The New World

In his 2005 film The New World, Terrence Malick presents a reinterpretation of the myth of Pocahontas, adopting a distinctive meditative approach that sets the film apart from conventional historical narratives. The New World transcends the conventional boundaries of cinematic storytelling, in a contemplative exploration of the human condition.

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The film portrays existence as an ongoing negotiation between humans and the natural world, eschewing conventional depictions of history in favour of an impressionistic form. Characters drift in and out of a world that is in a constant state of becoming.

The character of Pocahontas (Q'orianka Kilcher), who is pivotal to this inquiry, is not merely a historical figure, but a metaphor for transformation, adaptability, and innocence. Through the medium of voiceovers, she questions her identity, thereby echoing existential queries that transcend the historical moment: "Who am I?" and "What is this new world?" The ontological depth of the film is attributable to its refusal to provide definitive answers, instead allowing viewers to experience the fluidity of selfhood through its protagonist's shifting allegiances and inner conflicts.Furthermore, the film engages with a Heideggerian concept of being-in-the-world, where nature is not merely a setting but an active participant in the characters' existential journey. The depiction of vast landscapes, moving water, and rustling leaves serves to emphasise an omnipresent force, thereby reinforcing Malick's vision of a world where human and nature are interwoven in an eternal dance of presence and absence.

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Here, Malick employs a visual grammar that eschews traditional narrative structures in favour of a cinematic language that prioritises mood, tone and rhythm. The cinematography, by Emmanuel Lubezki, employs natural light, long takes and a handheld camera to craft a visceral, immersive experience, with the fluidity of the camera mirroring the film's themes of transformation. The characters' inner turmoil is mirrored through an ever-shifting visual style. The employment of voiceover, a hallmark of Malick's filmography, functions not as exposition but as a poetic counterpoint to the visuals, creating a symphony of images and ideas. The internal monologues, often overlapping, underscore the interconnectedness of memory, perception, and reality, suggesting a fluidity that defies definitive interpretation. The New World diverges from traditional dialogue-driven storytelling by employing these fragmented thoughts to evoke emotion and reflection rather than providing explicit meaning.

The sound design, too, plays a crucial role in the film's immersive experience, with silence and ambient sounds of nature dominating, often punctuated by Wagner's Das Rheingold, which serves as a leitmotif symbolizing the grandeur and tragedy of colonial expansion. This juxtaposition of orchestral grandeur and the intimate sounds of the natural world highlights the tension between the European perception of "civilization" and the organic rhythms of indigenous life. Malick's editing choices further deepen the film's poetic structure, with scenes transitioning seamlessly without the need for conventional cause-and-effect logic. Instead of linear progression, the film moves through moments of reverie and sensory experience, allowing viewers to inhabit the characters' emotional landscapes rather than simply observe their actions.

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Malick's aesthetic choices in The New World draw considerable inspiration from the traditions of Romantic painting and transcendentalist philosophy. The film's visual composition frequently evokes the landscapes of painters such as Caspar David Friedrich and Albert Bierstadt, with their grand, awe-inspiring depictions of nature's sublimity. These influences are indicative of Malick's overarching philosophical concerns, namely the search for the divine in the natural world and the insignificance of human constructs in the face of vast, untamed landscapes. The film draws deeply from the works of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, both of whom championed the idea that nature serves as a gateway to spiritual enlightenment. The film's depiction of Pocahontas's journey as both poignant and transformative aligns with these philosophical tenets. Her spiritual awakening, while disrupting her connection with nature, ultimately leads to the discovery of a new sense of selfhood. Her transition from an indigenous woman to Lady Rebecca signifies the dissolution of an old order and the genesis of a new, albeit with the melancholic weight of displacement.

The New World is an example of a film that draws inspiration from classical traditions, yet it also aligns with avant-garde cinema, particularly in its use of non-linear narrative and visual abstraction. Directors such as Andrei Tarkovsky and Terrence Malick are known for their use of 'time-sculpting', a technique involving extended takes and dreamlike pacing, which creates a heightened sense of temporality. Tarkovsky's Mirror (1975) and Stalker (1979) similarly engage in a fluid, meditative storytelling style, prioritising atmosphere and philosophical introspection over plot.

Another notable influence is the cinéma vérité approach to historical storytelling, as seen in the works of Robert Bresson. Malick's direction of actors, particularly the way he allows Kilcher and Colin Farrell (John Smith) to inhabit their roles with minimal scripted dialogue, recalls Bresson's philosophy of 'acting without acting.' This approach engenders a naturalistic and almost documentary-like presence that anchors the film's ethereal quality in lived experience.

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The New World represents a challenging text for conventional categorization. It does not conform to the traditional historical epic genre, nor is it a straightforward romance. Instead, it can be considered an existential meditation, a cinematic poem that invites viewers to experience the past as a dreamlike, immersive reverie. By means of ontological musings, lyrical cinematic language and profound artistic influences, Malick has created a film that transcends its own subject matter, speaking to universal themes of love, loss, transformation and the eternal tension between civilisation and nature. Malick's approach represents a radical departure from mainstream storytelling, offering an experience that rewards patience and introspection. The film challenges the conventional modes of Hollywood historical filmmaking by eschewing spectacle in favour of quiet sublimity. It stands as a deviation, an invitation to introspection rather than mere consumption.

Ultimately, Malick's film is not about the past; it is about the eternal, the ineffable, and the fleeting beauty of existence itself. This renders The New World not merely a cinematic work, but an experience that, akin to the fleeting nature of a dream, leaves a lasting yet evanescent impression on the viewer.