“Can you sing with all the voices of the mountain? Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?”

Okay… I need to acknowledge this at the beginning of this article/review/whatever I’m doing. Disney’s Pocahontas is NOT a historically accurate film. It gets basic facts wrong about the title characters life and turns her story into something almost unrecognizable. I could easily understand not wanting to watch this film for that reason alone, but I do think this film has some value despite its flaws.

In 1607, the Susan Constant travels from London to the “New World”. This ship includes Captain John Smith, who is seeking adventure, gold, and battles with “savages”.

Meanwhile, in the Powhatan tribe (located in Virginia), Pocahontas (daughter of the chief) fears possibly being wed against her will. She visits Grandmother Willow for advice and she alerts her of the English settlers.

The majority of the film is about the relationship between Pocahontas and John Smith (which never happened in history, but anyway-). The two learn from each other and want to stop their people from fighting. Pocahontas is a story about prejudice, greed, and how the world would be a better place if we took the time to understand each other.

I get what the film is trying to do. The idea of this film is good and the visuals are gorgeous, but messing up history THAT MUCH feels wrong. Pocahontas was never romantically involved with John Smith. The two did meet, but she was only a child when they did so. Instead, she married John Rolfe in 1614.

Also, the English settlers did more harm than good. They introduced smallpox and other diseases, wiping out a great portion of natives… and you’re going to sit here and tell me it’s good that they met?? 🤔

Also, out of the movies I’ve reviewed so far, Pocahontas (despite being a visually beautiful film) is sooooo boring. It has some good moments, but overall it’s forgettable. If historical figures weren’t attached to this film, no one would remember it. There are better films about divisions preventing love that DON’T butcher history.