The New World

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The New World

Promotional poster for The New World
Directed by Terrence Malick
Produced by Sarah Green,
Terrence Malick
Written by Terrence Malick
Starring Q'Orianka Kilcher
Colin Farrell
Christian Bale
Music by James Horner
Cinematography Emmanuel Lubezki
Distributed by New Line Cinema
Release date(s) United States December 25, 2005 (limited)
United States January 20, 2006 (wide)
Canada January 20, 2006
United Kingdom January 27, 2006
Language English
Algonquin
Budget US$ 30,000,000
IMDb profile
This article is about the 2005 film. For other uses, see New World (disambiguation).

The New World is a 2005 Academy Award-nominated film directed by Terrence Malick and starring Colin Farrell. It is a historical adventure set during the founding of the Jamestown, Virginia settlement and inspired by the historical figures Captain John Smith (Farrell) and Pocahontas (Q'Orianka Kilcher).

The New World is Malick's fourth feature film, and was written by him. The cast also includes Christopher Plummer, Christian Bale, August Schellenberg, Wes Studi, David Thewlis and Yorick van Wageningen. The production team includes director of photography Emmanuel Lubezki, production designer Jack Fisk, costume designer Jacqueline West and film editor Richard Chew. The film had an estimated budget of $30,000,000, and was produced by Sarah Green.

Contents

[edit] Synopsis

The New World opens at the dawn of the 17th century, just prior to the European colonization of the United States when the North American population consisted solely of indigenous American Indian tribes. In 1607, three maritime vessels approach the unfamiliar continent, with 103 sailors on board. As members of the Virginia Company, these adventurers carry a royal charter to found a colony on the edge of the new continent. John Smith sits chained below one of the decks. He has been sentenced to death by hanging upon the ships’ docking because of his mutinous grumblings. Nevertheless, Captain Christopher Newport acknowledges Smith's ability to aid with exploration and pardons Smith as a result.

Upon landing, Smith seeks assistance from the Algonquian tribes with colonization, but runs into a hostile band of warriors and is brought to Powhatan as a prisoner. Just as Smith is about to be clubbed to death by a warrior, a young beautiful Indian maiden, who is curious about the English strangers, steps in between the executioner and Smith. The young girl, Powhatan’s youngest daughter, Pocahontas, persuades her father to spare Smith’s life. John Smith learns of the Indians’ peaceful and happy lifestyle by spending time with Pocahontas, and eventually they fall in love. Their relationship makes the omnipotent Chief Powhatan uneasy.

Eventually Smith returns to Jamestown with a band of Pocahontas’ villagers, who intend to aid the hungry men of the Virginia Company. Soon Smith, whose usual aggressiveness has been calmed by Pocahontas and the tranquility of her world, encounters conflict with his fellow Britons. The tension between the settlers and the Native Americans builds, and a battle erupts between them. Because of this Smith temporarily returns to England; and Pocahontas is led to believe that her beloved is dead. Her father then exiles her from her village, and she is sent to the realms of her father's cousin in the North. While she is there, the Chieftain trades her for a copper kettle so the men of Jamestown can hold her as a captive to stop the massacres.

Pocahontas and John Smith.
Enlarge
Pocahontas and John Smith.

Pocahontas spents the rest of her life living with the British settlers and she eventually learns to read and write. She soon adopt's the Anglo-Saxon way of life and is later baptized and renamed “Rebecca”. In her grief for Smith the Indian princess has retreated into a world of solitude, and she refuses to speak to anyone. In a few months she accepts the hand of plantation owner John Rolfe in marriage, and the couple runs its homestead and eventually have a son. After a few years Pocahontas is invited to England with her family. The Lady Rebecca is an instant sensation among the British aristocracy, is amazed by the new sights she sees in the country. She meets Smith once more before deciding that she will remain loyal to Rolfe. Before she can return to Virginia she sickens and passes away, leaving Rolfe to care for their son.

[edit] Behind the scenes

The film was shot on location at the Chickahominy River, a tributary of the James River not far from the site of the real events, and other nearby locations. Reconstructions of the Jamestown settlement and of the Powhatan village were created, based on archaeological evidence. The England scenes were filmed at Hampton Court Palace and Hatfield House, near London, and outside the Bodleian Library in Oxford.

Blair Rudes, professor of linguistics at UNC-Charlotte, re-created the extinct language of Virginian Algonquian [1] for the film.

The New World is the first studio feature in nine years to be at least partially shot on 65 mm film (for non-visual effect shots). The previous one was Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet (1996), which was filmed entirely in 65 mm.

[edit] Editing and delays

The movie was originally set to be released in November 2005. Malick's editing forced the release to be postponed. A 150 minute version was shown to critics in early December for awards season consideration and was released for a week from Christmas to New Year's in two theaters each in Los Angeles and New York to qualify for the Academy Awards. For the film's wide release on January 20, 2006, a 135 minute version was created. It not only deleted scenes, but added other scenes and changed some of the film's extensive voiceover to clarify the plot. This version is the one released on DVD.

The delay was due to Malick still editing the massive amount of footage he filmed; the director is notorious for editing his films until the last minute, often trimming his films and leaving entire characters out of the final print, as is the case with The Thin Red Line.

[edit] Soundtrack

The effect of Malick's editing also resulted in a partial rejection of James Horner's score. Horner wrote and rewrote his score to scenes that were switched around, massively reedited, or thrown out of the film completely. His score then did not fit the film or did not make chronological sense in the film. For the final version, Malick combined pieces of Horner's music with the prelude to Wagner's Rheingold, Mozart's piano concerto nr. 23, and other pieces to create the score to the film. Most of Horner's score as written for the film can be heard on the CD release.

[edit] Historical accuracy of the plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Malick's film selectively blends recorded history with popular lore. It broadly follows the known life of Pocahontas, from her youth in the Powhatan village, to a period spent with the English settlers in Jamestown, her marriage to John Rolfe, her journey to London and early death from pneumonia. However, Malick diverges from available evidence in favor of the literary tradition that Pocahontas fell in love with John Smith. Furthermore, most of the dialogue and character motivations cannot be corroborated.

[edit] Cast

Actor Role
Q'Orianka Kilcher Pocahontas / Rebecca
Colin Farrell Captain John Smith
Christian Bale John Rolfe
August Schellenberg Powhatan
Wes Studi Opchanacanough
Christopher Plummer Captain Newport
David Thewlis Wingfield
Yorick van Wageningen Captain Argall
Raoul Trujillo Tomocomo
Kalani Queypo Parahunt
Irene Bedard Pocahontas' Mother
Jonathan Pryce King James I

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Films by Terrence Malick
Badlands • Days of Heaven • The Thin Red Line • The New World
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