The New World

2005
PG-13
2h 15m

IMDb RATING

6.7/10

91K

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POPULARITY

Play trailer2:09

Period Drama Biography Drama History Romance

The story of the English exploration of Virginia, and of the changing world and loves of Pocahontas.The story of the English exploration of Virginia, and of the changing world and loves of Pocahontas.The story of the English exploration of Virginia, and of the changing world and loves of Pocahontas.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.7/10

91K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

2,989

459

See production info at IMDbPro

Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 6 wins & 34 nominations total

Videos4

Trailer 2:09

The New World: The Extended Cut

Trailer 1:28

The New World

Trailer 1:28

The New World

Clip 2:31

A Guide to the Films of Terrence Malick

Featurette 2:10

The New World: Featurette

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Storyline

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Trivia
Because of Terrence Malick's habit of cutting and editing his films repeatedly, much of the music that James Horner wrote for the film never made it to the final cut, except for a few fragments. In an interview, Horner said that Malick loved his score, but had no clue about what to do with it. He concluded that working with Malick was "the most disappointing experience I've ever had with a man" and that "I never felt so letdown by a filmmaker in my life".

Goofs
In the early portion of the movie, the natives are shown harvesting corn (Zea maize), the ears of which are far larger than a human hand. At the time of the Jamestown colony, native corn was typically the size of a human thumb, rarely ever bigger. Large corn, such as pictured in the movie, is a product of seed selection and genetic research, mostly done since the 1860s.

Quotes
[last lines]
Pocahontas: Mother, now I know where you live.
John Rolfe: [reading letter] "13th of April, 1616. Dear son, I write this so that someday in the future you might understand a circumstance which shall be but a far memory to you. Your dear mother, Rebecca, fell ill in our outward passage at Gravesend. She gently reminded me that all must die. 'Tis enough, she said, that you our child, should live.'"

Alternate versions
The First Cut was originally intended as the version to be released theatrically, but after the premiere, New Line requested that director Terrence Malick cut 15 minutes for the film's wide release, which was only two weeks away. Malick and editor Mark Yoshikawa removed fourteen minutes, shortened shots, rearranged material (including voiceover), and added some additional footage. In the First Cut,
As the ships arrive in Virginia, the shot of John Smith's (Colin Farrell) POV looking up through the bars from the Discovery's hold is longer, showing a sailor walking across the grating. (00:05).
The final tracking shot showing the Powhatans watching the arrival of the ships is longer and ends with Pocahontas (Q'orianka Kilcher) and Parahunt (Kalani Queypo) on screen holding hands (00:09).
There is an additional shot of Smith smiling in his cell as he drinks the water that's dripping down from the grating (00:05).
The scene of Smith exploring during his first time on shore is longer, and features several additional shots; a shot of him moving through long wet grass, a tracking shot along the surface of the river, a shot of the gallows from which he has just been released, a shot of Smith moving through the forest and admiring a tree, a POV shot of the tree, and two shots of the crew unloading on the shore. There is also additional voiceover; "How many lands behind me? How many seas? What blows and dangers?" (this line is taken from a later scene in the Theatrical Cut that is absent in the First Cut) (00:27).
Immediately after the above additions, there is a shot of Smith walking through long grass and tracing his hand along the top of it, plus an additional line of voiceover; "Fortune ever my friend" (00:09).
Newport's (Christopher Plummer) speech in which he extols the benefits of the location and says they need to establish good relations with the Powhatans before seeking a route to "the other sea" is absent (-00:36).
The shot from behind Newport when he first meets the Powhatans is longer; showing Tomocomo (Raoul Max Trujillo) instructing Tockwhogh (Myrton Running Wolf) to touch Newport's clothing (00:09).
During this scene, there is an additional shot of Smith watching the introductions between Newport and Tomocomo (00:06).
Also during this scene, the shot of Parahunt calling Pocahontas and the two running through the grass is longer (00:04).
In the same scene, as the Powhatans meet Smith, a line of voiceover is absent; "The savages often visit us kindly...timid, like a herd of curious deer."
Following the above scene, the scene where Newport lays out his plans for building a fort and planting crops, telling his men that "slackers will be whipped" is absent, as is the subsequent dialogue between Newport and Emery (Jamie Harris) where Emery inquires as to when they will be heading out to "poke about" and Newport tells him they are there to build a colony, not "pillage and rape." Smith's voiceover, "How many lands behind me? How many seas? What blows and dangers?" is also absent (found in an earlier scene in the First Cut) (-00:25).
Following the above scene, a shot of a group of Powhatans slowly approaching the fort through the long grass is longer (00:01).
Just before Smith sees Pocahontas for the first time, there is an additional shot of him looking up and watching a bird (00:09).
The shot where Argall (Yorick van Wageningen) presents the two Powhatans who were caught spying to Newport has been moved to a slightly later position in the Final Cut; after the scene where Argall suggests Smith be selected to approach the Powhatan village for the purposes of trade. It is also longer than in the Theatrical Cut (00:05).
The shot of the Powhatans inspecting the cross is longer and shows them examining its base (00:04).
As Smith and his men are heading to find the Powhatan village, Smith's voiceover "What voice is this that speaks within me...guides me towards the best?" has been replaced with "Where? I will not die until I find it."
The final shot on the boat, showing Emery and Robinson (Ben Chaplin) looking toward the shore, is longer (00:02).
The scene where the crew set up camp in the forest is longer in the Theatrical Cut; the shot of Ackley (Joe Inscoe) looking around, the line "let's go back sir, gather a larger party. We're lost", and the shot of Tomocomo escaping and Smith telling the men to let him go are all absent (-00:14)
After Smith and the Powhatans transfer to the canoe and head up river, there is a shot of the canoe from behind as Smith looks around at the forest (00:07).
After the shot of Smith emerging from the long grass and walking along the river bank, but before the shot of him in the swamp, the film cuts to black (00:03).
The first shot of Smith in the swamps is longer (00:04).
The tracking shot of Smith moving through the swamp is longer, and ends with the reveal that several armed Powhatans are stalking him (00:11).
The shot immediately before Smith is attacked in the swamp is longer (00:01).
After he is taken prisoner and the Powhatan chief (August Schellenberg) decides to kill him, there is an additional shot of Pocahontas protecting Smith (00:01).
The shot of Parahunt telling Opechancanough (Wes Studi) that they should let the English have the land is longer (00:02).
The shot of the Powhatan women harvesting corn and the shot of the men practicing their aim are both longer (00:05).
Immediately after the above, the first shot of Smith moving freely through the Powhatan village is longer (00:03).
During the scene where Smith is teaching Pocahontas English, several shots are longer; the shot of Smith smiling after he teaches her the word "sun" (00:02), the shot of her repeating the word "water" (00:02), and the shot of her demonstrating the wind (00:01).
After Smith and Pocahontas first kiss, there is an additional shot of Pocahontas running through the grass and smiling (00:08).
After leaving the Powhatans, the shot of Smith looking around at the desolation in the fort is longer (00:08).
After Wingfield's (David Thewlis) death, when Smith enters the cabin, there are two additional shots; one showing him sitting down and examining the feather Pocahontas gave him, the other showing him looking around the cabin. There is also additional voiceover; "Tell her. Tell her what? 'I love you.' But I cannot love you" (in the Theatrical Cut, only "Tell her. Tell her what?" is heard) (00:21).
Immediately after these shots, there is an additional shot of Smith looking into the fire, followed by a shot of some of the men working in the fort (00:12).
The scene of Fr. Harris (John Savage) walking around the fort maniacally preaching ends with an additional shot, in which he says, "Do horses run on the rocky crags?" Ben (Ben Mendelsohn) shouts, "Enough of your bedlam fool," to which Harris replies, "Do we plow with horses?" (00:05).
Smith's reaction shot after Small (Bev Appleton) informs him of Ackley's death is longer (00:01).
As the men gather around Ackley's body, there is an additional shot of an elderly man looking at the corpse. There is also some additional dialogue; one of the cabin boys asks "who ate his hands?", and Smith tells Small, "put this in the morning's report. Spare no detail" (00:05).
As the Powhatans approach the fort with food, there is an additional shot of Pocahontas (00:08).
The scene of Smith talking to Pocahontas in the fort after she has brought food is longer and features several additional shots of each of them, although the dialogue is unchanged (00:17).
During the snowstorm, there is a shot of one of the settlers outside the fort (00:03).
Immediately after the above scene, two shots of Smith and his men on a boat are absent (-00:10).
When the Kiskiak chief (Billy Merasty) is speaking to Smith during their trade, Smith's mind wanders and he thinks of Pocahontas. In the Theatrical Cut, his reverie includes a shot of her walking along a tree trunk as he stands underneath. In the First Cut, this shot is absent and is replaced with a shot of the chief talking, plus a brief shot of Pocahontas standing in a field. The scene runs the same length in both versions.
Immediately after the above scene, the scene of Smith and Pocahontas meeting in the clearing is longer and edited differently. In the Theatrical Cut, the scene begins with Smith on the ground as Pocahontas runs around him, followed by him hugging her and asking if she wants him to live with her. In the First Cut, the scene begins with a shot of Pocahontas approaching the clearing from the forest, followed by an additional shot of her touching Smith's chest. Then, the shot where he asks her if she wants him to live with her is followed by a longer version of the shot of him on the ground as she runs around him, then a shot of the two on the ground, then a longer version of the shot of her walking along the tree trunk. Pocahontas also has some additional voiceover; "True. Is this the man I loved? So long. A ghost. Come. Where are you, my love? Free. What do I fear?" This is followed by three additional shots; a tree blowing in the wind, Pocahontas looking at Smith, and Smith standing in a field. The next sequence is also longer. In the Theatrical Cut, there is a brief shot where Pocahontas approaches Smith in the field and takes his hand. In the First Cut, the scene continues, showing her leading him through the field, followed by several shots of the two lying together in the grass. These shots also include additional dialogue where Smith laments their situation; "We can't go into the forest. Could I show you England? No. It's too far", to which she replies, "You've come back." He asks her why he wouldn't have come back and kisses her. This is followed by an additional shot of the two hugging, and she says, "If I can be with you, yes, that is all." There is then a fade to black before the two are shown again lying in the grass. A shot of the sky is then followed by a shot of Pocahontas standing up, Smith taking her hand, and she rubbing his head. There is then a shot of the river (04:19).
Immediately after the above scene, there are several tracking shots along a river at dusk. In the First Cut, these shots end the scene, but in the Theatrical Cut, these shots are followed by a continuation of the shot where Smith lies on the ground in the clearing and Pocahontas runs around him (-00:09).
After Smith heads back to the fort, the shot where the Powhatans examine the crops is longer, and there is an additional shot of them making their way through the grass (00:05).
Prior to the shot of Pocahontas being chased through the long grass by the Powhatans, there is a scene of her still in the Powhatan village, where she takes Parahunt's hand (00:17).
Immediately after the above scene, the long shot of the fire that Pocahontas starts outside the fort is longer (00:11).
The scene where Pocahontas warns Smith about the immanent attack is longer, and features several longer and additional reactions shots; the pauses between the lines of dialogue are also longer (00:26).
After Smith tells Pocahontas she must come into the fort for protection, but she runs away, the subsequent shot of the moon is longer and there is additional voiceover; "Mother. Stay near me" (00:04).
In the next scene, the shot of Pocahontas walking through the felled trees is shorter (-00:05).
At the end of this scene, whereas the Theatrical Cut cuts directly from a low-angle shot of Pocahontas to a shot of a canoe on fire, the First Cut has multiple additional shots in between; a close-up of a candle, a shot of Pocahontas rubbing her foot along the ground, a shot of Smith in his cabin staring at a candle, the POV shot looking up through the grating from the opening scene, a shot of a river at dusk, and a shot where Smith wanders around the fort and tells Winthrop (Ford Flannagan), "wake the men up. Silently. Have them report here" (00:51).
As the Powhatans approach the fort for their attack, there is an additional shot of them emerging from the long grass (00:04).
The shot of Opechancanough approaching the fort is longer and shows more of his reaction to the first barrage of canon fire (00:16).
The first shot of Smith watching the battle is longer (00:03).
The shot of the clouds after Parahunt is wounded is longer (00:03).
The shot of Pocahontas running through grass is longer (00:03).
Immediately after Tomocomo is killed, there are two additional shots; one of Smith yelling at his men to "Retreat, fall back", and another of a Powhatan wearing a war mask (00:05).
During the battle, Smith's voiceover has been changed from "Lord, turn not away thy face. You desire not the death of a sinner. I have gone away from You. I have not hearkened to Your voice. Let us not be brought to nothing" in the Theatrical Cut to "Lord, I have gone away from You. I have not hearkened to Your voice. Let us not be brought to nothing" in the First Cut.
Before the scene where Pocahontas is returned to the Powhatan village, there are several additional shots; a shot of the Powhatan chief approaching Parahunt's body, a shot of a Powhatan priest, and a shot of the chief standing on the river's edge listening to the battle in the distance (00:27).
As the Powhatans destroy the crops, in the Theatrical Cut, there is a shot of Smith walking on the battlements, inter-cut with a shot of the English flag. In the First Cut, the shot of Smith is longer and uninterrupted, with the shot of the flag moved to the end of the sequence. There is also additional voiceover; "Trapped. Like a wasp in a bottle" (00:10).
After Smith and Argall argue about taking Pocahontas captive, Argall tells the men that Smith plans to marry her and make himself "King of Virginia". In the Theatrical Cut, Smith walks up to Argall and immediately shoves him. In the First Cut, he walks up to Argall and they stare at one another as Argall says, "Strike me and you break the laws of this colony. Those are the laws," to which Smith says "strike you?" before shoving him (00:06).
The next scene, where Edward whips Smith has been edited differently in each version. In the Theatrical Cut, the scene opens with a split second shot of Smith hanging, followed by a shot of Edward speaking about chaos and people giving themselves "airs and graces". There are then two more split second shots of Edward striking the whip and Smith being hit. The next shot shows Edward saying, "I'll pray to the gods for your good health for the rest of my life", but the shot is inter-cut with a shot of one of the men listening to the whipping. In the First Cut, the scene opens on Edward speaking about chaos and people giving themselves "airs and graces." This shot then extends into Edward offering Smith a piece of charcoal to eat before a jump cut to the shot where he tells Smith he'll pray for him. In this version, the two subsequent split second cutaways are both absent, as is the shot of the man listening from outside, with the camera remaining on Edward the whole time (00:08).
In the next scene, when Argall goes to trade Pocahontas with the Patawomeck chief (Thomas Clair), there is an additional shot of Pocahontas walking through the village, followed by a shot of the chief speaking to his wife (Alex Rice) (00:17).
In the Theatrical Cut, immediately after the above scene, there is a shot of the chief's wife looking at the kettle, followed by a shot on the boat as the settlers head back to the fort with Pocahontas, the impression being that the trade went well. In the First Cut, however, rather than cutting to the chief's wife, the scene cuts to a conflict between the settlers and the Patawomecks; as the settlers clamor onto their boats, the Patawomecks are wading out into the water to try to stop them. After a shot of the Patawomecks standing on the river edge shouting, there is a longer version of the shot of the wife looking at the kettle. There is then a scene of the Powhatans launching flaming arrows at the fort as the settlers try to extinguish the flames (01:08).
The scene of Pocahontas first coming on shore features a slightly different order of shots, but the run-time is identical.
After Pocahontas has looked around the cabin, but before the shot of the ships returning from England, there is a cut to black (00:02).
During the scene where the ships return from England, the last line of Smith's voiceover is absent; "The tide now swung to the English side".
As the ships move toward the shore, there is an additional shot of the settlers celebrating (00:05).
After the arrival of the ships, the shot of Smith and Pocahontas hugging is longer (00:11).
Immediately after the above shot, during the scene of Smith and Pocahontas in the forest, her voiceover is absent, "What is right? Give. Wrong? Who is this man? Now...all is perfect. Let me be lost. True."
In the same scene, before the shot of them lying on the ground, there is an additional shot of Smith hugging Pocahontas from behind (00:16).
As Pocahontas heads back to the fort, there is an additional shot of Smith watching her leave (00:14).
The shot of Argall walking through the new arrivals as they disembark is longer (00:08).
As Pocahontas is learning how to walk in her new shoes, there is additional voiceover; "Come. My love. Give us one heart."
After the shot of her trying to walk, there is an additional scene in which she asks Mary why the people are so obsessed with gold, asking "can't they make it. Do they eat it?" (00:17).
After Newport's speech to the newly arrived settlers, there is an additional shot of Smith walking through the fort, plus some additional voiceover; "Why this sleep? Fever" (00:08).
Immediately after the above shot, there is an additional shot of the sky followed by an additional shot of Smith walking toward the pier (00:08).
Prior to Smith and Pocahontas speaking in the fort, there is an additional shot of her in her cabin (00:03).
In the scene where Pocahontas and Smith walk through the field, the shot of Pocahontas is longer (00:03).
After Smith leaves, the shot of Pocahontas crying on the riverside is longer (00:05).
After Pocahontas learns that Smith is dead, there is a cut to black (00:03).
Immediately before the shot of the Powhatans' crops being set on fire, there is an additional shot of Pocahontas thinking about her mother (Irene Bedard) stroking her hair (00:09).
As John Rolfe (Christian Bale) watches the newly christened Rebecca moving through the fields, there is an additional line of voiceover; "How do you bear your solitude?"
The shot of Rebecca stroking the bull is longer, and Rolfe has an additional line of voiceover; "All sings to her" (00:05).
The scene where Rolfe proposes to Rebecca is longer and features additional dialogue. After they talk about where to live and Rolfe says they can move to England so she can forget her life in America, she says "There are things you don't know, things you couldn't guess." He replies, "I know what I have to know. I know I love you" (00:22).
Immediately after Rolfe and Rebecca are wed, a long shot of the exterior of the house is absent (-00:05).
During the sequence in which Thomas is born, Pocahontas's voiceover has been changed from "You give life to the trees and the hills, to the streams of water, to the sky, the sea, to all" to "You give life to the trees and the hills, to the streams of water, to all."
The scene where Smith arrives on the coast of Greenland is longer; the shot of him walking across the rocky ground has been extended, and there is an additional shot of the Inuit woman (Nive Nielsen) talking to him and smiling (00:23).
The shot of Rebecca wandering around outside the fort after finding out that Smith is still alive is longer (00:04).
The last shot of the scene where Rebecca encounters Opechancanough on the ship to England is slightly longer (00:02).
Immediately after this shot, the exterior shot of the boat is longer, replacing a tracking shot along the water in the Theatrical Cut. There is then a cut to black (00:02).
As Rolfe and Rebecca await Smith's arrival, Rolfe has an additional line of off-camera dialogue; "I will not rob you of your self-respect."
During Smith's final encounter with Rebecca, he has an additional line of off-camera dialogue; "I was a fool not to have bound my fate with yours. I might be a happy man now."

Connections
Featured in Siskel & Ebert: The Best Films of 2005 (2005)

Soundtracks
Vorspiel to Das Rheingold
Written by Richard Wagner
Performed by Netherlands Radio Philharmonic (as Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra)
Courtesy of Sony BMG Masterworks
By Arrangement with Sony BMG Music Entertainment

User reviews767

Review

Featured review

6/10

What You Would Expect From Malick

The story of the English exploration of Virginia, and of the changing world and loves of Pocahontas.

There are, of course, historical issues with this film. Most scholars agree that there was no romantic relationship between Pocahontas and Smith. She would have been 10 years old in 1608 when they were said to have first met. So the whole premise is flawed. But in other areas, such as the attempt to have a native language spoken, some credit ought to be given.

Ultimately, I found the film to be good but somewhat trying. Malick is a strange director. Obviously talented, but he lets his artistic vision go unchecked. And then it starts feeling pretentious. Other directors could be accused of similar issues (David Lynch?), and I suppose it really comes down to artistic preference. My preference does not jibe with Malick, it seems.