Terrence Malick is probably the most enigmatic director alive today, having made only four films over the past 30-plus years. As he has spent most of his time teaching philosophy, Malick essentially moonlights in film, and every time he ventures out to make another, it becomes an event for cinephiles. Like the similarly reclusive Stanley Kubrick, Malick is a striking visionary whose work eschews conventional storytelling techniques. Malick's latest film, 'The New World,' is his most stylistically extreme and will undoubtedly inspire divisive reactions, but for those who are not put off by its deliberate pace, it is a lush, intoxicating masterwork.
It cannot be stressed enough: 'The New World' is not for everybody, nor was it intended to be. Malick's films have never been action-packed'long, lyrical stretches of nature have become his trademark. 'The New World' floats along poetically, with nature itself as the most important and vibrant character. While seemingly endless scenes of John Smith (Colin Farrell) frolicking in the woods with Pocahontas (newcomer Q'orianka Kilcher) may infuriate even the most patient viewer, the images Malick conjures up are nothing less than transfixing. Those expecting frequent Indian tussles a la 'Last of the Mohicans' or Kilcher singing 'Colors of the Wind' will be bored to tears, but those who fall under its alluring spell will find 'The New World' to be an invigorating experience.
Malick is aware that most are familiar with the Smith/Pocahontas story by now, and he is primarily concerned with how the story is experienced. 'The New World' opens with English ships arriving in North America as Native Americans watch with fear and curiosity. Smith is portrayed as a scraggly misfit formerly sentenced to death for 'mutinous remarks,' but unlike many of his supposedly civilized shipmates, he abhors cruelty to the natives. After various skirmishes, Smith is kidnapped and almost put to death, but has his life saved when Pocahontas throws her body over his. The two form a tender bond, and Smith finds happiness and acceptance living with the natives, but he must eventually return to Jamestown, which has become a disease-stricken shambles of a settlement.
'The New World' is concerned with more than just the love story; tobacco farmer John Rolfe (Christian Bale) eventually enters the picture to marry Pocahontas and assimilate her into English society. Most importantly, Malick does not take a pessimistic approach to this tragic story''The New World' feels spontaneous and full of hope and possibility.
Malick's cast, from the lovely Kilcher to a skillfully understated Bale, is uniformly excellent. Few films are this alive or enchanting on every level, and despite its dearth of dialogue and occasional over-reliance on emotional montages and voiceover, 'The New World' packs a meditative wallop. It is a film that requires a vigilant attention span and genuine artistic appreciation, and for those who accept it for what it is, 'The New World' is one of the best films of 2005.
