Americas 250th Birthday Cinemathon #1: The New World (2005)

 

Since this year marks the 250^th birthday of the United States of America, I’ve decided to mix my love of movies and history. Roughly once a week, I’ll watch an American history film, arranging them in rough chronological order (these movies span any period from a few days to a few decades).

First is up is Terence Malick’s  The New World (2005), which covers the early years of the colony at Jamestown. Malik is a deeply philosophical filmmaker, and he is less interested than the history per se than in its personalities. Thus the movie revolves around a trio of characters. There is John Smith (the competent explorer played by Colin Farrell), the quiet planter John Rolfe (Christian Bale), and most importantly Powhatan princess Pocahontas (Q’orianka Kilcher).

As with many previous iterations, most famously Disney’s controversial animated effort, Malick ages up Pocahontas a little so she can have a romance with John Smith. In real life they had an intergenerational child-adult friendship. Most of the inaccuracies in the movie stem from this decision, as it heavily reframes Pocahontas’ character. For example, when she becomes a member of Jamestown she’s listlessly going through life because she believes John Smith is dead. In real life she was actually very interested in her new home and earnestly wanted to become an Englishwoman and a Christian.

While we’re talking about Pocahontas, I should note that this is Q’orianka Kilcher’s first real movie role. She was actually 14 at the time of filming, which means that the film thankfully avoids any unnecessary sex scenes or eroticism. Thus romance is conveyed purely through emotions. Kilcher does a really good job, so much so that it’s easy to see her as an adult after her first few scenes. While John Smith has center stage for the first act, she really is the main character, as Smith fades out for most of the second half. At the start she’s a curious girl who wants to learn everything she can about John Smith, who is being held prisoner by the Powhatan.

John Smith and Pocahontas share a tender moment during the former's stay with the Powhatan (IMDB)

In the process they fall in love, but tensions between the Powhatan and English colonists erupt in violence, straining their relationship. Eventually Pocahontas is rejected by her father (I believe this is ahistorical) and finds herself living in Jamestown. Her inherent kindness and sympathetic situation leads John Rolfe to pursue her. They become married, but she’s not sure she’s really in love with him when she learns that John Smith is still alive.

Malick’s films have often been less focused in their narratives and New World is not exception. There’s no exposition dumps about the founding of Jamestown, the constant skirmishes with the Powhatans, or any other wider historical events. It’s just people encountering each other and reacting in various ways. The portrayals of John Smith and John Rolfe seems close enough to reality, with the former being the sane, competent man among a collection of out-of-their-depth fortune-seekers and the latter a more down-to-earth and peaceful figure.

Malick does touch on some of the same themes as the animated Disney film, with a heavy emphasis on nature. John Smith seems to have a more favorable impression of the Powhatans than the English settlers. However, it’s much more restrained and doesn’t devolve into a nature-worshipping sermon. There are a couple unpleasant English characters, but Malick avoids unequivocal condemnations of European society or colonialism. In fact John Smith expresses some positive views of how a new society based more on hard work and merit can be created from Jamestown.

Pocahontas in an overelaborate dress while visiting England with other Powhatan Indians

For many film buffs the characters and historical background take a backseat to the cinematography. I agree that this is the movie’s major selling point. The camera work is fantastic, from wide shots of landscapes to close-ups of people interacting with nature. This is helped by the use of some Wagner music and James Horner’s lovely original score (of which much was shuffled around, replaced, or removed thanks to Malick’s editing proclivities). I’d say this is the type of movie that’s perfect for a day off where you don’t have too much to do. You can just sit down and turn it on and absorb the often slow pace and beautiful scenery.

This is indeed a long movie. The theatrical cut is not too much over two hours long, but many favor the three hour extended cut. I do have to warn readers that Malick's filmmaking isn't for everyone. He tends to film hours upon hours of footage, then splice them together in montages, sometimes literally editing out entire characters in the process. I've seen two of his film so far. There's this, which I love, and Thin Red Line, which left me scratching my head a bit. And these are two of his more straightforward movies!

Overall, New World won’t be a detailed examination of history, but it does do a good job of placing you in the emotions of people who were present at the seeds of the United States.

My Rating: 8/10

Here's a link to one of Malick's philosophical montages.