You can already imagine that Terrence Malick’s ‘live-action’ version
of the Pocahontas fable isn’t all singing, all comedy… all
talking raccoons. Nor does its fated love affair between fallen solider
John Smith (Colin Farrell) and a barely-pubescent native (Q'Orianka Kilcher)
go the way of recent film; Hard Candy (girl thinks man may be a paedophile,
decides to um, ‘sever his pride’). The New World is instead
a dreamlike and protracted loom into progress against nature.
Anyone already familiar with Malick’s sense of poise or ‘transcendental’ premise, will know that it’s the beauty of the natural world that drives his films; nobody can create such an illusory and disarmingly beautiful ambience as he. The New World opens with James Horner’s stirring, and oddly buoyant soundtrack, signalling in 17th century English settler ships, here to break the tranquillity. Additional to the score, Emmanuel Lubezki’s cinematography ponderously strolls between swaying crops, rolling fire-lit skies, silky water glistening between rocks and pebbles, an orchestra of birds chirping solemnly… ‘ponderous’ would be the key word here. Despite the DVD’s sleeve cover - Colin Farrell’s John Smith heroically swashbuckling a native – The New World is anything other than ‘thrilling’ in the visceral sense.
Another theme poignant within Malick’s work is the need of the modern man to regress into the natural world. Where The Thin Red Line’s Private Witt (James Caviezel) wanted to coat himself in the simple and serene life of the Vietnamese villagers, so too does John Smith (Colin Farrell) with the Powhatan tribe. Farrell himself, despite the frequent condemning of his personal life, deserves more than his share of praise for the film roles he chooses; constantly challenging and against type. Despite this, he spends much of The New World a little unsure of himself, perhaps uncomfortable in Malick’s airy sense of direction; although Malick himself must have been happy as he’s touted Farrell for the lead of his next film; Tree of Life – only his 5th film in 35 years.
But The New World is not simply a star vehicle for Colin Farrell, the pure, unspoilt and natural world is its focal point. That and the excellent newcomer, Q'Orianka Kilcher. Only 15 at the time of production, Kilcher's soulful eyes and chaste, guiltless temperament act as the only true emotional leverage between the long periods of whispered, poetic voice-over. Her character has yet to feel stained by love and emotional torment until the inevitable battle between the English settlers and the natives takes hold, destroying both her natural home and her happiness with Smith.
Christian Bale (as John Rolfe) appears in the third act, hoping to take Pocahontas (technically, she isn’t named Pocahontas here, mostly she is simply ‘she’) away from the Jamestown settlement and to bring her to England and hopefully back to happiness. Yet it doesn’t go too swimmingly, leading to a genuinely moving climax.
In summery, The New World is a staple of cinematic poetry. It’s aim is not to ‘thrill’ audiences à la Pirates of the Caribbean 2, its aim is to remove audiences from the world around them and immerse them in Malick’s gentle serenity. The crawling and nebulous narrative will not be enjoyed by all, but for those willing to see beauty in cinema, rather than breasts or car-crashes, The New World gets under the skin and stays there. Considering director Terrence Malick may not feel like directing another film for a decade or so, we should savour this.