Review of The New World (2005) by Ricardo O — 22 Jun 2011

Before I watched this movie I had heard many not-so-good things about it, like that the pacing is off, that it's too long, that there's not enough action, that it's hard to understand, and so on.

I also originally went into this movie thinking it was miscast. Colin Farrell just didn't seem like the right fit at the time. However, as I watched this film, I was completely blown away. This film is so unique and beautiful.

The long pacing is absolutely perfect for the story that it is. And the "unfocused narrative" is also 100% suitable for this plot. It allows us as viewers to focus in on the characters themselves rather than worry about a bigger picture.

That may sound strange, since usually the point of a film is to clearly convey a message; however, the message that is conveyed in this film is that Native Americans live in peace, they don't have personal possessions, they just live, love, and take in the nature around them.

And not only is that the message conveyed, but the that's also exactly what this film makes you feel as you connect with its characters and watch Malick's beautiful cinematography. And did I mention how perfect Colin Farrell was in this movie? Boy was I proven wrong.

In fact every actor/actress in this film was absolutely brilliant. The accuracy of this film is also astounding, at least to my knowledge. It's not "fake Pocahontas" like every other rendition of this story is.

Terrence Malick has portrayed exactly what I think should be portrayed about Native American life back when the European colonists settled. I honestly do not think this film could have been made better, knowing the plot that it is.