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The New World
A New Line Cinema release.
 Produced by Sarah Green.
Executive producers, Bill Mechanic, Rolf Mittweg, Toby Emmerich, Mark Ordesky, Trish Hofmann.
Directed, written by Terrence Malick.
Captain Smith — Colin Farrell
Pocahontas — Q'orianka Kilcher
Captain Newport — Christopher Plummer
John Rolfe — Christian Bale
Powhatan — August Schellenberg
Opechancanough — Wes Studi
Wingfield — David Thewlis
Captain Argall — Yorick Van Wageningen
Ben — Ben Mendelsohn
Tomo como — Raoul Trujillo
Lewes — Brian F. O'Byrne
Pocahontas' Mother — Irene Bedard
Savage — John Savage
Emery — Jamie Harris
Patawomeck's Wife — Alex Rice
Rupwew — Michael Greyeyes
Parahunt — Kalani Queypo
Selway — Noah Taylor
King James — Jonathan Pryce
Queen Anne — Alexandra Malick
Camera (Technicolor, Deluxe prints; Panavision widescreen), Emmanuel Lubezki; editors, Richard Chew, Hank Corwin, Saar Klein, Mark Yoshikawa; music, James Horner; production designer, Jack Fisk; art directors, David Crank, Sarah Hauldren (U.K.); set decorator, Jim Erickson; costume designer, Jacqueline West; sound (SDDS/DTS/Dolby Digital), Jose Antonio Garcia; sound designer, Craig Berkey; supervising sound editor, Skip Lievsay; makeup designer, Paul Engelen; associate producers, Ivan Bess, Sandhya Shardanand, Billy Weber; assistant director, Michele Ziegler; second unit director-stunt coordinator, Andy Cheng; casting, Francine Maisler, Kathy Driscoll-Mohler; Native American casting, Rene Haynes.
Reviewed at Clarity screening room, Beverly Hills, Dec. 1, 2005. MPAA
Rating: PG-13. Running time: Originally 149 MIN.; final edited release is 135 MIN.
(English, Algonquian dialogue)
Column Rating: Definitely See; on the big screen, for the cinematography.
With Your Children? This is an historical recreation of turn of the sixteenth century Virginia; there are depictions of the Powhatan tribal lifestyle that are considered accurate, as to attire and behavior, however, they are also sometimes violent or attire is skimpy; depictions of European behavior are likely accurate, as well, with equally violent overtones
The New World is aptly named. When it was 'discovered,' the World thought they all knew each other, all too well, actually. They knew they had limits of land and resources. And yet, suddenly in their lap, was a whole new world, immense and uncharted by them. To Europeans, it was irresistible; they wanted it, all of it. Ancient legends of 'the people' spoke of others, but when the others finally showed their faces, they weren't prepared. Within decades, word spreading, the Indigenous Americans began to know a dread, a foreshadowing of the end of their times, as their legends had it. Even more amazing then, is that they were known to be generally welcoming to the newcomers, at first contact.
 Historical perspective of yesterday's events are pockmarked and skewed by those who chronicle. A lack of cross-referencing increases the possibility for a squinted view. The foggy lens, not having a broad scope, usually makes us feel slightly myopic. The further back in time we are trying to see, the less corroborating documentation there is. For those of us who are not historians, the high points we are taught are history, until some historian proves otherwise. Few films made about our earliest encounters, European and Indigenous Americans, are even close to accurate. Most Hollywood, history-inspired movies are about action, romance and racism. Costuming research usually exceeds the research of the actual events depicted. Little philosophy is pro-offered and less time given for reflection (exception: Dances With Wolves.)
The New World allows for that type of introspection, slowly unfolding events, revealing the people as they most likely were—radically mismatched. Director John Malick, working from his own screenplay, took his camera in close, skimming along the ground behind the running feet of these strangers, creating Kodak moments, and then, up to the horizon to ponder the scope and beauty of their pristine land, stretching out forever. He dwells on their faces as if wondering what they were really like, what they might have been thinking, not wishing to overly influence our opinion. More is known of European temperaments, and most of the dialogue occurs in their midst. We're just at the edge of these momentous encounters, standing gazing at our ancestors, scanning this ominously huge, seemingly unpopulated land.
 How could the verdant landscape have evoked so much fear in the Europeans? How could they react to these smiling, obviously healthy, thriving strangers, in the manner so familiar? Exhibiting a sense of humor, curiosity and maybe, even an inclination to friendship, Indigenous peoples throughout the Americas, more often than not, experienced the same disrespectful, unthankful and usually disastrous encounters with the newcomers. Admittedly a bunch of rapscallions all, the burgeoning lands across the waters to the east were straining against nature. The Indigenous peoples of the New World were at equilibrium with nature. It would have seemed that the release of population pressure to the New World would have siphoned off some of the hostility and greediness of the European nature.
The new world, on the whole, did not stir up a sense of calm in the Europeans, or gratefulness in finding themselves in a land of plenty, nor relief that the locals could aid them. Ready made guides. Malick's perspectives offer some visual cues, examining the factions and their possible behavior and attitudes, letting the audience decide how it may have been. Because of Malick's odd perspective, this film seemed more objective to me than other films of this variety. There were depictions of both sets of people at the initial encounter, which established the third person tone. Because of that option taken, our 'visits' with the European explorer/traders and with the Powhatan people were unique in their vivid contrast. The cast of actual Native Americans lent a sense of authenticity to the depictions of these long-gone Powhatans.
An ambitious film, The New World gave me the time to really think about what was in front of Malick's cameras. We meet scruffy John Smith in the hold of his ship, awaiting the fate of death by hanging. At landfall, however, some change of heart by Captain Newport (Christopher Plummer), kept Smith's unkempt head on his shoulders. Colin Farrell turns in a good performance as Captain John Smith, the rebel turned diplomat for a brief assignment—a famous time about which we've all learned several versions, including the Disney take on it. The ship's crew disembarks to make camp, grumpy, weary and watchful of their new surroundings. Courtesy of the simultaneous experience sensation, we've also been with the young Powhatan hunting party on shore, joking and skittering along, just inside the tree line, watching as this phenomenon unfolded. As they discern the departing canoe-like vessels hold people, they are credulous and full of curiosity about them. Finally, the leader waves them off to return home.
 The Powhatans appear again, in the meadow, high grasses obscuring the Europeans view of them. These are truly wondrous shots. The scene, as they reveal themselves, emerging into the open to approach the newcomers, was handled lightly. The warriors finally get close enough to touch the armor, feel blonde hair, and get a whiff of the aroma resulting from a disinclination to bathe, a renowned European mentality of that day. Inviting each other to take a sniff, they mug each other with faces typical of those of someone just smelling foul odors. Inside joke. Handled with humor. Nonetheless, I felt anxiety, as in most movies, this is about the time for a misunderstanding and consequent slaughter of one or the other side. Gratefully, I watched, as Malick chose another scenario.
Captain Newport must set sail to catch favorable winds homeward. He is to return in the spring with supplies, and reinforcements and/or replacements. His neck still smarting, Smith is charged with the initial contact with the strangers. He and his party are to make their way upriver to the Powhatan capital. He is the only one of his party that made it through to make the attempt of communication with the tribal leadership. They of course, have been tracking him, and finally capture and transport him to their chiefs. What an incredible feeling that must have been. Just right on to horrific, probably. Bound and helpless, a language barrier not disguising the gist of the discussions, and finally terror, as the conclusion becomes obvious, unfavorable, shall we say.
The Powhatan leadership concludes it the better part of valor to restrict contact with these newcomers, and dispatch Smith, as he represents a potential hazard. Fate, and who knows what else, intervenes in the guise of young Pocahontas (Q'Orianka Kilcher), the chief's favorite daughter. He is left at large in their community, where he begins to see beyond his prejudices. He also sees Pocahantas' beauty. It is surmised that a relationship occurred between them beyond their subsequent diplomatic teamwork, which may or may not be true. They did help everyone explore a temporary truce.
 Smith, who has spent sufficient time to recover from his initial hazing, is learning the food is plentiful, the fighting and hunting techniques intriguing, and the people proud—but forgiving. He returns to shore to deliver his report, only to find things much in disarray, and the previous captain in charge lost to mutiny. As we have been with Smith in the tidy, quiet Powhatan village, the sight of the fort's interior is a shock to the system. Accompanying him from the lush forests through the green meadow, we are at his side to catch the first glimpse of the mud-mired squalor, the brownness, just inside the gate. Reduced to rags, hungry beyond bearing, filthy and disease-ridden, the remaining crew was belligerent, the young deck boys running amok, the dead unburied. They were starving in this land of plenty. Huddled in their 'fort.'
We know of this blindness to the horn of plenty without, The thoroughly urban newcomers had little clue as to what to do in a wilderness. We know this odd detachment with nature to be a typical mindset and exactly what disastrous results happened, time and again. And, implausible as it would seem, the Indigenous tribes up and down the eastern seaboard helped them, taught them to hunt, plant crops, what to eat and what not to do. Positive interaction, at peace with each other, how would everything happen as we know it did? And yet it did. Once fed and strong enough, the settlers invariably clashed with their neighbors and we all know the resulting thank-you these Indigenous tribes received.
Smith bumped chests with the bullies remaining in the fort, put everyone on clean-up detail, and generally erased the 'Lord of the Flies' atmosphere. Pocahontas lead her people to this strange habitation, bringing food, medicines and comfort. Malick's tableaux is a stunning depiction, her in winter coloration fox pelts, her people behind her in the green meadow dusted with snow, loaded with foods, carrying whole deer carcasses for a plentiful feast. One of her trips she remains with Smith.
 Smith disappears aboard ship and Pocahontas, bereft, wanders the fort. Under the gentle notice of John Rolfe (Christian Bale), the fort captain succeeding Smith, she is drawn back to the land of the living. Smitten, he slowly establishes a relationship with her, careful not to spook her and fail. His patience earned him a long, productive marriage, a healthy son. His wife's fame spread to the old country, and Rolfe took her to England, answering an invitation for a royal audience. She did not survive the trip, and Rolfe returned with their six-year-old son, to their farm in Virginia. What is less known is the life they had.
Malick's cameras observe with us, from a distance, as she taught him to farm, he taught her the language, they raised their child—and prospered. The illusion is quite seamless. This is the way to learn of other eras and momentous occasions. The cinematography lingered on landscapes, sunsets, grass blowing in the winds of change, aiding in the illusion of visiting this pivotal time. We see more with less dialogue. Still and yet, this film had more of a European slant, of necessity. The Indigenous peoples were relentlessly shoved westward, as a consequence of the newcomer Diaspora inland. This Indigenous Civilization's customary oral history could not survive when no native was left to speak it, tribe after tribe wiped out, and their history lost.
 In the end, permitted a peek at both factions, a guess at both viewpoints, it seemed this film did a better job of reading between the lines in the accounts of this time in history. Two civilizations coming together for the first time mark pivotal moments in this new land's history. Malick's version resonated with me as objective, rather than the usual views and events that get onto celluloid. Admirable people in unimaginable encounters, those of The New World seemed on the ground next to the audience, not up on a big screen doing stuff.
It took the type of man that John Smith surely was, to hold the small beachheads established at the edge of this new land. It took men and women, like John Rolfe and Pocahontas, to settle and make a living off that land. Bottom line to me, though? John Smith was a scoundrel. Had he been hung for his thorny, contentious inclinations, how would the history of the founding of Jamestown have looked? What if he had not caught the eye of the local princess? Given the down-their-nose attitudes of most Europeans, it would seem there would have been, without Smith, a failed first contact. Yes, eventually, another settlement by another name would have sprung up. It wouldn't have been the Jamestown that we know, born of the historical reality.
Certainly, from what there is to examine of this moment in time, no other member of the explorer's first crews that came ashore in present day Virginia would have been up to the encounter, let alone kept them from each other's throats long enough to settle in and thrive.
Photos copyright New Line Cinema.
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