33 – Pocahontas
Pocahontas is the 33rd movie
in the Disney Animated Classics series. It was made in 1995 and it's
considered a part of the Disney Renaissance era. The movie is about a
young Native American woman named Pocahontas who meets an Englishman
named John Smith in 1607. She then has to teach John about her world
and try to prevent an imminent war from breaking out between her
people and his.
Pocahontas is introduced as adventurous
and playful while she struggles to find her own path in life. When
she meets John Smith, she becomes fascinated with him and tries to
learn about his life while teaching him about hers. When the threat
of violence starts creeping up on them, she wants to find a way to
stop it at all costs. She kind of loses that quality of playfulness
she has when she's introduced which is a big shame. This would have
set her apart from the other Disney princesses in the Disney
Renaissance. It's still good that she's not a weak character and has
strong beliefs but I feel like she isn't as unique as the other
heroines that there have been other than her culture. She is, by no
means, a bad character but I would have liked to see her keep that
playful quality as it would have made her more interesting and her
relationship with John more interesting.
John Smith is very brave and goes
looking for adventure which is very different from his English
allies. They came looking for fortune but he is only interested in
being challenged by the wilderness and danger. He starts off with the
same preconceived notions about Native Americans, however, calling
them “savages.” He doesn't change his ways completely until he
meets Pocahontas and takes an immediate liking to her. He also
doesn't want fighting to start and tries to convince the evil
Governor Ratcliffe not to start one. When Ratcliffe refuses, he goes
against his orders and sees Pocahontas to warn her. The story really
focuses on his trying to understand Native American people but I
really didn't feel like he changes a lot. He still retains a clear
sarcastic attitude and I wish he could have displayed how much he
changed more. I'm glad he retained his personality but I would have
liked to see him more connected to nature. I wish they had shown that
he really understands, rather than just letting Pocahontas lead him
to the answers.
Governor Ratcliffe was not the greatest
villain I've seen in the Disney Renaissance so far. He is very self
centered, two faced, and wants to try to find gold in the new world.
He has been disgraced in the past so this is his last chance to make
a name for himself. He becomes obsessed with his goal and when he
finds that there is no gold where they settled, he becomes convinced
that the Native Americans have it all. Rather than scheming, he is
more of an opportunist who uses the events of whats going on to lie
and further his plans. By the end, you really get the sense that he
isn't much of a threat. He doesn't command the respect of his troops
and just ends up being a sad, desperate man.
Pocahontas is joined by a ton of side
characters. Her friends are Meeko, the raccoon, and Flit, the
hummingbird. Flit doesn't like strangers but grows to like John by
the end. Meeko likes to hang around Pocahontas and John and loves
food. This causes him to have a bit of an antagonistic relationship
with Percy, Ratcliffe's spoiled dog, as Meeko likes to steal Percy's
food. They're all really there for comic relief but I wish they
hadn't spent so much time on them. I'm glad they at least tie Meeko
and Percy into the story later as examples that people who are
fighting can't look past their differences until they stop.
Pocahontas also frequently goes to a weeping willow tree name
Grandmother Willow for advice. She was a pretty cool character who
provided some funny moments but also guided Pocahontas into finding
her own answers.
Pocahontas' father is the Chief of
their tribe, Chief Powhatan. He clearly cares deeply for Pocahontas
but gives up a bit too easily when he learns they might need to fight
the Englishmen. He shows that even the Native Americans have
preconceived notions about the Englishmen and is not willing to give
them a chance at first. He finally does by the end when Pocahontas
pleads with him. Kocoum is a warrior from Pocahontas' tribe that asks
her father for Pocahontas' hand in marriage. He is very serious,
which Pocahontas doesn't really like. He meets a sad fate when he
gets jealous over Pocahontas and John's relationship. Otherwise, he
doesn't really get much of a personality. He ends up being killed by
Thomas, one of the British Settlers who has a family back home. He is
saved by John early on and seems like he doesn't quite fit in with
the rest of the group. He gets bullied by the Governor frequently and
tries to prove himself. Later on, he finally steps forward and
opposes the Governor. I really liked his development in the story but
they really didn't spend enough time with him.
I really enjoyed the music in this
movie. It was clearly inspired by Native American sounds, though it
lacks the distinct style of Aladdin and
The Lion King music. I
could hear the inspiration at times but sometimes it got lost. I
would have liked to hear more contrast between the Native American's
themes and the British Settler's themes. The lyrics could get a bit
literal and heavy handed about their message too. The score is still
fantastic and really heightens all the drama in the movie. The
animation sequences are all beautiful and the characters look really
good. This movie is interesting in how it's so colorful compared to
some of the past Disney movies.
As far
as themes go, I really appreciate that they tried to tackle a pretty
difficult subject. I feel like the conflict just wasn't there at
times. It was a bit too easy for Pocahontas to stop her father and
Governor Ratcliffe was just too much of a pushover. I also didn't
really like that they emphasized that Pocahontas and John could only
be together when the fighting stopped. They should realize that there
are way more important things going on than their romance. At the end
of the movie, I think they do know that but it just confuses the
message when they make that such an important part of the movie. The
movie also kind of loses it's fun partway through but they still put
these weird, out of place humorous moments. The movie fizzles out
near the end when Pocahontas stops the big confrontation. Though that
was the point of the movie, I feel like it was just a bit too easy
for her and there needed to be something more.
Despite
my complaints, I liked this movie more than I thought I would. I
never really loved this movie and I know it has a bit of a reputation
for being one of the weaker Disney Renaissance movies but it
impressed me overall. I don't think it stands up with Beauty
and the Beast, Aladdin or The
Lion King, but it is a way
better effort than their pre-renaissance works.
33 down. 20 to go.
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