The New World (2005)

The story of the English exploration of Virginia, and of the changing world and loves of Pocahontas.

Director:

Terrence Malick

Writer:

Terrence Malick

Stars:

Colin Farrell, Q'orianka Kilcher, Christopher Plummer

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 6 wins & 11 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Colin Farrell	...	Captain Smith
Q'orianka Kilcher	...	Pocahontas
Christopher Plummer	...	Captain Newport
Christian Bale	...	John Rolfe
August Schellenberg	...	Powhatan
Wes Studi	...	Opechancanough
David Thewlis	...	Wingfield
Yorick van Wageningen	...	Captain Argall
Raoul Trujillo	...	Tomocomo
Michael Greyeyes	...	Rupwew
Kalani Queypo	...	Parahunt
Ben Mendelsohn	...	Ben
Noah Taylor	...	Selway
Brían F. O'Byrne	...	Lewes
Ben Chaplin	...	Robinson

Storyline

Captain Smith is spared his mutinous hanging sentence after captain Newport's ship arrives in 1607 to found Jamestown, an English colony in Virginia. The initially friendly natives, who have no personal property concept, turn hostile after a 'theft' is 'punished' violently on the spot. During an armed exploration, Smith is captured, but spared when the chief's favorite daughter Pocahontas pleads for the stranger who soon becomes her lover and learns to love their naive 'savage' way of harmonious life. Ultimately he returns to the grim fort, which would starve hadn't she arranged for Indian generosity. Alas, each side soon brands their own lover a traitor, so she is banished and he flogged as introduction to slavish toiling. Changes turn again, leading Smith to accept a northern-more mission and anglicized Pocahontas, believing him dead, becoming the mother of aristocratic new lover John Rolfe's son. They'll meet again for a finale in England.

---

Plot Keywords:

captain | love | fort | trade | colony | 

---

Taglines:

Once discovered, it was changed forever

---

Genres:

Biography | Drama | History | Romance

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some intense battle sequences

Details

Official Sites:

Metropolitan Filmexport [France] New Line Cinema [United States]

Country:

USA UK

Language:

English Algonquin

Release Date:

20 January 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

El nuevo mundo

Filming Locations:

Bodleian Library, Broad Street, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$59,656 (Argentina) (28 April 2006)

Gross:

$59,656 (Argentina) (28 April 2006)

Company Credits

Production Co:

New Line Cinema, Sunflower Productions, Sarah Green Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

135 min 172 min (extended cut) 150 min (original cut)

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Casting for the character of Pocahontas proved difficult, producers looked at over two thousand actors before deciding to open up their search criteria for all indigenous actors of both North and South America.

---

Goofs

Pocahantas is shown being kidnapped by the settlers when Smith is still in Jamestown. In reality, Smith had to leave from a gunpowder injury in 1609. Pocahontas was kidnapped in 1613.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Pocahontas: Come, spirit, help us sing the story of our land. You are our mother. You are our field of corn. We rise from out of the soul of you.

---

Connections

Version of Pocahontas (1995)

---

Soundtracks

"Ancient Voices"
Written and Performed by R. Carlos Nakai
Courtesy of Celestial Harmonies/Mayflower Music Corp

User Reviews

Beautiful Marriage of Aural and Visual Meditations on Discovery

"The New World" has an opening five minutes where Natives rush to the shore to get a view of the massive British ships that are about to land on what would become Jamestown that are every bit as fantastic as any of the scenes in Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey". It's a perfect marriage of sound effects, music and visuals that literally paints itself onto the celluloid as a jaw dropping work of art. The nature of "discovery" and the power of film is boldly on display in Terrence Malick's brave "New World."

Some viewers will undoubtedly get lost in the visual and aural poetry, while others will be annoyed at the lack of a focused narrative and the sometimes sketchy character motives. This is a historical drama, and the amazing sets, costumes, and make-up attest to the wonderful attention to period detail, but there's also a dreamy surreal nature to the pacing that will lull some to sleep who were expecting a more traditional docudrama. This is more about the myth of Pocahantas and channeling ghosts than it is about the actual history behind the story. The dialog is as evasive and minimal as the visuals are overwhelming and painstaking. Plotting is secondary to the mood and meditations on love, discovery, curiosity, innocence, and the clashing of cultures.

Malick does a great job at showing the civilized and barbaric sides of both the Natives and the British. It's a wonderful testament to that first realization that there is intelligent life outside of one's own world. Central to this discovery of the "New World" is the romance between John Smith (a modest Colin Farrel) and Pocahantas (an amazing Q'Orianka Kilcher) which is displayed with just as much wide eyed-wonder and innocence as Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Christian Bale as John Rolfe and Christopher Plummer as Captain Newport are also very good when they are allowed to act amongst the lush scenery. Composer James Horner, who is probably second only to John Williams in creating unforgettable movie music, outdoes himself as his rousing symphony (coupled with divine music from Wagner) perfectly matches the reverence and awe with which Malick uses his visuals to paint the myth on screen.

Some judicious editing may have benefited the middle portion of the film, which amounts to scene after beautiful scene of two people falling in love while worshiping nature, but there are two more series of scenes (one in the middle and one at the end) that are every bit as uplifting as the opening one and serve as a perfect synergy of visual and aural delights that completely transported this patient viewer to another realm. I'm not so sure that this is what it was really like to live in 1607, but I have no doubt this is what the people of that time dreamed about.