Settler Aesthetics: Visualizing the Spectacle of Originary Moments in The New World

Terrence Malick's 2005 film, The New World, examines the continuity of imperialist exceptionalism and settler-colonial aesthetics, using the story of Pocahontas as a cover for settler-colonial erasure, destruction, and violence against Native peoples. Mishuana Goeman's analysis reveals that the film serves as a buttress for racial capitalism in the Americas, focusing on settler structures, regimes of power, sexual violence, and the gendering of colonialism.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 206 pages
Publication date: 01 November 2023
Publisher: University of Nebraska Press

In Settler Aesthetics, Mishuana Goeman delves into the profound examination of renowned director Terrence Malick's 2005 film, The New World. Through this analysis, Goeman explores the enduring legacy of imperialist exceptionalism and settler-colonial aesthetics. The story of Pocahontas, which has been perpetuated for centuries as a means to erase, destroy, and perpetrate violence against Native peoples, particularly Native women, stands as a testament to this phenomenon. Since the romanticized account of Pocahontas and Captain John Smith's encounter was first published, it has ingrained a whitewashed historical memory into the minds of Americans.

Renaissance European invasions of Indigenous lands by settlers, driven by a falsified "civilizational discourse," have been a central theme in literature and films since their inception. However, it is ironic to note that Malick, himself a symbol of the New Hollywood in his early career, crafted a film that serves as a stronghold for racial capitalism in the Americas with The New World. Goeman's study focuses on settler structures, the establishment of regimes of power, sexual violence, and the gendering of colonialism. By meticulously peeling away the visual layers of settler logics, Goeman creates a groundbreaking language in Native American and Indigenous studies for interpreting visual media.

This analysis sheds light on the ongoing consequences of colonialism and the perpetuation of settler-colonial ideologies. It challenges the notion of a "new world" and highlights the ongoing struggles and resistance of Indigenous peoples against the forces of oppression and exploitation. Goeman's work contributes to a deeper understanding of the complexities of visual representation and its role in shaping historical narratives and cultural identities. Through his meticulous exploration of The New World, Goeman offers a valuable lens for analyzing and interpreting other films and visual media that perpetuate settler-colonial ideologies.

Dimension: 216 x 140 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780803290662