"The New World" [2005]

Abishai100

VIP Member
Sep 22, 2013
4,956
250
85
The historical film The New World is an ambitious exposition by Terrence Malick (The Thin Red Line) --- what else should we expect from him? --- starring Colin Farrell, Christopher Plummer, and Christian Bale.

It presents the historical story of the establishment of Jamestown, Virginia during the early days of colonialization/exploration of the Americas (the 'New World').

We see the symbolic meeting in North America between English explorer John Smith (Colin Farell) and the idealistic Native-American woman Pocahontas (Q'orianka Kilcher). We also see the duties and labors of English settler John Rolfe (Christian Bale), credited with the first cultivation of tobacco as an export crop in Virginia.

The New World received many award nominations for Lubezki's cinematography, Kilcher's acting, and Horner's score. The work was initially met with an only mildly positive critical response, although several critics later ranked it as one of the best films of the 2000s (source of information: Wikipedia).

This is a bold and sweeping film, which invites audiences to consider how exploration of the New World changed the face of humanity itself, which is why I compare it to the Columbus-exploration themed 1992 Ridley Scott film 1492: Conquest of Paradise (starring Sigourney Weaver).

The New World is a first-rate Christmas 2017 Blu-ray disc gift for your dad or favorite college professor, since it nicely captures a modern era American fascination with 'environmental splendor'...

However, I would not place this otherwise sweeping Malick film in the same category as a historical-intellectualism oriented film such as, say, Nicholas Hytner's religious-persecution 1996 film The Crucible. (an adaptation of the symbolic governance-culture work by iconic American writer Arthur Miller).



{re-interpreted dialogue}
====

SMITH: This is a vast land...
POCAHONTAS: It needs strong men/leaders.
SMITH: I'm sure you find Rolfe to be strong-willed...
POCAHONTAS: We have to shape the land!
SMITH: This will require much compromise...
POCAHONTAS: History will mark the important events.
SMITH: Perhaps history will change the history-makers...
POCAHONTAS: That is a bold prayer!


====


poster.jpg
 

New Topics

Forum List

Back
Top