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The new world ( 2005 )
In 1607 ships carrying men , arms , ammunition arrive in what is going to be called as 'Virginia' by them . The men have one ambition---to achieve a higher standard of living in what they call 'the new world' ; a standard higher than that of the 'old world' with all it's injustices . And for all of them on the ships that have arrived in this corner of America, the old world is merry old England . Among them is a captain with a quintessential english name---John Smith .
Their flag is still a red cross indicating that the scottish flag has not yet been added to it to make it the union jack , but their ambition is to soar across the world's oceans to plant their flag everywhere....
But as they arrive , more pressing problems plague them---like their dwindling ammunition , their dwindling food supplies and their dwindling manpower...
So John Smith ( Colin Farrell ) is elected to lead an expedition upriver to make contact with the chief of the native americans , who are called 'naturals' by those favourably disposed towards them and 'savages' by those who are not so well disposed...
John Smith is nearly killed by the natives , but he is saved by a young girl who has taken a liking for him---Pocahontas ( Q'orianka Kilcher ) , who is the daughter of the native king and also his favourite child . And she not only saves Smith , she loves him and makes love to him and dreams of life with him . And she is too innocent to understand the catastrophe that the ships from the old world have brought for her people .
So Smith is allowed to go back to the fort his people have built on the condition that his people will leave in spring . And when the calamity of famine strikes his camp , it is Pocahontas who arrives with food and supplies to save his people . Smith is torn between his loyalty to the woman he loves and to his countrymen---for they never intend to leave as he has promised , but intend to conquer the land that has been inhabited by the native americans for millennia .
And also Smith has been selected to lead distant expeditions to find other lands for his king , so he has to leave a weeping wailing devastated Pocahontas behind . But she is too beautiful and young not to catch the attention of another englishman (John Rolfe played by Christian Bale ) , and he proposes that she convert to christianity and they get married and settle in England .
So will the native princess accept his proposal ?? Will she be able to adjust to her new home if england is to be that ?? How will she be received by english people if she goes there ?? And most importantly , will she be able to forget her first love ??
Watch the movie for the answers...
The movie has a totally poetic touch to it with the thoughts of each character shown flowing through their minds like sheer poetry . And true to ancient cinematic tradition , the true story of Pocahontas is presented as romance---romance amidst the conflict between the native american and the white man , romance amidst the great sweep of history in which the europeans are destined to rule over the americas , and a romance surprisingly approved by both peoples without any hint of racism .
The music complements the poetic touch of the film flowing seamlessly in between the dialogues and thoughts of each character . The romantic scenes are more like scenes of tenderness....
Both Colin Farrell and Christian Bale look dashingly handsome with their beards and long hair , and Q'orianka Kilcher has her own beauty.
The director shows an idealized depiction of native american people---they are shown to be innocent of greed jealousy and hatred . This is probably the most naive assumption by the director . Are we ( the audience ) supposed to be so naive as to believe this depiction just because the native americans are the conquered people ?? After all they can still kill with their bows and arrows and machetes , though the fight is an admittedly hopeless fight.
Of course , the same depiction of Pocahontas as innocent by nature makes her character so endearing like a flower and her love so look pure and unselfish . Acting is good by everyone , and the photography makes America doubly attractive---all green and verdant and rich with promise , just like the early settlers must have found it to be and just like todays settlers find it too !!....except for the concrete jungles that have been added....
I only wished that the tides of history could have been turned , and that every meeting that the natives had with the white man would have been like the experience of Pocahontas , and that sheer poetry like the film could have been weaved out of that meet....
Verdict---Good .
In 1607 ships carrying men , arms , ammunition arrive in what is going to be called as 'Virginia' by them . The men have one ambition---to achieve a higher standard of living in what they call 'the new world' ; a standard higher than that of the 'old world' with all it's injustices . And for all of them on the ships that have arrived in this corner of America, the old world is merry old England . Among them is a captain with a quintessential english name---John Smith .
Their flag is still a red cross indicating that the scottish flag has not yet been added to it to make it the union jack , but their ambition is to soar across the world's oceans to plant their flag everywhere....
But as they arrive , more pressing problems plague them---like their dwindling ammunition , their dwindling food supplies and their dwindling manpower...
So John Smith ( Colin Farrell ) is elected to lead an expedition upriver to make contact with the chief of the native americans , who are called 'naturals' by those favourably disposed towards them and 'savages' by those who are not so well disposed...
John Smith is nearly killed by the natives , but he is saved by a young girl who has taken a liking for him---Pocahontas ( Q'orianka Kilcher ) , who is the daughter of the native king and also his favourite child . And she not only saves Smith , she loves him and makes love to him and dreams of life with him . And she is too innocent to understand the catastrophe that the ships from the old world have brought for her people .
So Smith is allowed to go back to the fort his people have built on the condition that his people will leave in spring . And when the calamity of famine strikes his camp , it is Pocahontas who arrives with food and supplies to save his people . Smith is torn between his loyalty to the woman he loves and to his countrymen---for they never intend to leave as he has promised , but intend to conquer the land that has been inhabited by the native americans for millennia .
And also Smith has been selected to lead distant expeditions to find other lands for his king , so he has to leave a weeping wailing devastated Pocahontas behind . But she is too beautiful and young not to catch the attention of another englishman (John Rolfe played by Christian Bale ) , and he proposes that she convert to christianity and they get married and settle in England .
So will the native princess accept his proposal ?? Will she be able to adjust to her new home if england is to be that ?? How will she be received by english people if she goes there ?? And most importantly , will she be able to forget her first love ??
Watch the movie for the answers...
The movie has a totally poetic touch to it with the thoughts of each character shown flowing through their minds like sheer poetry . And true to ancient cinematic tradition , the true story of Pocahontas is presented as romance---romance amidst the conflict between the native american and the white man , romance amidst the great sweep of history in which the europeans are destined to rule over the americas , and a romance surprisingly approved by both peoples without any hint of racism .
The music complements the poetic touch of the film flowing seamlessly in between the dialogues and thoughts of each character . The romantic scenes are more like scenes of tenderness....
Both Colin Farrell and Christian Bale look dashingly handsome with their beards and long hair , and Q'orianka Kilcher has her own beauty.
The director shows an idealized depiction of native american people---they are shown to be innocent of greed jealousy and hatred . This is probably the most naive assumption by the director . Are we ( the audience ) supposed to be so naive as to believe this depiction just because the native americans are the conquered people ?? After all they can still kill with their bows and arrows and machetes , though the fight is an admittedly hopeless fight.
Of course , the same depiction of Pocahontas as innocent by nature makes her character so endearing like a flower and her love so look pure and unselfish . Acting is good by everyone , and the photography makes America doubly attractive---all green and verdant and rich with promise , just like the early settlers must have found it to be and just like todays settlers find it too !!....except for the concrete jungles that have been added....
I only wished that the tides of history could have been turned , and that every meeting that the natives had with the white man would have been like the experience of Pocahontas , and that sheer poetry like the film could have been weaved out of that meet....
Verdict---Good .