Review of The New World (2005) by Munazzah K — 29 Dec 2009

Terrence Malick movies are like cinematic poetry and for the uninitiated, you will undoubtedly be bored out of your mind within 30 mins if you don't know what you've let yourself in for. His films are amazing to look at, abruptly jump from one scene to the next (in the case of TNW sometimes jump years down the line), are full of imagery, are scored mainly with natural sounds that pull the viewer into scenes like few directors can and are always masterfully directed.

TNW creates a time and place (early colonial America) that lives and breathes on screen. It's an almost dreamlike movie that tells the story of Pocahontas (even though her name is never mentioned) and is an amazing experience.

It is very slow and has a lot of voice overs but I really enjoy these sort of movies. It's a shame we only get a Malick movie every 10 years or so. Farrell is decent and certainly looks the part. Bale is good in a small supporting role but it's Q'Orianka Kilcher who gives the movie it's heart and is without a doubt the star of the movie.

Amazing considering its her first film. If you want something different, check out a bit of Malick.