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Review #19 of 365
Film: The New World [PG-13] 150 minutes
WIP: $13.00
When 1st Seen: 29 January 2006
Where Viewed: Regal Cinemas Parkway Plaza 12, Tukwila, WA
Time: 10:30 p.m.
Review dedicated to: Jordan G. of Chicago, IL
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DVD | soundtrack |
The true star of this incredible film is Terrence Malick, the film’s director. I write this because this movie is a rare vision. Some have said it is the most accurate telling of the Captain John Smith/Pocahontas story ever put on film. I vacillate as to whether I worry about that or not. As long as the film does not advertise itself as a true story, then as far as I am concerned, the writer/director should be able to take liberty to tell a great story and make a great movie. Some people, I’m guessing maybe a lot of people, will argue this point. The reason I feel comfortable saying this is because I comprehend the notion that history is always from the perspective of the person who tells the story. In fact, I worry that more people do not conform to this notion. First of all, we are a species of liars. We raise kids on Fairy Tales and then tell them later they are silly to believe in things they cannot see. We teach them not to tell the truth if it means telling on a friend or tattling or narcing—one of the more ludicrous concepts considering it is actually a felony not to inform authorities when you know someone has committed a crime, but anyway. We say it’s ok to tell ‘white lies’—please do not even get me started on the inappropriate racial connotations of that whole concept. In the end, would we need courts and lawyers if people didn’t lie? So, who is to say that the history we have learned is true? Oh? I’m sorry, the history was verified. By whom? Experts in the field. Oh? And experts never lie? No. Ok. So, if experts never lie, is it possible that they simply only tell what they are expert at, and since no one can be an expert at everything, maybe they just don’t know everything even if they think they do? I’m guessing you get my point. My point is that I think people make too big of a deal about whether a movie is historically accurate or not. If I ever were to direct a movie, I would put in big letters rolling across the screen before the start of my movie, “This movie is my interpretation of a story that I heard somewhere. If it bears any resemblance to anything that anyone has ever heard before, I apologize, it is not intended to be historically accurate, though parts of it may be, I haven’t really thought about it. All I really wanted to do was make an awesome movie that you would love and want to see time and time again, maybe every Thanksgiving like the Wizard of Oz or every winter like It’s a Wonderful Life.” Yeah, that’s what I’d do. Or maybe I would just make movies like George Lucas, you know, those that are set in a galaxy far, far away, so nobody would think to question the historical accuracy. Goodness sakes forbid that our descendants 2000 years from now, think that Luke Skywalker was a prophet sent by God to guide us away from the Dark Side of the Force and to keep us from following the evil, satanic, Darth Vader. Yeah, that would be bad. In any case, I have really digressed. The main point I wanted to make was that I don’t know nor really care how historically accurate The New World is. I wouldn’t have liked it any less if it is completely off base from real history. Again, because never does Mr. Malick say, “Based on a True Story” or even “Inspired by a True Story”. Instead, what he has done is put on film a glorious, vivid, richly painted, masterpiece for the senses.
The sights, sounds, and feelings evoked are stunning. I truly wish I could have seen this film long ago because I would have been singing its praises. This is an epic masterpiece and work of art. James Horner of Titanic fame does the original score for the film and it is as haunting as it is stunning. Colin Farrell (John Smith) and Christian Bale (John Rolfe) are delicious in their roles bringing the one small ounce of humanity to the invading British citizens who come to the new world. Finally, new comer Q’Orianka Kilcher who plays with grace, innocence, magic, and wonder the Indigenous princess, Pocahontas, form the nexus of the incredible cast that brings this story to life. No other movie I have ever seen so clearly shows the main differences between the lives of the indigenous peoples of North America and the European colonists. That main difference was the connection between the people and the earth itself. To Pocahontas’s people, the land was to be free. They are of the earth rather than the earth being theirs. While there was still warring between the various tribes of indigenous peoples, to be sure, their very existence, nonetheless was born out of their interaction with the bounty of the earth. John Smith sees this and becomes enamored with it. You can tell that he regrets having to leave it the rest of his life on every wrinkle in his brow in every frame of film that shows him the entire rest of the movie. You can also see it in his love for Pocahontas—though he does not really want to admit it to himself on some levels, deep down, the love is as pure and real as anything he’s ever felt before.
This film is an incredibly beautiful treat for the senses. In creating the film, Mr. Malick took time. The film is longer than average, and it is long because time was taken to allow the scenery to play its role. This new land has to be majestic and beautiful in order for the value of losing it to make sense. Meanwhile, all the way through, you can expect powerful music to go along with the majesty of every scene. Finally, you have an incredible story of clash of cultures, the value of learning from rather than decimating those whom you find to be different from yourself, and the delight to be had from a closer relationship with our planet. We are children of this planet, and it is time we reclaimed these notions of the indigenous peoples of this continent—they had it right.
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Now Available for Purchase on DVD
The New World [DVD] (2005) DVD
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