The following is the film review assignment for History 1110 class. It was an assignment to critique and review a film based on historical events that required some research towards the subject matter. It was an assignment that allowed much in the way of knew knowledge and random trivia.  

 Melinda Fidler

History 1110

Film Review

The New World

            This movie begins in the year 1607 with the first permanent English settlers to the “New World.” It tells the story of the lives of Pocahontas (as played by Q’orianka Kilcher), Captain John Smith (as played by Colin Farrell) and John Rolfe (as played by Christian Bale). It is the story that intertwines a love and love lost story with the trials, tragedy and ultimate success that was the settlement James Fort, renamed Jamestown.

            As someone with a solid appreciation of films, and of history, I wanted to watch a film that not only had I not seen before, but one that showed the ideas we were discussing in class, that of the new discovery and settlement of the New World.  It seemed rather a fitting piece after learning of the Spanish “conquest” of the south, so a look at how the English settled and “conquered” seemed appropriate. I wanted a film that reflected both sides of the story, even though it might seem a little childish, I suppose, to want to write about something mainly covered in elementary school. Yet, I am still just as curious about the truth behind this tale as I was when I was a child. Unfortunately, I chose, as the Knight protecting the Grail in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade stated “Poorly.” This was indeed a film that was majestic and wonderful, epic and grand, but it was not fulfilling to me as I watched it. As it dragged out, the dialogue was sometimes muddled or drowned out by the overwhelming, though beautiful, music. It wandered through random shots of scenery I was slightly confused about, and the editing seemed hasty and choppy at best. Many of the characters were introduced in a haphazard way, one can only assume because either the theater audience was handed playbooks at the beginning or that the filmmakers thought everyone would know enough of the story to fill in the blanks. There were historical inaccuracies aplenty, and I realize many were due to the creative license needed to further the romantic plot, but it was still hard for me to believe that the story was anything but a Hollywood depiction, and briefly caused me to wonder if the researcher hired for the project actually did any research.

            I did my best to ignore these and other random factors, but I found myself writing more questions than notes. For example, did the Native American tribe really act like “curious deer”?  Why is it always assumed the relationship between Pocahontas and John Smith is so immediate after he landed in the New World? How long were the English settlers there before Smith’s capture and the romanticized staying of execution? I think my most prevalent (and repeated) query was: What was Pocahontas’ role besides being a silly teenager who wandered through the grass with John Smith? I did not see anything in the film that slightly resembled an “ambassador and peacemaker” [1]  that was the historical Pocahontas. She seemed, for everything that happened in the film, just as confused as I was. 

            The film begins with a prayer by Pocahontas to the “Spirit Mother” as she plays amongst the grass. Next, we meet the English, noting that John Smith is being held in the brig of the ship making its way to land. This account seems to be true as Smith was imprisoned for mutiny on board the ship.[2]  Beyond this point fact is more blurred than clear and fiction heartily takes hold. There was truth to Captain Newport ordering a gallows to be built for Smith, who is ultimately released. It is unlikely that the natives were, as the film states “timid, like a bunch of curious deer” about the colonists. With the Spanish Missionaries moving throughout much of the America’s and contact with other tribes who had met and dealt with these new people, it was likely to have caused more alarm than “curious” behavior. Also, we should not forget that a prior attempt at colonization was made at Roanoke, and though it is to this day unknown as to the fate of those colonists, it is known that an expedition from that ill-fated colony had ventured north into the Tsenacomoco lands.[3]

            John Smith is captured and the legendary romance between Smith and Pocahontas is sparked by a mix of random love at first sight and the Hollywood version of Fate. As Smith is sentenced to death for stepping on the soil of the New World (apparently) he is saved at the last moment by Pocahontas. This was a brave thing for a teenage girl to do. Historically, however, Pocahontas was actually a girl 10 or 11 years old;[4] yet it was still admirable, whatever her age. Whether or not it happened as depicted seems to still be up for scholarly debate, with some saying it was some sort of a tribal welcoming ritual, and others saying it was what really happened. Smith’s own tale changed from his report in 1609 to the tale he wove for King James I of England some 15 years later, so perhaps we will never know what is truth and what is romanticized tale.

            With the rest of the film being mostly a blur of a strange cocktail of romance, and random scenes that were supposed to show something important, I am sure, yet somehow were more confusing as the filmmakers used a narration that was more a metaphorically induced coma than explanation. I had a hard time understanding what exactly was going on in Jamestown. Luckily, the filmmakers decided to add a bit of information that as the situation at Jamestown deteriorated and the population dwindled in number. “There are 38 of us now.” John Smith said after one of the men was found dead. But it raised the question: How many men were there to begin with? Historically there were around 100 men who settled, and it is understandable that historical numbers can be off a little, but in the film there seemed to be only about fifty, and yet, even for the mention of 38 men, it seemed the numbers hadn’t actually dwindled. There were a couple of battles between the colonists and natives, including one in which Pocahontas’ favored brother was killed and she was summarily disowned by her father for warning the settlers. Next we see Pocahontas; she is in the hands of another tribe. John Smith has the chance to buy her and take her hostage for protection from her father, a suggestion put forth by the men of the fort. He does not agree and the men mutiny, forcing him to work hard labor as punishment while they trade a copper kettle for her. As I looked for the story behind this, the actual event appears to have happened after Smith was in England, and only the involvement of a copper kettle seems to ring true. According to the official Jamestown Museum’s website, Pocahontas was kidnapped by “privateer” Captain Samuel Argall, and kept on his ship. She had been lured there by a lesser chief who had been bribed with the item. Her father paid part of the ransom after a time, and asked she was “well taken care of.”[5] While this doesn’t necessarily disprove the disowning theory mentioned in the film, it doesn’t seem likely a man who had officially cut all ties with his most beloved child to pay even part of a ransom. If he was that angry with her, would he have just told the Captain to keep her?

            With the hostage part done, John Smith is called away to England so that he might be bestowed some honor. This may have been taken from the man’s exaggerated writings, but the historical truth shows that he was really sent back to England after an accident involving negligence on his part and gunpowder. Pocahontas is told that he is dead, something that apparently did happen historically, though the reason may have been more realistic than the one depicted in the film. The reasons for this in the film are not quite explained, except perhaps to stave off a wave of heartbreak he didn’t want his love to suffer, but she did anyway so there was no point. The historical truth might be more mundane, as Smith was injured and on a ship headed for England, perhaps it was just a common assumption in this time period that you would not make a journey back to England if you were injured.

            Eventually we see John Rolfe mysteriously arrive on scene to seemingly stalk Pocahontas as she wanders around in a grief stricken state. At least this part of the film is a little more accurate, as Pocahontas is renamed “Rebecca” and marries John Rolfe. Historically Pocahontas received some 188 acres of land from her father as a wedding gift. The newly christened Rebecca and Rolfe have a somewhat strained and awkward marriage that is until, of course, they set sail and reached England. Then, after a meeting with her former lover, Pocahontas seems able to forget this lost love, wanting to return to her homeland with her husband who she apparently loved all along. Sadly, Pocahontas dies before she can return home, and the story ends. This too rings with truth, though not perhaps about the meeting between Pocahontas and Smith.

            Before I conclude this review, I would like to point out that it was not a bad film, it was just bad history. I would likely watch it again; perhaps not with notebook in hand, however. There were so many unanswered questions and not enough time to answer them all.

            My conclusion is this: the adaptation of film in history is, like any work seen before, something we should all take with a tongue-in-cheek attitude. It will never be quite accurate, and will sometimes be so wrong you don’t even understand how the film relates to the work or event it is an adaptation of. My advice comes from that scene in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade where they are attempting to choose the real Holy Grail. When making a selection from the glittery and shining items before you, it is best to listen to the man telling you to “choose wisely.”