The New World or Disney's Pocahontas: Which One Got It Right?
Despite the epic title, Terrence Malick's
The New World is actually just another version of the Pocahontas myth that, in terms of depicting Native American culture, falls short of even the Disney version. Newcomer, Q'Orianka Kilcher (Quechua/Swiss) playing Pocahontas is backed by a huge cast of Native Americans including some well-known names--
Irene Bedard (the voice of Pocahontas in the Disney movie),
August Schellenberg, and, of course, Wes Studi. If they had received serious roles instead of walk-ons, it might have prevented a giant step backwards in the depiction of Native Americans by the movie industry.
The New World or Pocahontas
The New World does improve upon Disney's
Pocahontas in one aspect. Great effort went into the search for Pocahontas, and Q'Orianka Kilcher's strong features and sensual qualities are a definite improvement over the dark-skinned Barbie doll animated for the Disney movie. However, while it too fell back on the old "friends of the Earth" stereotypes (not to mention talking trees) Pocahontas at least depicted Indians as having some degree of intelligence and political savvy rather than child-like primitives facing inevitable defeat by European brains and technology. This latter version may be Hollywood's kinder, gentler replacement for savage scalp-lifters, but it is no less condescending or inaccurate.
The Real New World
In reality Pocahontas' father, Powhatan, led a confederacy that comprised about 30 separate tribes and included as many as 14,000 individuals and possibly 3000 warriors. They didn't just hang around "hunting and gathering" while the European machine rolled over them. They fought a bloody on-and-off conflict that lasted nearly four decades--hardly a cakewalk for the European settlers.
No Love Lost Here
In one way, both movies got it wrong. If Pocahontas did, indeed, save John Smith's life (John Smith had several stories about beautiful women saving him from the brink of death), there was no love affair. Whether or not she loved John Rolfe (not part of the Disney version) or if it was merely a diplomatic marriage is a matter for speculation. Hostilities did ease somewhat after their union.
The New World or Pocahontas? Despite being animated Pocahontas wins in the "realism" department--if just by a nose.
