The New World Review
by Clint Morris
If
he ever has to find a new job – and judging by the returns on his
last couple of films, that might be sooner rather than later -
filmmaker Terry Malick should look into opening a publishing company
that makes postcards. After all, if his latest film were one, it'd be
the premium price type that's so beautiful to look at you can't help
but by one for everyone on your must-send-them-one list.
But
does a pretty picture on it's own, make for a good film? That's a
question many have bought up when reviewing a Terry Malick movie, and
will no doubt; do so again, with The New World.
Many argue that Malick – whose past films include The Thin Red Line and Days of Heaven
– is more interested in beautiful imagery than plot, what with
the visuals always at the forefront rather than serving as the
backdrop, and they would be right. But I believe his reason in doing
that is so he can have audience do some of the work themselves. Rather
than simply spell out everything you need to know, and revealing where
the film is going from the first five minutes, he only offers hints of
a plan and offers smidgens of sentiment, and expects the audience to
put the pieces together themselves. Some, understandably, hate that
– if only because they’re so not use to that type of film
– but others, especially those with a penchant for the
‘art’ rather than the ‘quick thrill’, tend to
appreciate his audacity.
Having said that, there is a deep-rooted story in The New World,
if only because it rises from documented historical prose. Though
intentionally never called by name, this is the umpteenth yarn on Pocahontas and lover/friend/yankie buddy John Smith – most famously fixed on in the Disney film from a few years ago.
Obviously
– it was a kiddies cartoon, for Christ’s sake! – more
historically accurate than the previous version, The New World
tells of tells the story of Captain John Smith (an aptly cast, but
sometimes hard to understand, Colin Farrell) and the beginnings of the
English presence in the Americas.
When Smith meets Native
American Pocahontas (stunning newcomer Q'Orianka Kilcher), his world is
turned upside down – never to be the same again. Ditto for our
native beauty, whose life isn’t going to be so much changed, as
she’ll inherit a new one.
Again, there have been some
liberties taken – a lot of guess work has gone into the
film’s third act, because there’s no documented evidence on
Pochanto’s feelings towards her British transfer and so on, and
at times Malick does feel the pressure to ‘Titanic-ize’
his relationship between the beautiful native and Smith – but on
the most part, they’re logical liberties, merely there to serve
the film. Again though, plot and emotion seem to come anything but
first here – so some are indubitably going to find the pacing a
little lethargic. Hang in there though.
The visuals are the
star, needless to say. Shot in 65mm – the first time since
Kenneth Branagh’s poorly received Hamlet, a few years
back – it’s an absolute marvel to look at. If the locations
aren’t beautiful enough, Malick captures their every essence of
beauty, filming from different angles, trying new things relentlessly
and zooming in on something as plainly gorgeous as a bit of water
trickling down a stream, or a blade of grass floating in the wind.
It’s just magic. Nobody knows how to make a more
beautiful-looking film than Malick. They really don’t. This is a
stunning achievement. He just might want to speed the rest of it up
– in fact, the studio took scissors to the first cut released in
the states, much to his disliking, so even they seemingly got bored in
a few spots – because not everyone’s there to see art, but
rather, a movie. 3.5 out of 5
The New World
Australian release: 4th May, 2006
Cast: Colin Farrell, Christian Bale, Q'Orianka Kilcher, Michael Greyeyes, Ben Mendelsohn
Director: Terrence Malick
Website:
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here.
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