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| Reel commentary: ... The problem with the film is its narrative flow; there's too much story, too much footage, too much of Malick being Malick and it shows ... full review |
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By Loron Hays
The story of Captain John Smith and the young Pocahontas is not unfamiliar to Americans; it is a part of our history books, our American mythos, and even Walt Disney has rendered its own version of events, but maybe, from time to time, it is good to revisit the story with a concentration on the historical accuracy of things. And, when watching Terence Malick's The New World: The Extended Cut, concentration is the key word. Really. Absolute and total concentration; a complete surrender if you will. His story demands it and, at times, even does a little begging for it.
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Q’Orianka Kilcher as “Pocahantas” in The New World
All images copyright © 2008 Warner Bros Pictures.
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Beginning at the cusp of the Seventeenth Century, Malick's voyage into the New World opens with some beautiful cinematography, some of it the finest captured by Emmanuel Lubezki (whose impressive body of cinematography includes Burton's Sleepy Hollow and Cuaron's Children of Men) as three ships appear close to the foreign shore of America. Their mysterious arrival ushers in the theme of a haunting beauty that the undiscovered landscape of The New World suggests. In fact, the scenery throughout the film will, to coin a phrase, simply take your breath away; its beauty is mesmerizing. Knowing that the film was shot near the actual places of events on and by Chickahominy River, one wonders how the landscape remains so untouched and clean for its 2005 filming.
The acting is a tour De force, too. Colin Farrell plays Captain John Smith, newcomer to the screen (and all of 14 years old) Q'Orianka Kilcher captures the fine spirit of Pocahontas, Christopher Plummer dusts off his acting skills as Captain Christopher Newport and then there's Christian Bale as John Rolfe, the man who eventually wins the hand of the young Pocahontas. Yes, it is a fine cast; their characters are firmly planted in its place and time and their believability in their roles is to be praised. It seems, at times, they get just as lost in their world as the attentive viewer will should he or she take up the challenge of Malick's exploration of early European colonization.
The problem with the film is its narrative flow; there's too much story, too much footage, too much of Malick being Malick and it shows. Just look at the film's history: first, it was 150 minutes long and then Malick trimmed it and then re-edited and then did it all over again and then again - and now there's the restored 172 minute version of the film, but the result is still the same: it's a dense web of footage with little narrative reward. The narration provided by the actors throughout the film (added to clarify the convoluted storyline) is dry and unmoving…unlike the awe-inspiring location shots…and unlike the actual story buried underneath it all. The audience understands why the narration is so flat, but still, this is an exciting story and shouldn't have to be handled so matter-of-factly; it's like being handed a map of a place you already know your way around - or, if you don't know it, you don't mind getting lost in at all. It seems unwelcome and forced. And that's where the concentration comes into play. There can be no distractions for this film to work. None.
Malick's The New World is a beautifully shot film that has many fine moments of acting and (for the very, very, very, very patient audience) it also has an ending…
Loron Hays
Synopsis: Powhatan tribal people stare in wonder as three ships approach shore. It’s a story every schoolchild knows; the story of Capt. John Smith (Colin Farrell), Pocahontas (Q’orianka Kilcher). Now, as told by filmmaker Terrence Malick (Badlands, Days of Heaven, The Thin Red Line) in this Extended Version with more than 30 minutes of footage unseen in theaters -- it’s a story you never imagined. Working in part from first-hand histories and adding his extraordinary sense of image and human drama, Malick crafts a visceral, spellbinding tale of the Jamestown settlement, of cultures connecting and of deadly consequences when connections fray. Christian Bale and Christopher Plummer also star.
 Comments
The DVD has the unrated 172 minute version of the film and provides a code for the digital copy of the film, but no other features.
Screen formats: Widescreen Anamorphic 2.35:1
Subtitles: English; Spanish; Closed Captioned
Language and Sound: English: Dolby Digital 5.1; English: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Other Features: Color; interactive menus; scene access.
Number of discs: 1 - Keepcase Packaging
| Colin Farrell |
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Captain Smith |
| Q'orianka Kilcher |
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Pocahontas |
| Christopher Plummer |
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Captain Newport |
| Christian Bale |
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John Rolfe |
| August Schellenberg |
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Powhatan |
| Wes Studi |
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Opechancanough |
| David Thewlis |
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Wingfield |
| Yorick van Wageningen |
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Captain Argall |
| Raoul Trujillo |
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Tomocomo |
| Michael Greyeyes |
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Rupwew |
| Kalani Queypo |
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Parahunt |
| Ben Mendelsohn |
... |
Ben |
| Noah Taylor |
... |
Selway |
| Brian F. O'Byrne |
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Lewes |
| Ben Chaplin |
... |
Robinson |
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