...one of those movies that gets better every time you watch it.
Sure, some things in it are a little childish- the cute little furry animals running around all over the place. And some things are downright stupid- like Pocahontas diving off that cliff. That fall would kill her. The idea of Grandmother Willow is a little kooky as well. Come on, I KNOW they wanted to make a point about the Native American’s closeness with nature, but a talking tree is a bit much. All in all, though, it’s a great movie.
I have only found one really big mistake in it, and that’s one that you wouldn’t catch unless you had seen it as many times as I have. :) If you look carefully, in the waterfall scene where John Smith meets Pocahontas, his eyes are definitely brown. However, in the scene where John Smith meets Grandmother Willow, his eyes are just a certainly blue. Also, there is a BIG difference between Powhatan’s speaking voice (and singing voice in “Savages”) and his singing voice in the intro of “Just Around the Riverbend”. I think the guy that they hired to do THAT part is the one who does Winnie-the-Pooh’s voice. I’ve found no other inconsistancies in the movie.
Next time you watch it, take a look at Powhatan’s cloak. It had the figure of a man in the center and a wolf on either side. I saw a photograph of the REAL Chief Powhatan’s cloak in one of my social studies books, and it really did have that design on it.
Sure, I’ll agree that the animators did a great job researching the time period and Pocahontas’ tribe, but they didn’t research Pocahontas very well. At the time when the Virginia Company and John Smith came to Virginia, Pocahontas was only about 11 years old. And where on earth did they come up with this love story and Pocahontas saving John’s life? In one of John’s memoirs, he tells a story where Pocahontas laid her head on his when her father was going to bash out John’s brains with a club and saved his life. However, this story is believed to be ficticious.
Well, wherever they got this plot from, I have to admit that it’s a wonderful movie. The cute critters are almost enough to make you puke, but Percy and Meeko DO prove a point when they become friends after fighting for so long. The most beautiful scene, I believe, in the movie, is when Thomas tells Pocahontas that John has to go back to England and she smiles at him and lays a hand on his arm. It shows the beauty of forgiveness. After all, it WAS Thomas who shot Kokoum.
What’s up with the wind in this movie? All the little sparkly leaves and stuff. It may be strange, but the wind plays a big part. Powhatan says that whenever the wind moves through the trees, he can feel Pocahontas’ mother’s presence, and that the people look to her for guidance. Kaykata (I have no clue how to spell that) says that Pocahontas has her mother’s spirit- she goes wherever the wind takes her. When Grandmother Willow teaches Pocahontas to listen with her heart, she hears the wind tell her that strange clouds (the sails of the ship) are coming. “Colors of the Wind” is the big song in this movie, and at the end, the wind is shown filling the sails of the ship so that John can go back to England quickly. I believe that the wind symbolises power and peace and love and all that this movie is trying to prove.
Did you know that an entire scene was cut out of the movie? The love theme, “If I Never Knew You”, which is played at the beginning of the credits, is sung between John and Pocahontas in the scene where he’s tied up in the tent after his line, “I’d rather die tomorrow than live a hundred years without knowing you.” The animators cut it out because the movie was really long already and it didn’t fit the mood at that point.
“Pocahontas” is my favorite Disney movie. I love any movie that sends shivers down my spine as much as this one does. The more I watch it, the more I love it!
Character sketch:
Captain John Smith: Courageous and loyal enough to jump into a raging ocean to save a crew member. Starts out believing all Native Americans to be “savages”, but his eyes are opened by Pocahontas, and he learns otherwise. John sticks up for the Indians against his crewmembers and saves Powhatan’s life after Powhatan spares his. As Grandmother Willow so aptly puts it,
“He has a good soul... And he’s handsome, too!”
Thomas: You never get to learn much about this guy’s past, other than a few shots at the beginning with his family, and possibly, his sweetheart. He’s a very nice guy, and one of the youngest on board. He has horrible aim, until John tells him to shoot with both eyes open. Govenor Ratcliff sends him to check on John and he ends up shooting Kokoum to prove himself to the Govenor, using John’s aiming advice. I really believe that Thomas wouldn’t kill anyone without Ratcliff’s influence. At the end, he redeems himself by standing up to Ratcliff when he wants them to shoot the Indians after they let John go. A minor and loveable member of the crew, he emerges at the end as the crew’s natural leader after they tie up Ratcliff. An awesome character, the kind of guy I wish went to my high school. :)
Ben and Lon: A wisecracking Scot and the redhead guy! Ben and Lon are always shown together, which makes you think that they knew each other before the voyage. Also, I don't think I heard Lon called by his name once in the movie. I just read it in the script. :)
Govenor Ratcliffe: A truly nasty villain. The name, I think, is very appropriate, and take a look at the shot of him boarding the ship- a rat runs up a rope as Ratcliffe goes up the gangplank. A very predjusticed man, he never seems to get the idea- even his pampered pug, Percy, undestands in the end! He brought the crew to Virginia to get gold and only for gold. He only thinks of himself, and the jerk even tries to shoot Powhatan. John jumps in the way of the bullet, though, and Ratcliffe gets sent back to England in chains. Oh, and not only is the guy ugly and mean, he’s also stupid! Yeah, man, stick a flag in the ground and the whole country’s yours. Sure, that’s it.
Wiggins: Slightly freaky assistant to Ratcliff, he makes you wonder how many gays there were back then. :) Just kidding. Not a mean bone in his body, and he really does try to be helpful to Ratcliff. He’s a totally harmless character, and I think he really IS much smarter than he looks. He’s very good at cutting topiary, as well!
Wiggins: Do you think we’ll meet any savages? Ratcliff: If we do, we shall be sure to give them a proper English greeting. Wiggins: Oh! Giftbaskets! Ratcliff: *Sigh.* And he came so highly recommended. Ratcliff: Why do you think those insolent heathens attacked us? Wiggins: Because we invaded their land and cut down their trees and dug up their earth?Native Americans:
Percy: Pampered pug belonging to Ratcliffe- thinks of himself as a small, furry human most of the time. He fights with Meeko a good deal, until they make friends when Kocoum is killed. He's really very cute, in an ugly sort of way, like most pugs. :)
Pocahontas: The title character, a loving and adventurous young woman who is searching for her path and destiny. Her father wants her to marry Kocoum, but she doesn’t like him that much. Her adventurous spirit tends to get her in (and out of) trouble. She falls in love with John Smith and saves his life.
Flit: Flit is a practical-minded hummingbird. He thinks that Meeko is silly and troublesome, and doesn't like John until the end of the movie.
Grandmother Willow: A two hundred year old tree spirit, Granmother Willow is wise (and wise-cracking) on the subject of life. She gives advice to Pocahontas and John. She knew Pocahontas's mother. Her conversations with Pocahontas make you wonder about how they met.
Kocoum: Kocoum is arrogant, solemn, and a bit of an egotist. He is Powhatan's best warrior, and he wants to marry Pocahontas. Whether he really likes her for her spirit or not a question that remains unanswered, as he dies before anyone can ask him.
Meeko: Pocahontas's friend (pet?) raccoon. He is even more mischievous than Pocahontas is! He also eats a lot.
Nakoma: Pocahontas's best friend, she is much more cautious than Pocahontas and warns her and Kocoum when Pocahontas gets in trouble.
Chief Powhatan: Noble and proud father and Chief of the tribe. He is a very wise man, but is not too proud to try and understand Pocahontas's point at the end of the movie. You can't help but love him!
