Something You Can Sink Your Teeth Into!

Left: Q'orianka Kilcher as Pocahontas or Rebecca.












A True Definition of "Visual Poetry"


Rather not for the typical entertaining crowd, a movie that may be shrouded for people with an acquired taste. I feel you don't have to have an acquired taste to like Terrance Malick(Badlands, Days of Heaven, Thin Red Line). Others may find him boring, but there is really no denying his beauty. If you could look past his visuals and see a great movie with poetic meaning. A lot people will hate it and just call it boring, and I have nothing against that I don't go after those people and impose my will on them and tell them why they should like this movie. I could care less about those people, because I don't think Malick is a director you can get or not get. To really enjoy this movie is you gotta go to the biggest theatre in your area, albeit the Lloyd Cinemas outside auditorium with the big screen(For you Portlanders). Relax. Sit up close, kick back and have a soda because this movie may feel long to sum of saying two and a half hours. To me it felt under that and just went by so quick, and left me wanting for more. That may sound a lot work for one movie, but it helps and it is so worth it. Now we got you to just watch the movie and literally have a good time. Now its time for the review.


Summing up Malick's career and resume will take mere seconds, well not having a huge roster to his name doesn't mean his movie are unimportant. He has supplied cinema's greatest achievements and "The New World", being his fourth film to date is no exception. While I was waiting for this one to come out for about a year, I realized the wait is over and finally got a chance to see it. Originally two and half hours but cut 15 minutes shorter upon it initial world wide release because Malick is such a perfectionist(and it shows) like Wong-Kar Wai. A frantic paranoid he may be from hearing rumors of him not offering anyone for an interview does not give the director much depth and his influences. Then again who cares, I hope he's just like his films because their so unique.


Now let's get on with the criticism and enough with this preface, pin-pointers on watching it and history. I loved this movie and I have always loved Malick's style, while others may find tiresome of his style during this long movie and some will fall asleep you still won't miss it. Because to me getting warped into Malick's films is something different. Malick's style is something you can sleep to, even with your eyes closed you can still feel it. For real. If you sit up really close like I did you start feeling the trees and wind for some apparent reason.


The story is something that is famous in American history and has watered down to a cliche from Hollywood to Disney. The story of John Smith and Pocahontas, which is giving a neutral realism to it. If anything Malick's influences are unknown, but he might take note from Robert Bresson(A Man Escaped, PickPocket) because each scene is like a painting. It's all like a moving painting. It as it doesn't go into the typical Hollywood cliche's that are displayed into the story of Pocahontas and John Smith, it avoids those by just telling the story of Pocahontas.


The movie uses voice narration but the type that tells you the story and jumps from each character voice narration giving their side of this "New World". But its still not the voice-over that tells you the story, instead as always Malick uses it over beautiful montages overplayed by a score from James Horner. it gives a new use of voice over and also proves my point of the "visual poetry" aspect. His montages go on randomly and are just enthralling to look at. He just have to sit up close for it. The beautiful scenes goes perfect with the score and narration that you left with your mouth dropping.


I am not a huge Colin Farrell fan and I think he was somewhat miscast but doesn't distract from the movie. The real moments are handle by young newcomer Q'Orianka Filcher who is the real voice of the movie and holds together. Its like Malick knew what he wanted and found it in her. Displaying Pocahontas as a real 15year-old, the same age as Q'Orianka, the love between Farrell's Smith is handled maturely and not creepy...let alone erotic. It was like he was just showing the mentally of 1607 and surpassed that factor and just show the love unfold into a triangle of some sorts. Historians will not find it accurate, but in history of cinema I think it was the most accurate portrayal of Pocahontas. Malick went balls out epic on this one and went for accuracy and hired some real Native Americans and not some Puerto Ricans playing Native Americans. The set design is awesome and sheds some dreariness to the atmosphere that Malick turns to beauty. Like I said, it's like he knew what he wanted. Without all the Native American actors, you can't have the typically great Wes Studi(Heat, Mystery Men, Last of the Mohicans, Geronimo) up in there giving a good performance.


The movie doesn't go into one dimension display of the settlers portrayed as evil white men that are arrogant or the Native Americans as righteous savages. It doesn't sugar coat the portrayal but gives it more understanding realism to it, and actually shows the settlers trying to stay within their own colony and trying to survive on their own in the wooden fortress they built. The effect is society ridden with starving kids and men dying left and right. It doesn't show them as evil invaders, but doesn't give them bad light or good light. The whole movie is in a grey zone about how this country was founded.


When I talk about a love triangle the movie unfolds into a one with John Smith out of the picture and Pocahontas falling in love with a new English men. After believing John Smith died she meets John Role played by the great Christian Bale. uses also shares the voice over narration into another montage that traces back and forth to his new born and his wife Pocahontas who is now named Rebecca. They both have baby and for awhile the movie switches gear from old America to old town England where they live in a farm and are welcomed by the king and queen. After learning that Smith is still alive she tries to find him and decide whether to stay and have a family with Rolfe or go with John Smith. The whole movie I won't give away but once you leave the theatre you leave with beautiful scenes that you can't get out of your head. It's a journey through literally a "New World", the whole movie is a journey that embeds and scars your brain with a visualized masterpiece. As Malick was editing till release date, I could have stayed for more(that's just me), but the print I saw would come close to perfection! I loved it! This is Aliye Nyoka saying "Go See It!"