The New World

[Approaching Infinity]

I just saw Terence Malick's The New World (about Capt. Smith and Pochahontas). What do you folks think of his work (i.e. The Thin Red Line)? I think his films are stunningly beautiful. His writing style reminds me of Faulkner for some reason--I think because he gets into the thoughts of "normal" human beings and shows the budding essence of their souls. That's the impression I get at least.

The film got five stars in our local paper, and after the film I was sitting there in tears while the people around me were saying, "Why did this movie get 5 stars?" 2 men walked out an hour through it. I couldn't help thinking that these people mustn't be able to feel or empathize, or perhaps I just identify too much with movie characters!

The movie also got me thinking about group karma. Reading what the C's say about Atlantean karma, I think I'm starting to understand how this might take place--that normal, 'good' people who blindly go along with their Empire suffer dearly for it. You don't have to be on the front lines enjoying every minute to be held responsible. Just watch the movie, see the way Malick juxtaposes the two cultures; the British fellows who are just going along with the systematic rape of an entire culture will no doubt see themselves in the same situation. The shots were great, score was beautiful, acting was excellent. I'd recommend it.

 

[Laura]

Hi,
Okay, I'm sold!

Seriously, I watch very few movies. I have a few stand-bys that I watch now and again if I want to relax. But I think I'll have to get this one when it comes out on DVD.

Thanks for the review!

Laura

 

[atreides]

I really liked the "Thin Red Line" as a movie. I vaguely remember it being somewhat emotional as well... I try to avoid sad movies cause I end up balling like a little kid with a skinned knee.

 

[Beau]

thanks for the recommendation! i saw the trailer for this recently and it looked ok, i wasn't sure about it since SO many movies come out that are rather pathetic. i don't think i've ever seen Thin Red Line so i can't say much about Malick, but i do like the movies that bring out our emotions.

 

[Approaching Infinity]

Some quotations from Thin Red Line:

Private Edward P. Train: [narrating] What is this great evil? How did it steal into the world? From what seed, what root did it spring? Who's doing this? Who's killing us? Robbing us of light and life. Mocking us with the sight of what we might have known. Oh, my soul, let me be in you now. Look out through my eyes, look out at the things you've made. All things shining.

First Sgt. Edward Welsh: Everything a lie. Everything you hear, everything you see. So much to spew out. They just keep coming, one after another. You're in a box. A moving box. They want you dead, or in their lie... There's only one thing a man can do - find something that's his, and make an island for himself. If I never meet you in this life, let me feel the lack; a glance from your eyes, and my life will be yours.

Japanese Soldier: Are you righteous? Kind? Does your confidence lie in this? Are you loved by all? Know that I was, too. Do you imagine your suffering will be any less because you loved goodness and truth?

This last quote ties in to what I was saying about group karma, I think. I just want to say one more thing about The New World. There is a battle scene that is the most INTENSE scene I have witnessed (and I don't mean it's gory, just realistic). Pochahontas was supposed to get Smith to promise to take his men, leave, and never come back. The Natives find out that they plan on staying and realize they must fight (they SEE what the result of this will be and resolve to go to 'war'). They attack the fort with their weapons (i.e. glorified sledgehammers). The thing that got me about this scene was that they are a peaceful people--there's no in-fighting, jealousy, hatred, rape etc. And they train intensively with their weapons. They end up fighting against Brits with rifles and canons, and they fight fearlessly. They are not cannon fodder; they have dignity even in something so horrible (yet necessary?). To me it demonstrated the cowardice of colonial aggression; people going to war who do not want to go to war, but are CANNON FODDER. Juxtapose that with WILL, insight, and plain survival. Frightening portrayal of the General Law in warfare. (a theme also present in the Thin Red Line)

 

[knowledge_of_self]

Thanks for the review.
I really like Thin Red Line. I also just saw the trailers for The New World. But I wondered if they were going to portray the objective story of Pocohontas. After the obvious trashing of the story by Disney, i wondered how close to objectivity they came this time. I will give it a shot now that i have read your review.
Thanks
Nina

 

[luke wilson]

The negative reviews about this movie on IMDB are brutal. I have never read so many reviews about how boring a movie is, however, there is also a considerable amount talking about how sophisticated and stunningly beautiful this movie is. If it's anything like the tree of life, I suppose I can endure through hours of non-dialogue and barely audible whispers.. should be an interesting watch.

 

[Adaryn]

The negative reviews about this movie on IMDB are brutal. I have never read so many reviews about how boring a movie is, however, there is also a considerable amount talking about how sophisticated and stunningly beautiful this movie is. If it's anything like the tree of life, I suppose I can endure through hours of non-dialogue and barely audible whispers.. should be an interesting watch.

I watched it again recently. Acc. to my humble, totally subjective opinion, The New World is MUCH, MUCH better than The Tree of Life - more authentic, less pretentious/OTT/"arty" (again, this is my opinion). In certain aspects it's more targeted towards a feminine audience (whereas the Tree of Life is more targeted towards a masculine one), I think, as it's about a woman growing up and learning to distinguish between juvenile infatuation with a "man-boy" (John Smith) and adult love with a real man (John Rolfe). There's more to it than this (stealing and raping the Native Americans' land, religious fundamentalism of the "forefathers", the meeting of the 2 worlds through Pocahontas…), but it's one of the themes of the movie. It's universal.

 

[SethianSeth]

Terrence Malick is one of the few filmmakers working today who is seriously dedicated to the exploration of inner and outer nature, I think. His poetic, stream-of-consciousness style internal monologues, which float from character to character in the same tone, do something which is deeply affecting (perhaps best used in The Thin Red Line, which drifts from soldier to soldier, then soldier to homeland, soldier to "enemy," etc).

I think Malick is making movies about the spiritual current which binds people together deeply, in spite of cultural and natural barriers, and also the forces which erode away at this bond. Each one of his films does this in a different way, and he even explores pathology in Badlands with Sissy Spacek as a young psychopath and Martin Sheen as the sociopath who brings her kicks (I think Hare talks about this in Without Conscience).

Not to mention he photographs nature better than just about anyone I can think of!

Badlands, Days of Heaven, The Thin Red Line, The New World, and now The Tree of Life: all well worth the time, imo.

 

[Approaching Infinity]

The negative reviews about this movie on IMDB are brutal. I have never read so many reviews about how boring a movie is, however, there is also a considerable amount talking about how sophisticated and stunningly beautiful this movie is. If it's anything like the tree of life, I suppose I can endure through hours of non-dialogue and barely audible whispers.. should be an interesting watch.

I can see how many people would find his movies boring, but I can't help but wonder if these are the same people who would be bored sitting through an hour long symphony. I guess it's a matter of taste and expectations. If you're looking for a dialogue-packed, fast-moving blockbuster, look elsewhere. Malick is more about images, moments in life streamed together, and the emotions evoked by a bird flying through the air on a cool and foggy morning. ;)

I watched it again recently. Acc. to my humble, totally subjective opinion, The New World is MUCH, MUCH better than The Tree of Life - more authentic, less pretentious/OTT/"arty" (again, this is my opinion). In certain aspects it's more targeted towards a feminine audience (whereas the Tree of Life is more targeted towards a masculine one), I think, as it's about a woman growing up and learning to distinguish between juvenile infatuation with a "man-boy" (John Smith) and adult love with a real man (John Rolfe). There's more to it than this (stealing and raping the Native Americans' land, religious fundamentalism of the "forefathers", the meeting of the 2 worlds through Pocahontas…), but it's one of the themes of the movie. It's universal.

I'd never thought of it that way, but I like it. I was really moved by the way she grieved the loss of her 'first love', but resolved to move on. She accepted life as a series of changes, waves washing over waves. And of course, death is the last of these - one more transformation in the cyclic, flowing movement of time. I think Malick really got across the approach to life that the Natives of the region had. I also liked how he set this up in the first shot of the film: rolling waves as the Brits' ships find land, with Wagner's Rheingold overture as soundtrack, like the whole movie in microcosm.

 

[luke wilson]

After watching this movie, I have to say it is one of the most beautiful movies I have ever seen.

The negative reviews about this movie on IMDB are brutal. I have never read so many reviews about how boring a movie is, however, there is also a considerable amount talking about how sophisticated and stunningly beautiful this movie is. If it's anything like the tree of life, I suppose I can endure through hours of non-dialogue and barely audible whispers.. should be an interesting watch.

I watched it again recently. Acc. to my humble, totally subjective opinion, The New World is MUCH, MUCH better than The Tree of Life - more authentic, less pretentious/OTT/"arty" (again, this is my opinion). In certain aspects it's more targeted towards a feminine audience (whereas the Tree of Life is more targeted towards a masculine one), I think, as it's about a woman growing up and learning to distinguish between juvenile infatuation with a "man-boy" (John Smith) and adult love with a real man (John Rolfe). There's more to it than this (stealing and raping the Native Americans' land, religious fundamentalism of the "forefathers", the meeting of the 2 worlds through Pocahontas…), but it's one of the themes of the movie. It's universal.

In my humble, totally subjective opinion, I think it is a devastating heart crashing tragic love story. A story between two people who truly madly deeply loved each other but fate had it that this would never be fulfilled. I think it was very poetic that she died soon after going to England and meeting John Smith for the very last time, you could even see, she got her youthful exuberance back after their very final conversation. However, I think she had great amount of respect in place of love for John Rolfe but her heart truly belonged somewhere else. My heart was overwhelmed with sadness at anticipation of impending tragedy, at every single turn either she or he was in danger and the final blow, where he had 'no choice' but to leave due to responsibility to the king of england. Maybe he was weak, thus he is a man-boy but I think fortune favoured John Rolfe.

Regardless, this was a truly moving movie, better than the tree of life. I loved the performances, the scenary, the music and the narration of the story. It truly spoke to the heart, so much beauty but yet so much peril, all in the same setting walking side by side.

 

[Kaigen]

Regardless, this was a truly moving movie, better than the tree of life. I loved the performances, the scenary, the music and the narration of the story. It truly spoke to the heart, so much beauty but yet so much peril, all in the same setting walking side by side.

I second that, it was thrully moving, everything was perfect put in scene. This movie was lot better than The tree of life.

 

[Adaryn]

In my humble, totally subjective opinion, I think it is a devastating heart crashing tragic love story. A story between two people who truly madly deeply loved each other but fate had it that this would never be fulfilled.

To me, "truly madly deeply" doesn't indicate love, but mindless passion/infatuation. I don't think Smith really loved her (after all, he lies to her and leaves her), nor that she really loved him (she was too young and ignorant about life). It's merely the appeal of novelty, curiosity towards someone totally different from what she knows in her world.

I stumbled upon this:

Smith is all confident energy, steady eye contact, body language and action. When it's time to touch her, he touches her. When it's time to kiss her, he kisses her. He doesn't ask permission, he just does it. Smith and Pocahontas don't even speak the same language. He doesn't need it. Smith is an alpha combination of #2 bad boy and #7 warrior archetypes.
Rolfe, on the other hand, is kind and respectful and solicitous of Pocahontas. He moves very slowly and gingerly, and asks for her permission before escalating.

__http://gameformarriage.blogspot.com/2010/09/great-alphas-and-betas-on-film-new.html

So, who's the one who truly loves her, here? Clearly, it's Rolfe.

think it was very poetic that she died soon after going to England and meeting John Smith for the very last time, you could even see, she got her youthful exuberance back after their very final conversation.

I don't see it that way. She has her exuberance back because she at last realizes what she wants, who she is, and who she really loves, and that it's not John Smith, who was but a dream in the past, idealized. Faced with reality, at last, she can choose in full conscience. Rolfe knew it, and out of love, he allowed her to make that choice. She seems at peace with herself ("Mother I know where you live now"), and thus can fully embrace Rolfe as her true husband, after seeing the difference between wishful thinking (infatuation for Smith) and reality (love for Rolfe - when she says to him: "you're everything I thought you were, and more").

However, I think she had great amount of respect in place of love for John Rolfe but her heart truly belonged somewhere else.

"Love" for Smith was merely immature infatuation. How could she love him, when she doesn't know him at all? True love is about learning to know someone, living with them day to day.

My heart was overwhelmed with sadness at anticipation of impending tragedy, at every single turn either she or he was in danger and the final blow, where he had 'no choice' but to leave due to responsibility to the king of england.

He had a choice, I think. But his career was more important to him.

Anyway, a very moving movie, yeah far better than The tree of life.

 

[luke wilson]

Thanks for your thoughts Adaryn, very insightful.

To my eyes, by the time John Rolfe came around, she had been beat down by the world, she had been transformed from a truly Indian girl to a quasi-english lady. Everything about her had changed, abandoned by family, her energy, her dress sense, her youthful innocence. The world had truly done a number on her, but I agree, for her it was all part of growing up, growing into a changing world. To me the tragedy was, her youthful infatuation, her youthful innocence, curiosity with novelty, her passion, to me that was all nature, it was natural and genuine. What she had for John Rolfe was a product of her circumstances, not the kind of emotions that can cause one to travel thousands of miles to unknown lands. I don't see Smith as a bad boy at all. He arrived in the new world, in chains. He nearly got killed acouple of times, one time for defending her, he didn't want her being taken away. He knew the old world is a brutal place and not a place for her. It will steal everything that she ever was, which it did! I don't see this as a movie about a girl growing up and coming of age, I see this as a movie about a girl who is met by one tragedy after another but despite that, manages to retain her spiritual grace. I think John Rolfe only loved her(it wasn't even love because he married her despite knowing she didn't feel the same for him) because she reminded him of himself and what he had lost, his wife and child.

Your words are truly food for thought. It is amazing how we kind of saw differently the same movie but I suppose that is what makes this movie so amazing.

 

[seek10]

I don't see this as a movie about a girl growing up and coming of age, I see this as a movie about a girl who is met by one tragedy after another but despite that, manages to retain her spiritual grace. I think John Rolfe only loved her(it wasn't even love because he married her despite knowing she didn't feel the same for him) because she reminded him of himself and what he had lost, his wife and child.

I saw this movie to day and I liked the movie. The way Kilcher's composure during painful times and looking for inner guidance and boldly moving along in the rather hostile environment. Her portrayal tells us the inner contemplation that is missing in our fast paced world. Even captain smith's ( Collin Farrel) coolness before being killing is striking.
I find it little funny when they started proclaiming america as their land immediately after their arrival, the same mindset prevails even for today.