the fresh films reviews

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The New World (2005)

Director:
Terrence Malick
COUNTRY
USA
GENRE
Drama/Historical/Romance
NORWEGIAN TITLE
The New World
RUNNING TIME
135 minutes
Producer:
Sarah Green
Screenwriter:
Terrence Malick


Cast includes:

CHARACTER ACTOR/ACTRESS RATING
John Smith Colin Farrell ½
Pocahontas Q'Orianka Kilcher
John Rolfe Christian Bale
Captain Christopher Newport Christopher Plummer ½
Powhatan August Schellenberg ½
Opechancanough Wes Studi
Captain Edward Wingfield David Thewlis
Savage John Savage
Selway Noah Taylor
Ben Ben Mendelsohn

 

Review

Moody, photographic and delicate, but also detached and introverted. Terrence Mallck's direction is pompous and arrogant, but what can you expect from a filmmaker who on average makes a film every ten years. Not particularly appropriately entitled, The New World is simply a love story, depicting the famous John Smith/Pocahontas/John Rolfe love triangle. Having been given a treatment by Disney in the 90s, the story is now ostensibly revitalized by Malick, who wants amore realistic approach. Still, the tale is very much based on myth, and hence the grand monologues by our three protagonists come off as pretentious. Malick is at his best in a few dwelling, romanticized scenes early on, but his narrative can't justify his slow pacing, and once introduced, the Christian Bale character is never allowed to establish himself properly, making the film's final third tedious. Ultimately, I found myself wishing for a film that was actually about the new world.

Copyright © 11.9.2006 Fredrik Gunerius Fevang

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