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The New World is basically the story of Pocahontas told in vivid and beautiful detail. Terrence Malick directs it, and the movie is very artistic, very different from what you would expect in most of today’s movies.

The basic story is this: John Smith and the other future of inhabitants of Jamestown come to The New World to create a new life. They encounter the Indians (sorry…. Native Americans) and although their encounters start out peaceful, they eventually lead to war. But before this, John Smith falls in love with the Native American’s tribe’s princess, Pocahontas. The frist 45 minutes or so is essentially their love story. Malik uses many jump-cuts, the same camera angle, but maybe a minute later. I personally find them very annoying because they distract you from the story, and it destroys the flow of the movie.

But after they fall in love Jamestown and the Native Americans eventually fall into a full-scale war. Pocahontas is torn between Smith and her tribe, and she chooses Smith. She goes to live with him in Jamestown and over the movie she has to deal with losing her culture, her tribe from which she is now basically banished from, and her love for Smith, which is challenged when Smith goes away to explore the world.

Every shot is vivid in detail, color, and set up beautifully. The movie is truly a work of art, probably more than any movie that I’ve ever seen. But the story is hard to follow at times, as most of it is conveyed without words. There isn’t much speaking throughout the entire movie, as during most of the beginning they do not speak the same language. Towards the end of the movie, the plot kind of strays from what it was originally set up as: Smith’s and Pocahontas’s love.

The acting is great, especially Q’Orianka Kilcher who played Pocahontas. She does a great job of acting out the actions and feelings of a Indian Native American. She is really the star of the movie, and she’s only 15 or 16 years old. Colin Farrell, who plays John Smith I guess did an okay job, but his character was just kind of silent and gruff, and he was like that to. He really should of opened up more, especially to Pocahontas.

So although the movie is a fantastic piece of art, and a beautiful way to tell a story it just doesn’t work. I don’t know. It’s boring, I actually had trouble sitting through the whole thing. It’s awkwardly paced, and the end is completely backwards and messed up. I’m sorry, I mean I think that I appreciate good cinema, but this movie just doesn’t work. It’s boring. That’s the bottom line. I give this a thumbs down.
6.5/10