Jamestown is, in many ways, the birthplace of America, so it’s surprising that not that many movies were made about it, at least not good ones. Still, the history and symbolism behind the first settlement in America did draw in some filmmakers who decided to tell its story from both fictional and historical perspectives. Our list today will be about movies that were in one way or another inspired by the settlement, so let’s check out the five best movies about Jamestown and, lastly, why you should watch them.
1. ‘First Landing’ (2007)
What it’s about: ‘First Landing’ brings us the story of John Smith, Christopher Newport, and Edward Wingfield, three settlers looking for a better future for both themselves and the people they have under their care. Faced with an incredibly difficult journey, hunger, and plenty of other calamities, the group slowly starts descending into chaos and hysteria, and previously good relations and cheerful attitudes are replaced with strained, unlocatable insecurities. Luckily, Reverend Robert Hunt is among the crew, and he will manage to unite them in the best way possible.
Why you should watch it: While most historical movies often tend to show the glorious purpose behind every conquest and mission, ‘First Landing’ tells the story of everything that went wrong and how difficult the journey really was, mostly because of the in-fighting and difficult conditions. It’s also quite inspiring, so if you’re into some religious narrative, you should give it a try.
2. ‘Pocahontas’ (1995)
What it’s about: Well, first and foremost, ‘Pocahontas’ takes place in Jamestown and tells us the romanticized and fictional version of the historical encounter between Pocahontas and John Smith in the early 17th century. The relations between the two cultures were strained at first, but Pocahontas, daughter of Chief Powhatan, becomes curious about the newcomers and develops quite a relationship with John Smith.
Why you should watch it: ‘Pocahontas’ is not the most popular movie in the last few years, and I can see why, but it really does have a wholesome message behind it: how love and understanding can transcend all differences and really unite people no matter what their background is. Pocahontas is loosely rooted in reality, but it’s a good opportunity for kids to watch something close to a “historical” movie that they find interesting. It also has a Disney princess in it, which is always a plus.
3. ‘The Lost Colony: The Legend of Roanoke’ (2007)
What it’s about: I have to admit I’m not from the United States, but I first heard about Roanoke and Croatoan in ‘Supernatural’ in that episode where Croatoan turns out to be a demon. Well, ‘The Lost Colony: The Legend of Roanoke’ is similar to that episode. In the 1580s, English colonists arrived on Roanoke Island and saw that the island already had remnants of some kind of a fortification left over from the previous colonists soon they began dying in gruesome and terrible ways and eventually figured out that the island was haunted by malevolent Norse spirits.
Why you should watch it:Not the historically most accurate movie and not directly connected to Jamestown, but we have to have at least one supernatural horror on this list. If you’re in for a story extremely loosely based on true events, this will be perfect for you, although don’t expect too much; it’s kind of a low-budget production.
4. ‘The New World’ (2005)
What it’s about: ‘The New World’ like ‘Pocahontas’ retells the story of the early history of the Jamestown settlement in Virginia and what early interactions between the natives and early settlers could have been like. The movie, like ‘Pocahontas,’ was inspired by the real deal, but it also takes some creative liberties and also romanticizes the story between John Smith and Pocahontas; it’s one of the central stories in the movie.
Why you should watch it: Terrence Malick is pretty famous for his poetic filmmaking, and this translated well to ‘The New World.’ The movie also has a stellar cast, including Colin Farrell as Captain John Smith and Q’orianka Kilcher as Pocahontas; overall, it’s an extremely solid movie with few historical inaccuracies.
5. ‘Jamestown: Pioneers of America’ (2017)
What it’s about: ‘Jamestown: Pioneers of America’ tries to tell the most historically accurate story about the birth of the United States and the first settler while also focusing on the roles that the Polish immigrants had in it.
Why you should watch it: This is not a movie. It’s a documentary, so you can’t rely on some fictionalized account as a central plot; it’s a rather straightforward examination of the conditions that the early settlers met when they came to these shores. It’s a good opportunity to educate yourself, and it’s available on Netflix.
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