The slow, meditative film making of Terrence Malick. My first time experiencing Malick was through The Thin Red Line. I have never enjoyed a war film. Never sat through an entire war film. But, The Thin Red Line may not only be one of the greatest war films, but one of the most beautifully made films about the human experience.
The New World is slower than Malick's previous endeavors. The dialogue is tossed here and there. Mostly, Malick wants us to watch. To slowly survey the land, the people, the ideas clashing. The slow takeover of America. The complexity in power.
Tonight, I was unable to finish the film. My friend shouted, about 40 minutes into the film, "is this a silent movie?" But, I have a memory of the film from my first viewing. Slow, yes. Quiet, yes. Gorgeous, indeed. The plot is simple. Nothing we haven't experienced in other Pocahontas stories.
Transcendental is how Malick's films are described. I would have to agree. I sit open mouthed and just stare at the screen. True wordless beauty.
Love... shall we deny it when it visits us... shall we not take what we are given.
B
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