The New World

The year is 1607. British colonists have settled in the swampy new world that will one day become known as America, and it doesn't take long before the European newcomers meet the original inhabitants. Captain John Smith tries to make peace with the Native American tribe in the middle of the forest, but the locals take him prisoner. A beautiful Native American girl saves his life, and despite their enormous cultural differences, the two fall hopelessly in love. Though loosely inspired by the Pocahontas legend, this love story doesn't play out according to the rules of Hollywood movies. Here, minute details are much more important than any major events or incidents. From the very first scenes, occasional filmmaker Terrence Malick - he has made a total four films in 35 years - concentrates on capturing the breathtaking nature of the new world. Fervent green grasslands and forests, shining waters and celestial skies - it's truly heaven on earth. In opposition to all of that is the muddy, funereal settlement of the European colonists. Malick captures the contrast between two completely different ways of coexisting, ways that collide head-on with one another.