Colors of the Wind

Pocahontas was my Disney heroine growing up. I had the toys, the purses, the bedsheets, folders for school, a storybook with a read-along tape, a harmonica and recorder song book, a poster, collectible glasses, a Pocahontas Barbie doll, a music box that played "Just Around the River Bend," most of the promotional toys, a t-shirt, small purses, a lunch box, a poster, and a Pocahontas-themed party.


Ironically, I didn't have the movie.


But even with all that, I never really thought about why I loved Pocahontas until recently.


And the reason is simply: she's just plain awesome! She's curious, adventurous, free-spirited, resilient, and loyal to her people. She seeks advice and listens to it. And she follows her instincts (which are almost always right in fairy tales but not always in real life). She's very introspective and finds meaning and worth in everything, even a strange dream. She lives that kind of free, worry-free life that I could get into (for a couple of weeks until I feel the need to get back into civilization).

Watching the film again, I found out that I love love love Kokuum. He really cares about Pocahontas; he's brave; he's loyal to his people; and he worries about Pocahontas and wants to protect her. If she hadn't fallen for John Smith, he would've made a cool husband.


But anyway, John Smith is really awesome. He's just as adventurous as Pocahontas is and he protects Thomas even though it means that he'll be captured by the Native Americans. And he allows himself to be open to learn what Pocahontas has to teach him. Although I'm not into the whole "Native American spirituality" part of the film, I appreciate how the Native Americans respect the land they live on. And that sentiment is perfectly portrayed in "Colors of the Wind." No other version of this song compares to the original.





It never sat well with me that they separate in the end, but I suppose it's for the best. He really wasn't going to get better in America. I mean, the medicine man was all, "This wound is strange to me" so even the Native Americans couldn't help him. But at the same time, I would've loved for there to have been some clue that he was coming back for her or something like that. Though I suppose it counts for something that Powhattan gave him his robe and said, "You are always welcome here, my brothers." As for Pocahontas, I understand that she had to be loyal to her people, but why stay at home when you've just found love? He did ask her to come with him, and her dad gave her permission to go: "You must choose your own path." She said, "I'm needed here," but her people could've gotten by without her for a while, right? No? Yes? I don't know. Either way, it would've been cool if John Smith had said something to the effect of "I'll come back" although he is rather stoic.


The only thing about the film I don't like is that it feels rushed. The scene where Pocahontas sees John Smith before the execution and the scene where they say goodbye feel too short to satisfy everything I want to see. However, the musical sequences are great and don't feel rushed. That's why it's worth seeing the extended version of the film to see "If I Never Knew You" the deleted song. IT'S BEAUTIFUL!!





Seriously, that's amazing. The only thing I'm not fond of is that line that goes, "Never knowing why." Never knowing why what? Anyway . . . I still love it. But let's not even think about what The Cheetah Girls did to this song. It's one of the worst musical travesties ever.


Something I noticed was that Pocahontas is really curvy. I heard that Disney received some flak for the shape of their female characters in those days. But it totally doesn't surprise me because--let's face it--most of the animators are men. However, women are curvy and that makes perfect sense too. And with all that talk about girls losing their self-esteem because they're surrounded by images of "perfect" women--I'm on the fence about that one . . . but of course that's another subject for another post.

The way Pocahontas and John Smith's love brings peace to their people is beautiful. It's a picture of how true love can move mountains and change everyone around you. When Pocahontas says, "This is where the path of hatred has brought us" she's saying that there's no point in hating your enemies, especially just because they're different from you. The film also shows how ill-conceived notions of others can be dangerous or misleading. John Smith finds out that Pocahontas isn't an "ignorant savage," but Radcliffe and most of the other Native Americans are so scared of what's different that they are willing to kill each other over the differences.


By the way, the reason my sister and I watched Pocahontas is that she's in the Disney Princess lineup. Besides, she is a Native American princess, so it makes sense.


One last thing . . . how the heck did John Smith and Pocahontas understand each other? I guess we'll never know.


Note about the sequel: IT'S AWFUL!! Why make us believe in everlasting love when it obviously didn't exist? I do love John Rolfe and I think he's amazing, but I still would've preferred for her to have ended up with John Smith. I mean, you already seriously revised history, so there's not point in trying to make it all better. And Mel Gibson not playing John Smith? What? Give me a break, guys. The only other good thing about it was Ute, who's hilarious, and the fact that Kokuum and Nakomis are married.


Conclusion: Although it's not historically accurate, I love the mythic romance of Pocahontas and John Smith. I love Pocahontas's free spirit and courage, and seeing this movie again inspired me to take my Pocahontas toys out of storage!