There’s a moment in The New World, writer/director Terrance
Malick’s film about the famous story of 17th century explorer John Smith and
Indian princess Pocahontas, when sailing ships from England first arrive at the
shores of what will one day be Virginia. Instead of focusing strictly on the
reactions of the crew, Malick shows us this scene from the
point of view of both sides. The Indians, who are going about their day, are
jolted out of their everyday, simplistic lives by the sight of these tall,
majestic sailing ships. The scene is underscored by Wagner's Vorspiel, from the
opera Das Rheingold, with its soaring trumpets, and the overall effect makes you
not only feel the goose-fleshing inducing moment that the Indians must have felt,
but you realize--in this same moment--that this is a life-altering event for
both the peoples of the new world, as well as the old. And yet not a word is
spoken, no grand speeches are made; instead Malick gets his message across
completely visually.
It’s a stunning example of the language of film being used at its best, and it
occurs in the opening moments of The New World, a movie that’s rich with many
such moments of visual poetry. Colin Farrell stars as Smith, who is brought to
the New World as a condemned man in chains, only to be given a second chance by
Newport, the exhibition’s leader (played to perfection by a no-nonsense
Christopher Plummer). Newport gives Smith the assignment of leading a smaller
group of explorers upriver to make contact with the local Indian tribe. Things
don’t go well, and Smith winds up being captured by the Indians, who are about
to kill him until his life is spared by Pocahontas.
Young Q'orianka Kilcher is a
revelation as Pocahontas. Her marvelous performance easily encompasses the
intelligence and charm that her character calls for--yet she’s such a natural
that you hardly feel as if you’re watching a performance, but witnessing the
real Pocahontas living out her life. Indeed, the entire film gives you the
feeling of being a witness to real history; well-known actors like Farrell,
Plummer and Christian Bale all blend into their roles so efficiently that it’s
as if Malick had actually gone back in time and shot the real events on film.
The intensive research process shown in the ten part ‘making of’ documentary in
the special feature section shows why the film feels so realistic. Everything
from the construction of the Jamestown set (just ten miles from where the actual
site was located), the Indian village, and even the language spoken by
Pocahontas and her people were carefully recreated, using experts in each of
these fields. There’s no audio commentary on the DVD--which is not a surprise,
considering how press shy the normally reclusive Malick is. Yet sometimes a
commentary will get in the way of a terrific film like this, which--once it
works its magic on you--you’ll find it indeed speaks volumes all by itself.
--SF
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