and heads north leaving the Princess behind. The film beautifully unfolds as each new chapter reveals itself. The broken hearted Pocahontas eventually meets another European John Rolfe (Christian Bale) who she marries. Locations are then switched as Pocahontas sails to England with her European husband. She sees the Old World with its tall buildings and manicured gardens, and sheds her familiar clothing for that of the city dwellers. In this world we see nature as having been tamed by mankind. The trees are sculptured and ordered into distinct rows and patterns.

When Pocahontas again meets up with John Smith, it is a meeting of the old memories with the new. "The New World" reflects on the notion of change. Pocahontas is the free spirit that embraces and loves the world that she lives in. She's also the one that bridges the gap between the Naturals and the Europeans. This movie is a meditation about embracing life and all that it has to offer, and we experience this love of life through the exuberance of Pocahontas. Sit back and enjoy this luxurious film that passes over one like a breeze in the forest.

P.S. This is one of the best looking, and sounding, blu-rays I have seen. Truly beautiful!