The New World
Posted by martinteller on April 27, 2007
Hauntingly beautiful film about not just the worlds to be discovered geographically, but also the worlds in each other, waiting to be explored. I have said that Days of Heaven is visual poetry, and that’s also the case here. Each image is enchanting, it seems that there are no superfluous or ordinary shots. The tone set by the marvelous cinematography, where the camera is very much a participant in the action, is complemented by James Horner’s exquisite, evocative score. The plot is not especially original or compelling, but the interplay between characters and their worlds is compelling, climaxing in an ending that I found quite moving. The performances are really nothing special (they don’t come any more overrated than Colin Farrell and Christian Bale) and the voice-over (which worked so well in Days of Heaven) often gets too florid. I’d also say the battle sequence was unnecessarily lengthy. But these quibbles are easily ignored in favor of the film’s astonishing sense of mood and wonder. Rating: 9
