Rating: Sizzling Popcorn
In April 1607, 103 Englishmen embarked on three ships are on their way to a new world inhabited by tribal communities. As soon as they reach land, a rebellious war veteran, John Smith, is about to be hung for insubordination, but he is too skilled and popular to be executed that he is freed by Captain Christopher Newport soon after they arrive. When the English begin to struggle in their fight with the natives, John Smith adventures into the wild to look for help from a local tribesmen, however he meets an extraordinary looking young woman named Pocahontas (playful one). A bond more powerful than friendship or romance quickly flourishes between the two.
The script ofThe New World, written and directed by Terrence Malick, was originally completed in the late 1970’s but was never brought to film until 2004. The film stars Colin Farrell (In Bruges), Christopher Plummer (The Sound of Music), Christian Bale (The Dark Knight) and Q’orianka Kilcher (How The Grinch Stole Christmas).
On Christmas Day, 2005, a 150-minute version of The New World, which was later edited for a wider theatrical release, made its debut in select theatres in NY and LA in order to be Oscar-eligible. The film received an Oscar nomination for Best Achievement in Cinematography for the works of cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki. The entire film is very visual and is not overwhelmed with dialogue. All the shots taken in the film were done with natural lighting, except for a scene in the Hampton Court Palace. Before the production of the film began, Malick and Lubezki agreed that all shots would be taken under natural lighting, no crane or dolly shots would be allowed, everything would be filmed in a subjective point-of-view, and all shots would be taken with the foreground and background in focus. The camera crew were also encouraged to film anything that they thought would be interesting.
Imagine yourself in a new place, looking around and being amazed by the beauty of your surroundings. This is exactly how the camera work in The New World makes you feel, with shots of the scenery changing very quickly. The dialogue adds to this amazement as thoughts of the main characters are verbalized.
The New World: Extended Cut has a running time of 172 minutes, 20 minutes more than the original film that was screened for the Oscars. The film is visually and artistically appealing with its cinematography and cast, but might be a little too long for those who are not artistically inclined. Alliance Films, who is the exclusive distributor in Canada, is releasing the extended cut of the film on DVD today, October 14th.
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