This blog entry is part of my “movie year countdown round #2”. Read more about that here.
The New World
Well it's strange but I seem to like each of Malick's subsequent movies less and less. Badlands is one of my absolute favoirtes of all time. In the cold, decisive world of movie ratings I gave it at 10. Days of Heaven I gave a 9, The Thin Red Line an 8, and The New World a 7.
I feel like the movies are losing the inherent ironic humor of his characters and narration for something that's trying to be more poetic and profound in it's sincerity. It's not connecting with me as much.
I don't think I ever really connect with Malick's characters. I guess at first I didn't think we were supposed to. But now he uses the same distancing techniques on conjunction with techniques that seem to be striving for the opposite. I won't deny the cinematography is gorgeous. The worlds and history come alive to an extent that is rare on screen. But the message seems trite. Which is fine in irony, but doesn't work as much in sincerity.
Rating: 7/10