Review of The New World (2005) by Matthew B — 02 Nov 2016

Essentially a near 3-hour tourism advert for pre-colonial New England, The New World begins promisingly, with gorgeous visuals, a pensive sensibility and a genuine respect for the Native Americans as they encounter the strangers arriving on their land.

The film's most interesting aspect is the difficult interactions between the natives and the colonials, which go through very natural and believable stages, such as suspicion, doubt and inevitable hostility.

If the movie had focused on this, it might have been entertaining. But since Terrence Malick is apparently averse to the idea of enjoyment, instead we get trees, water, people walking aimlessly through fields, more trees, more water, people walking aimlessly through towns, even more trees, even more water, and people walking aimlessly through nowhere.

Had it been an hour or so shorter, it might have been tolerable, but as it is, it's easily one of the most frustratingly tedious movies ever created. The score sounds like the composer fell asleep on their keyboard, it's beautiful but gratuitous, and Colin Farrell, usually a great actor, turns in one of his dullest performances.

Throughout the entire film he wanders about endlessly, looking like a man who's forgotten his lines, and appears to care little about what happens around him. It's such a shame to see an actor with such charisma playing such a lifeless bore.

Most of the dialogue is either whispered or mumbled, and since it's a Malick production, everything we learn is communicated through constant narration. The man loves voiceover so much that in some scenes a character will be talking, and narration will be played at nearly the same time.

Half the time it seems like the characters are chatting with the narrator. Wouldn't be of much use mind you, since the voiceover tells us what we either know explicitly, or could very easily work out.

Basically, the film treats you like an idiot. Watch the first 30-45 minutes, admire its natural beauty, then immediately hit stop, because the rest of it will drive you mad.