Terrence Malick’s film The New World provides a wonderful balance between the rugged charm of Colin Farrell and the playful sensuality of newcomer, and 14 year-old, Q’Orianka Kilcher. The film retells the colonial legend of Pocahontas, but provides more historical accuracy and, consequently, more edge than the standard tale that audiences are familiar with.
Kilcher plays the titular Native American princess, who falls in love with Captain John Smith (Farrell), a maverick Englishman sent to explore the Virginian territory. While their societies are in anxious conflict with one another, they struggle to maintain their forbidden love within their separate cultures.
Fortunately, their tragedy lacks the excessive dramatics that commonly doom other tales of this archetype. Mallick’s creation is a convincing depiction of both 17th-century America as well as the characters’ personal relationships. He achieves this through the patient pace of the film, which, although perhaps boring to some viewers, enables fluid development and transitions. Contributing to this pace is the camerawork. Mallick’s visuals gracefully capture the beauty of pre-colonized Virginia, the suffering of the early English settlers, and the tenuous, perhaps ambiguous, relationship between Smith and Pocahontas.
The age discrepancy between the two characters also distinguishes the film from its counterparts. Smith appears to be about 30, while there is no reason to believe that the princess is any older than the actress who plays her. The actual on-screen interactions between the two are kept fairly innocent, with kissing kept to a minimum.
Yet, by virtue of Kilcher’s radiance, a perverse chemistry emanates from the two actors. The young actress does not evoke Lolita; to the contrary, it is her irresistible purity that causes the jaded Captain Smith to submit. While her dialogue is often flat, her facial expressions and body language are puzzlingly emotive and passionate.
Her leading man, however, gives a performance in the tradition of Alexander. Farrell’s notoriety seems to have inhibited his ability to be versatile. While his lust for a young teen strikes us as completely compatible with his off-screen persona, the audience can’t quite trust him in the role of Captain John Smith. He is not the sympathetic, gallant blond character from Disneyana. His weathered hair and piercing looks are that of a rogue warrior, but he cannot depart from ruggedness and make the shift towards honest romance. His narration of the film is powerful, but this strength can only be credited to the screenwriters. In contrast, Christian Bale demonstrates great skill through his portrayal of a virtuous widower, another suitor of Pocahontas. While Bale is able to escape the customary darkness of his characters, Farrell simply comes up short.
Regardless of the Irish imp’s failings, the film is an excellent presentation of a legendary romance. The indecency of the matter adds to the audience’s unavoidable fascination with the story. This film is not for the kids, but Mallick exposes the beauty within the unpleasantness of the time.
