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Volume 71, Issue 73,
Monday, January 23, 2006
Life & Arts 'New World' falls short of expectations Score, new-coming actress save blockbuster by JESSE SINGH
A movie with epic potential, The New World requires monumental patience and a full nightís rest to sit through. Written and directed by Terrence Malick, The New World is based on the settlersí arrival in 1607 at what would become Jamestown. But possibly more important to the theme of the film is the interaction between John Smith (played by Colin Farrel) and Pocahontas (masterfully handled by the young, yet talented newcomer Qíorianka Kilcher). This movie is not simply a rehashing of a tale that many already know, but is instead a redefinition of the bond Smith and Pocahontas shared, viewed through the eyes of Malick. Though the man is not readily known for his work, The New World is Malickís fourth film.
Although The New World is not without moments of superb acting and touching scenes, the general pace of the film is often torturous to sit through, with lengthy nature shots only slowing it more. Photo courtesy of New Line Cinema Unlike many films of today, The New World is driven solely by monologues and intense, beautiful cinematography. Accompanying every view of The New World is music scored by none other than James Horner, whose award-winning compositions have graced such films as Titanic and Aliens. Hornerís perfectly placed score helps set the tone of the entire film, portraying a clean and pristine world, unblemished by the faults of man --ñ a veritable paradise conceived only in the minds of dreamers and romantics. The dialogue of the film is kept to a bare minimum, with Kilcher, in particular, strangely silenced through the majority of the movie. Surprisingly, her performance doesnít rely on words. At age 15, Kilcher leads the castís performances through her actions and subtle expressions. The words she does speak only enhances the image of her characterís spry, free will and her inability to resist the temptation to fall in love with Smith. Farrel plays a decent foil for Kilcher. The film represents Smith as a person recognizing the beauty Pocohantas offers to the world around her, but he is torn between his duty as a solider and his love for the native as a flesh-and-blood man. In spite of the beautiful cinematography, wonderful score, and sometimes noteworthy acting, The New World moves agonizingly slow. The movie has no real action aside from the interaction between Farrel and Kilcher, which at times gets lost in the cinematography and is mostly non-verbal. Though the film is layered with gorgeous scenes of unperturbed land, it begins to feel like overkill after the first hour. The overabundance of nature scenes generally takes the viewersí attention away from whatever point is was Malick was trying to make. At times, the entire movie loses coherence to the deafening quiet pervading the theater. The lack of dialogue only helps to slow the pace of the film, and the loosely dispersed monologues offer enough time in between for moviegoers to power nap. To be completely fair to this film, The New World is not without great ideas or grand visions. Unfortunately, the methods used to portray these larger-than-life ideas end up falling short of expectations.
The New World Rated: PG-13 for some battle sequences
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