I just saw this film tonight and it was really great. It's written and directed by Terrence Malick, the guy who did The Thin Red Line, among other movies. It's basically the story of Pocahontas and John Smith, and it's even better than the Disney version.

Anyways, if you're into long, atmospheric movies, or movies where indians go woo woo woo woo woo woo a lot, I'd recommend it.

1/24/2006 6:55:19 PM

everything i've heard from friends said it was a big letdown...

Quote :

"I think Terrence Malick is a great filmmaker. The Thin Red Line is one of my favorite movies ever. Badlands is also very good. Days of Heaven is not as good I don’t think, but a lot of people really like it. But then there’s The New World. Now here’s the deal…Malick does not make movies for everyone. His audience is made up of people from two categories: those who have never watched MTV in their life, and those who have watched it but are somehow able to overcome their ADD long enough to sit through his pretty pictures for two and a half hours. We live in a society where people’s patience is diminishing. Malick is from a different school than filmmakers who were raised on television, and he requires much more patience than most people are willing to give. It is work to sit through one of his films, but if you are attentive enough, it may pay off. Such was the case for me with The Thin Red Line. Everyone I was with hated it, but I paid very close attention and found it very rewarding in the end. Unfortunatley, The New World is not up to the same standard as The Thin Red Line. Despite all of the energy required to watch this film (and it was a lot), it was not rewarding for me. There are people out there who enjoyed this movie, so maybe I’ve been watching too much TV recently. I think it’s more likely, though, that the supporters of this movie hold Malick in such high esteem that they refuse to admit that this film just does not work. Apparently, the version I saw was about 20 mins. shorter than the original, but it was still way too long. Frankly, they needed to cut at least another half hour from the film. That still wouldn’t have saved it, though. The main problem is that nothing interesting happens in the last half of the movie, and there’s no way to fix that except to rewrite and reshoot. Unfortunately, Malick let his ego get the best of him with this one. "

from http://www.moviesbythor.com

1/24/2006 6:56:34 PM

this reminded me of kingdom of heaven when i saw the previews, i guess cause it looked like it was trying so hard to convey a mystical, epic atmosphere. i knew then i probably wouldn't like it

1/24/2006 7:11:14 PM

Your bud Thor rated this movie three grades lower than Glory Road, Grandma's Boy, Fun With Dick and Jane, and First Descent. Two grades lower than Underworld, Tristan and Isolde, Casanova, Hostel, The Producers, The Ringer, and AEON GODDAMN FLUX.

The New World is definitely not for everyone, but what I'm getting at is Thor has shit for taste in movies.

[Edited on January 24, 2006 at 7:25 PM. Reason : GOD OF THUNDER, FAN OF SANDLER]

1/24/2006 7:24:48 PM

my biggest gripe is that it's called "The New World," and the premise of such is merely tangential.

It should be called "Courting Pocahontas."

And I typically like movies that are a little off-center aesthetically, but this was completely boring.

I was literally yearning for 2.5 hours to get by. I can't say I've ever felt that way about a movie before this.

1/25/2006 1:54:20 AM

you probably wouldn't like malick's take on the thin red line.

1/25/2006 2:09:10 AM

It's great, but not as good as Days of Heaven or The Thin Red Line.

1/25/2006 2:10:56 AM

Quote :

"my biggest gripe is that it's called "The New World," and the premise of such is merely tangential."

I think the title has a double meaning. On the surface, it's about the colonization of "The New World," but it's also about the natives (well, mostly Pocahontas) coming to terms with a world that's new to them.

1/25/2006 9:50:20 AM

You were literally yearning? Is there any figurative way for a person to yearn?

1/25/2006 12:25:17 PM

^^I gradually came to accept that

Although, it's not at all what I had expected. Not even close.

It's one of those things that I'll have to gain an appreciation for over time, once I get over the disappointment

^for effect. gives a physicality to it, I suppose.

[Edited on January 25, 2006 at 12:26 PM. Reason : we can argue semantics all day.]

1/25/2006 12:25:28 PM

bttpocahontas

1/27/2006 8:38:45 PM

i completely agree with PvtJoker...after the movie i said it should be called Pocahantas instead...and i was totally bored

1/27/2006 8:46:05 PM

I kinda want to go see this again.

1/27/2006 9:15:16 PM

I'm perplexed as to how somebody with any knowledge of the film didn't know it was about John Smith and Pocahontas.

1/27/2006 10:14:02 PM

this is my favorite movie of the past year

there are no laughs, and there is little drama

this is just a movie to obvserve and watch its characters behave. the key to this movie is being able to enjoy watching q'orianka kilcher flex her emotions accross a complete spectrum of happiness and saddness. the experience really doesnt require anything else. its much more about feeling than thinking and understanding. i dont think this film is asking us to consider the righteousness of the colonizers any more than it is asking us to consider whether or not pocahontas and john smith made the right decisions about each other... that stuff is just not important here.

2/1/2006 4:45:08 AM

I thought that was such a beautiful movie. I did not cry in the theater, but when I thought about things afterwards, I sho nuff did!! I like movies that I have to think about and that are not so painfully obvious, even bf you get in to the theater.
Most ppl will hate this one like most ppl hated Gangs of New York, but I have to say I LOVED IT!!!!
I absolutely loved how the movie seemed like a home movie.
I loved how you could see how she changed from carefree/unaware to burdened/aware. The music could be a turn off to ppl, it def was for qntmfred. It seemed to me that everytime the music played, there was some kind of change going to happen-when the ships arrived, when the two fell in love, when she meets John Ralf(sp), when she jumps around as a girl-to when she jumps around as a woman. There is so much symbolism in this movie, that I def had a pleasure overload!!

No one really knows the whole story, so overall this piece of imagination was brilliantly contrived.

[Edited on February 5, 2006 at 3:14 PM. Reason : IMO]

2/5/2006 3:00:53 PM

It's at the Blue Ridge now in case anybody's interested.

2/27/2006 6:52:23 PM