The New World by Director Terrence Malick
Collin Farrell Plays Captain John Smith in 2005 Film Drama
Oct 18, 2008
The New World was filmed close to the actual Jamestown in Virginia and is stirringly serenaded by Wagner's "Das Rheingold.” Actor Collin Farrell adds depth to the character of Captain John Smith as he courts the youthful Pocahontas played by 14-year old Q'orianka Kilcher. Although an actual romance is only alluded to by the real John Smith in his historical narrative, A General History of Virginia, the film version makes their relationship the centerpiece of it's script. Tellingly, there is no nudity or even any physical intimacy as casual as kissing because of Kilcher’s tender age.
Natural Elements Overused in The New World
Director Malick incessantly overuses images of water, wind, trees and grass. Water supposedly symbolizes life and Pocahontas’s “mother earth.” Wind indicates “the winds of change” and is visible most often when “the naturals” or Indians are present. Trees and grass contrast with the stark starvation and barrenness of the colonial settlement Jamestown. After a while, though, the image of birds flying over the tree tops becomes monotonous. Natural elements overwhelm the film’s narrative and highlight the astonishing lack of dialogue. The sound quality is mediocre at best.
Details Define The New World
What saves the movie is Malick’s attention to detail. The Englishmen who set foot upon New World soil are costumed in hampering wools and armor. The Indians are true to the original Smith’s depiction of them; down to their face paint, down to their feathered headdress, and the beads around their necks.
The “palisades” or sharpened timbers that comprise the original settlement are depicted from first axe swing to colonized fortress. And the emaciated settlers staring glumly at their worm-infested provisions are true to Smith’s historic narrative, as is his betrayal by “Ratcliffe” the interim “President” during Newport’s (Christopher Plummer) absence.
Although Collin Farell is Irish, he convincing plays an Englishman in the character of John Smith. Q'orianka Kilcher, cousin to the famous singer Jewel, received A Breakthrough Performance Actress Award from the National Board of Review for her portrayal of Pocahontas. Her nationality is half Native American and half Peruvian.
The New World is Worth Seeing
For all its flaws, the interminable scenery, the choppy editing, the lack of editing of tedious scenes that slow down action, the film is still worth seeing for the supurb acting of the principle actors and for the historic value of the events it depicts. Jamestown was the first American settlement on the North American Continent, and as such, it deserves our attention.
