Pocahontas, a True American Princess

Pocahontas, New World Babe

The History of Pocahontas - and a Curious Disney Movie

Pocahontas (original name "Matoaka") was born in what later became known as Virginia. Her father was Powhatan, the chief of all the tribes in the Tidewater region. The name "Pocahontas" actually was a childhood nickname that meant "Little wanton one." No doubt, to earn such a nickname, she was a bit of a troublemaker. As the daughter of a chief - not just any chief, but the big chief of the entire coastal area - Pocahontas is considered a princess under European ideas of that status, though she never was in line to inherit any titles from her father. Her mother was a nonentity in tribal politics, with no more status than anyone else.

Sedgeford portrait of Pocahontas and her son, Thomas Rolfe

Captain John Smith arrived in the area in April 1607. There were over a hundred settlers with him, and they quickly built a fort on a marshy peninsula, clearly worried about hostile natives and an easily defended spot. That December, Powhatan's brother captured Smith while hunting and brought him back to the native capital, so clearly not all the natives were friendly. Powhatan threw a big feast and had a long talk with Smith. After that, Powhatan apparently was going to execute Smith, Pocahontas - a pre-teen, perhaps 10-12 years of age - interceded.

The eaarings Pocahontas wore in the Sedgeford portrait

Smith was to be beaten to death with clubs, but she put her head over his so that she would have to be killed if he were killed. Obviosuly, nobody wanted to kill the chief's daughter, so Smith survived. Afterwards, Pocahontas convinced Powhatan (perhaps he was just looking for any excuse not to provoke the English, who seemed very capable of defending themselves) to let Smith go. Powhatan gave Smith an escort back to the settlement, Jamestown. The plucky little girl had saved an awful lot of lives, not just Smith's, and Powhatan was smart enough to realize it.

This probably wasn't far from the truth of the matter

After this, Pocahontas, obviously a free spirit, would go to Jamestown and play games with the English boys. The colonists were starving during that first winter, but Pocahontas regularly came with her friends bringing food, saving many lives. Clearly, she liked Smith in some fashion despite their age difference and everything else. In 1609, Smith was injured by a gunpowder explosion and sailed home for England. Once Pocahontas found out, she stopped visiting Jamestown, another indication that she went there because of Smith and not out of some general love for colonists. As to whether they had an affair - who's to say. Things were much different back then, people were less superficial and didn't worry as much about age or looks. He was a strong, fearless buccaneer whose mere presence made her entire world quake - one could see a possible attraction that bordered on hero worship. Perhaps not at the time, but in retrospect as she thought it all through.

This later idealized portrait pretty much sums up the phrase "noble savage"

People today ("scholars") question Smith about his account of what actually happened. The thing is, he was there, and they weren't. When he first got back to Jamestown, he never officially mentioned Pocahontas. However, that may have been simple bravado, as it wouldn't have looked good for him to have had his life saved by a native child, chief's daughter or not. Besides, it essentially was a personal matter - why put something that was bound to be misinterpreted as salaciously as possible in official reports? Later, much later, Smith wrote down the whole story and Pocahontas' part in it, when it no longer mattered for him but might help Pocahontas.

Pocahontas, as imagined later

If she hadn't done something for or with Smith while he was a captive, there is no reason why Pocahontas would have felt comfortable visiting the Jamestown fort afterwards, to play games and bring food (and those appearances had to be considered extremely odd by everyone except them). If Pocahontas had no connection to Smith by saving him, he would have been just another dirty Englishman - and, clearly, he wasn't. Some prefer to think that Smith lied about the incident later, back in England, just to make Pocahontas look good - but that's an awfully strange story to dream up for no reason. If Smith did just invent the incident, Pocahontas picked her man well - he truly was a nice guy to write lies to the Queen of England just to make some random native girl look good.

He's the real hero of the Pocahontas story, quite a fellow

During 1609, the English began spreading out. They practiced the old "divide and conquer" strategy and allied with one of Powhatan's tribes against him. Pocahontas was tricked into captivity and then held for ransom. Powhatan didn't particularly feel like submitting to blackmail, so Pocahontas had plenty of time to learn English and be baptized. Eventually, Pocahontas herself got tired of her dad's obstinacy and told him to forget it - she'd prefer to stay with the English. She must have been a handful! It's also an indication that the English couldn't have treated her all that badly, despite what some want to believe otherwise. Pocahontas eventually met tobacco farmer John Rolfe, who wrote to the governor for permission to marry Pocahontas for the purest of reasons. Imagine writing for such permission today! They lived in Virginia for a couple of years, and the mere fact of their relationship kept things peaceful between the English and the natives throughout that time. Pocahontas sure was an influential woman whose every move people watched closely. She was like an unofficial ambassador of peace.

That's an awfully nice necklace for a continent without a single jeweler

The company that owned Jamestown - the Virginia Company of London - got wind of Pocahontas and her influence. The company figured that putting Pocahontas on display as a good example of "those savage" might encourage others to get over their fears and help develop Virginia (and plant more tobacco for the Virginia Company of London). Accordingly, in 1616 Rolfe and Pocahontas were induced to go on an extended visit to England with a cadre of other tribal members. The English still didn't know how much power the native Americans had, so they were extremely sensitive in their handling of this "king's daughter." Pocahontas had the best seats at the theater (quite important then) and chatted with King James himself (you know, of the Bible). It was politically wise to treat her well, one word from her and daddy might burn down Jamestown and anything else he could get his hands on - so Pocahontas received the sort of special care that today might be accorded a Princess from Pluto.

We always see the past through our own prisms....

When Pocahontas finally did have one last meeting with Smith, it was a curious and sad affair. Pocahontas got extremely emotional at first sight of Smith and couldn't face him at all. It must have been quite a shock to see again the fellow who had been on the chopping block before her, who had changed her life and her tribe's future in so many ways and whose fate her father had speculated correctly about. And there he was, this Titan of the New World, just standing there sheepishly at the door in a dress coat. After disappearing "for hours," Pocahontas returned to try again, but Smith made the further mistake of treating Pocahontas like a curiosity in the same rote way the other English did, addressing her obsequiously as a "king's daughter" and so forth. It wasn't the the way you'd want an old ... friend to treat you, especially in a foreign world where you felt alienated and friendless. Where was the old adventurer living on the edge that she knew, the man full of bluster whom she could still look up to and admire, one she secretly had kept in her heart since he disappeared so suddenly? Pocahontas just wanted Smith to be real again, someone who would ignore the passage of the intervening years and again just be good old John. But all of his naturalness was lost, left in the squishy marshland of Virginia, and John Smith was unable - and perhaps unwilling - to turn back the clock's iron hands.

This awful engraving is Pocahonta's only contemporaneous depiction

When she had to leave England not long after this brief reunion, never to return, Pocahontas died mysteriously before the ship even got out of the harbour. One could be romantic and speculate it was of a broken heart.

How Did Pocahontas Make a Difference in the World?

The question often arises, how exactly did Pocahontas make a difference in the world? Or, put a little differently, why did Pocahontas matter? There are several couple of very good reasons.

First, Pocahontas played a key role in helping the English colony of Jamestown survive. Besides saving Smith's life, her acquaintance with him led her to bring the colonists food during a terrible winter. Recent research indicates that the colonists were so hungry that they resorted to cannibalism. Pocahontas had access to plenty of food, and she brought it to Smith for reasons only the the two of them really understand. She also apparently just hung out in town and played with the English children. This must have raised the settlers' spirits, knowing that the daughter of the local warlord was their friend.

Second, she served as a vital diplomat between the English and her powerful father. Powhatan likely had the means to crush the English settlement if he really felt like it. With his daughter involved with an English settler, though, there was much less reason to attack the English. Just how "involved" the two were is a matter of debate, but Smith did take the trouble to go see her after she arrived in England. The meeting was extremely awkward, because Pocahontas had some kind of feelings about seeing Smith again. If they were just mild acquaintances, that would not have been the case. There is no question that Pocahontas saved many lives, both English and native.

Third, the success of the Jamestown settlement against the odds, which partly resulted from Pocahontas' kindly influence with her father and her bringing the settlers food, ultimately helped convince the English that more settlements should be started. The English might have done this anyway, but the success of Jamestown no doubt helped accelerate the process. This helped the English establish a hold on North America before the Spanish or French had a chance to develop more settlements there and perhaps create a more lasting presence.

Fourth, Pocahontas made a lasting impression due to her actions on the English when she went to England. She met the King, who did not impress her, but he was impressed. She displayed good manners and adapted well to the English way of life, which couldn't have been easy. By proving to the English that the "savages" were not quite as savage as some might have believed, Pocahontas helped mold the attitudes of other, future settlers. They would be less likely to shoot first and ask questions later if they felt that the natives were intelligent and sensible, and Pocahontas helped foster that impression.

Fifth, Pocahontas taught the British important things about her culture simply due to her status. Even aside from the fact that she was bright and adaptable, Pocahontas was recognized as a princess. This might not technically have been true, but John Smith did his best to make sure that was how the English perceived her. Rather than viewing the native Americans simply as so much rabble to be exterminated, the British learned right from the start to treat them with at least a modicum of respect. That Pocahontas was given prime seats at the theater was no mere empty gesture, but rather an indication of the esteem in which she, as a princess, was held. Pocahontas was living proof that the native Americans not only had interesting, intelligent inhabitants, but that they also had an advanced social structure not so much different than that of the English themselves. The English might not have understood what a "Chief" was, but they sure could understand what a king represented, and a princess as well. This respect undoubtedly influenced relations between the advancing English and the natives for decades.

Sixth, the long-term implications of Pocahontas' diplomacy are incalculable. Pocahontas is upheld as an icon of good-heartedness by people throughout the United States and, really, the entire world. She is a shining example of the ability of even the most widely separated cultures to find some kind of middle ground of understanding based on common humanity. Pocahontas was one of the first great peace-makers in an age when violence often was a first resort. Even as a young girl, Pocahontas changed the world, and she did it just by being a nice person. The English were not particularly soft-hearted, being armed conquerors and all, but they were captivated by the story of this native girl. Years later, the English brought Pocahontas back across the ocean, and the King of England himself went out of his way to meet her. That magical quality about Pocahontas continues some four hundred years later.

Seventh, Pocahontas continues to fascinate people to this day simply because her story continues to resonate. She is a role model for young girls, both because of her class and generosity and because she is a real-life heroine from a time when women tended not to be cast in such a role. Pocahontas helps to demonstrate the power of the individual, no matter what the situation, to make the world a better place. People love the story of Pocahontas, and she inspires genuine emotion to this day.

Pocahontas continues to make the news. In July 2013, Virginia Gov. Robert McDonnell and Native American tribal officials re-dedicated the Werowocomoco (WER-ruh-wo-KOM-uh-ko) site near Gloucester, Va., in a day-long event. Now an archaeological site, the village held the longhouse where Smith famously encountered Powhatan after the founding of Jamestown in 1607. This was where Smith was to be executed when young Pocahontas stepped in and saved him.

Pocahontas as Disney Princess

Pocahontas is the seventh official Disney Princess, officially inducted after Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora from "Sleeping Beauty," Ariel the Little Mermaid, and Jasmine from "Aladdin." Since her induction, she has been joined by Mulan, Tiana, Rapunzel, and Merida from "Brave." Two characters from "Frozen" (2013) are scheduled to be inducted in 2014, Anna and Elsa the Snow Queen.

Pocahontas (1995) - A Real Disney Movie Princess

Pocahantas Creates A Disney Movie Controversy

In its 33rd animated feature, Walt Disney Feature Animation finally got around to creating a film that wasn't pure fantasy, but instead was about a real, known historical figure (one could make the argument that Arthur in "Sword in the Stone" and that "Robin Hood" were real people, but very little is known about them and there is no direct proof that they were more than popular legends). Pocahontas was very real and even traveled to London, England, where she died, which is kind of like one of us going to the Moon. Naturally, this Disney movie "Pocahontas" (1995), directed by Mike Gabriel and Eric Goldberg, takes some liberties with the story, but by and large "Pocahontas" is based on actual records and accepted folklore about this true American Princess.

The geometry of the animation is impressive

It is 1607 in the New World, and a group of English settlers has arrived to start life anew there. They are led by Governor Ratcliffe (David Ogden Stiers) and Captain John Smith (Mel Gibson), and the voyage across is rough. During a storm, Smith saves a young man, Thomas (Christian Bale), from drowning. Eventually, they make it across, and Ratcliffe builds a fortress in a clearing.

Disney DVD artwork is just jaw-dropping

Meanwhile, nearby is a Native American tribe led by Chief Powhatan (Russell Means). His daughter, Pocahontas (Irene Bedard), is rumored to be wed to Kocoum (James Apaumut Fall), a grim warrior who does not interest Pocahontas. Pocahontas is friends with the animal world, and her close companions are  Flit the hummingbird (Frank Welker) and Meeko the raccoon (John Kassir). Together, they go and see Grandmother Willow (Linda Hunt), a spirtual entity, for advice. Grandmother Willow tells Pocahontas about the Englishmen.

Yes, every Disney movie needs a villain....

Smith enjoys exploring the countryside, unlike the other settlers, and while doing so he runs into Pocahontas. After spending time together, the two fall in love. Unfortunately, the other natives fight the settlers, and Chief Powhatan forbids his people from associating with the English. Pocahontas disobeys her father and continues seeing Smith, introducing him to Grandmother Willow.

Pocahontas on top

Kocoum finds out about Pocahontas' relationship with Smith and attacks him. Thomas, watching nearby, kills Kocoum instead. Chief Powhatan declares war on the settlers and decides that his captive Smith will be executed at sunrise.

Pocahontas and Chief Powhatan

Thomas, who got away, warns the other settlers. Ratcliffe, convinced that the tribe is hiding a fortune in gold, assembles the men to go and wipe it out. Meeko gives Pocahontas a compass which leads her to Smith rather than where she intended, which is fate. Pocahontas manages to deter her father from killing Smith, but Ratcliffe shows up and shoots at the chief, hitting Smith instead. Smith is not killed, but at that point it is unclear whether he ever will be with Pocahontas, the one that he loves.

It's nice to see a little affection, relatively rare in Disney movies

The music by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz in "Pocahontas" is its main draw. It won two Academy Awards and had a successful soundtrack, winding up triple platinum. "Colors of the Wind" is a fine song indeed, and the recording by Vanessa Williams went top five in the United States. While not a traditional fairy tale princess, Pocahontas has all the trappings of a Snow White from "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," as she lives in the forest, is friends with the animal creatures who love and admire her but do not speak (marking this as a "serious" film), and is pursued by a really cute man who would do anything for Pocahontas. The message is the same as in every other Disney movie fairy tale, that love conquers hate and greed, and haters get their just desserts.

Pocahontas having some fun

The quality of "Pocahontas" is impeccable. The animation is gorgeous, with lots of pretty blues and browns, earth tones that are tastefully presented in a complex color scheme that has many angular shapes and clear facial expressions. The English ship in particular is a thing of beauty. Disney movies were on a roll after "The Little Mermaid," "Beauty and the Beast," "Aladdin" and The Lion King," and "Pocahontas" flowed seamlessly from those films. Mel Gibson was riding high, so having him as a lead was as good a selling point as having Robin Williams in "Aladdin." The film made a lot of money upon release, $346 million worldwide, and continued the Disney Renaissance that had begun with "The Little Mermaid." However, executives were not satisfied with the take, having presumed all along that this was a sure-fire hit that was better than "The Lion King."

Pocahontas' face is very well drawn

"Pocahontas" never quite ascended into the true pantheon of Disney movie classics like the aforementioned hits. The reasons are complex and open to debate, and include a rather thin and perfunctory storyline by Carl Binder, Susannah Grant and Philip LaZebnik - I mean, really, Ratcliffe obsessed by gold, you couldn't do better than that? - and a lack of truly engaging characters beyond star-crossed lovers Pocahontas and Smith ("Peter Pan" had Tinker Bell and a corny villain, for instance, and "Pocahontas" has nothing similar). Bending over backwards to make certain characters appear either too noble or too evil, without faults/redeeming qualities all around and merely acting like robots programmed in a certain way ("good" or "bad") may look good on paper, but plays poorly as drama. This Disney movie falls squarely into that trap, and the pity is that it didn't have to be that way - if Disney had actually embraced their critics during production, it might have been surprised that those critics wanted the characters to be people and not totems. Brushing them off, however kindly or reasonably or whatever else you want to say, was disaster for "Pocahontas."

Pocahontas spying on Smith

The bottom line, though, appears to be that this Disney movie overstepped the company's social bounds. The Disney movie "Pocahontas" just makes a lot of viewers who over-analyze Disney movies uncomfortable. For one thing, they make Pocahontas too cute for words, which isn't realistic, and warp her truly noble act of kindness in saving Smith's life into a "haha, now I have a boyfriend!" moment. It is one thing to make films about non-existent princesses and talking mice and cute kissing dogs, it is quite another to venture into the real world and take historical characters to use as heroines, heroes and villains. To make the point, imagine a Disney movie about noble slaves or concentration camp prisoners or something like that and you can predict with reasonable accuracy the resulting furor. Beyond that, Disney movies have a history with Native Americans that is dubious, to say the least. In "Peter Pan," the natives are portrayed in a humorous but ultimately stereotypical fashion, and that is one of the few criticisms that have stuck to that otherwise exceptional Disney movie. Tackling that area again, even with the purest and most honorable of intentions, especially when done without clearing everything completely with the offended parties, was a huge error in judgment. If you are going to venture into political territory (not wise for a Disney movie), you have to be prepared to be political. It is not difficult to interpret some small fraction of the angst about "Pocahontas" as really being stored-up resentment about "Peter Pan" and some portrayals of Native Americans  in other Disney movies of the past, and a tiny bit of some folks just wanting a piece of the action and to be shown a little personal respect - and heck, so would I. But the reasons don't matter - this was their territory, and Disney was the interloper.

Pocahontas is one with nature

It is difficult indeed to see how "Pocahontas" could have made its title character more sympathetic, but that is not what the detractors are worried about, apparently. Rather, they claim that the English are portrayed in too favorable a light, despite the fact that the main villain is one of the English (and that villain, incidentally, was completely fictional aside from his name and presence, as Ratcliffe had nothing to do with Pocahontas). Like it or not, when you try to tell someone else's story, the people who feel it is theirs are going to want to tell it themselves or at least have it told their way - or not at all. This Disney movie went ahead anyway, without catering to anyone's desire to alter it to fit their agendas, with the predictable results that it was called inaccurate (which absolutely is true for any number of reasons, including the fact that Smith looked like a goat) and offensive (difficult to see that except in an agenda-driven point of view, but everyone is entitled to their opinion). Kocoum had absolutely the correct attitude about the invaders in a sense - the English were going to take everything once they got established and kill and enslave practically everyone - but that is not something that ever is going to change, no matter how much you find watered-down depictions of those times "offensive." If you want realism, incidentally, Pocahontas almost certainly would have been topless throughout this Disney movie, so if you are are going to hop on that bandwagon, think it all the way through through. Finally, if you want to carry a four-hundred-year-old grudge, don't expect the world to hold a four-hundred-year pity party for you.

The ship with sails set

It is no surprise that subsequent Disney movies were about "safe" subjects like "Hercules" and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" and "Atlantis: the Lost Empire" (no pressure groups involved with those topics, whew) and they weren't nearly as good. The Disney Renaissance momentum evaporated like Mel Gibson's career. "Pocahontas" was a game changer for Disney movies, and not in a good way. The curse of becoming as big and powerful (in a social-message sense) as Disney movies have become over the decades is that everybody starts examining their messages minutely because of their cultural impact. You see the same thing happening more recently with Disney movies like "Tangled" and its attempt to attract boy viewers as well as girls. Disney movies are excellent, but once you get into the realm of identity politics, you are asking for trouble, and this Disney movie found trouble, for sure. When you sanctimoniously ban "Pocahontas" from your house, though, bear in mind that kids aren't worried about politics and realism and also have an inquiring mind. Don' be surprised if you child loves the idea of an actual American princess with long, flowing hair and rushes to start researching the names he/she hears in "Pocahontas" on Wikipedia. Kids inherently love history that speaks to them (as long as it's not in a textbook), and anything that gets them excited about that is good - and "Pocahontas" just might spark that flame.

Things turn out well when people love each other

"Pocahontas" is a fine Disney movie if you just watch "Pocahontas" as a fictional story based on historical truth, technically superb and entertaining. The movie "Pocahontas" is all fairy tale, not reality. Unfortunately, few people want to watch a Disney movie that they know is considered offensive by some others, it destroys the whole fairy tale suspension of belief. If you are sensitive about the portrayal of people of different groups or controversy about such things interferes with your enjoyment of works of art, give "Pocahontas" a pass, otherwise, enjoy.

The trailer of "Pocahontas" is below:




2013

Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World - A New Land and a New Love

In Walt Disney Feature Animation's "Pocahontas," Captain John Smith befriended the young native American Pocahontas, chief's daughter, and they fell in love. Loosely based on real-life events, Walt Disney Pictures' direct-to-video "Pocaontas II: Journey to a New World" (1998) continues the story of "Pocahontas" pretty much up to the end of the real story. Almost all of the voice actors return from "Pocahontas," with the exception of Mel Gibson as John Smith, who now is voiced by Mel's brother Donal Gibson. Smith is not the central male figure in this continuation anyway, as Pocahontas engages on adventures of her own. Both "Pocahontas" and "Pocahontas II" take tremendous liberties with the facts, which is upsetting to some people who expect a more respectful stance. Disney movies, of course, never have been likened to documentaries. Watching the two movies is a fairly seamless experience that might excite interest in the real history by younger viewers, though the quality difference and enjoyment factor between them is staggering.

Pocahontas, Meeko and John Smith

Governor Ratcliffe (David Ogden Stiers) obtains a warrant for the arrest of John Smith from Ratcliffe's friend King James (Jim Cummings) by underhanded means. John Smith is arrested, and everyone is told that he is dead. Wishing to avoid issues with the Powhatan Nation, the King sends diplomat John Rolfe (Billy Zane) to Virginia to smooth things over with Pocahontas' father, Chief Powhatan (Russell Means). The King wants Rolfe to bring the chief back to England for discussions. Pocahontas (Irene Bedard) is sad about Smith's death, but she comes to terms with his passing. Rolfe arrives and tries to take charge of matters, which irks Pocahontas, who is a free spirit and feels everything is under control already.

John Rolfe

Rolfe doesn't know the name of Chief Powhatan and mistakenly comes to believe that his name is "Pocahontas." At a dance that night, Rolfe brings a gift of a horse for "The Mighty Pocahontas." When he sees who Pocahontas is, Rolfe is embarrassed. He finds the real chief and asks him to come to England, but the chief refuses. Pocahontas, wishing to avoid a war, volunteers to go in her father's place. After some timely advice from spiritual tree Grandmother Willow (Linda Hunt), Pocahontas sets off with Rolfe for England. Pocahontas' animal friends racoon Meeko (John Kassir), hummingbird Flit (Frank Welker) and pet dog Percy (Danny Mann) stow away. The ship's captain, unclear as to what is happening, tries to arrest Pocahontas as a stowaway herself, but Rolfe protects her, softening her feelings towards him somewhat.

Pocahontas with her animal friends

Upon arriving in England, Rolfe learns that Ratcliffe has convinced his buddy the King to send an invasion force to Virginia if things do not go smoothly. Rolfe then takes Pocahontas to his estate outside of London, where his housekeeper Mrs. Jenkings (Jean Stapleton) treats Pocahontas with kindness. The King invites Pocahontas and Rolfe to The Hunt Ball, where it is understood that if Pocahontas acts improperly, the invasion force will sail for Virginia. Pocahontas gladly accepts the challenge and dresses up in the English style, a hoop dress and high heels. Taking the event seriously, Pocahontas learns English manners from Rolfe, and he teaches Pocahontas how to dance. Pocahontas even replaces her mother's necklace with an English one.

Medieval London, England

At the ball, Pocahontas flatters the King and gets along well with the Queen (Finola Hughes). Ratcliffe, though, is determined to have her make a poor impression so that he can invade Virginia, so he arranges a bear-baiting. Pocahontas gets upset and berates the King and others for laughing at the bear's mistreatment. The King in turn gets upset at Pocahontas and, at Ratcliffe's suggestion, arrests her and her bodyguard Uttamatomakkin (Brad Garrett) with the intention of executing them. Rolfe, desperate, encounters a hooded stranger who succeeds in breaking Pocahontas and her bodyguard out of prison. When safe in the woods, the hooded stranger reveals himself as none other than John Smith. It turns out that both Smith and Rolfe have feelings for Pocahontas.

King James

Pocahontas returns to her normal look and visits the Queen, explaining what happened. John Smith then appears and convinces the King that Ratcliffe lied about gold being in Virginia, the reason for an invasion fleet thus being negated. Smith, Rolfe and Uttamatomakkin then rush to stop the invasion fleet, captained by Ratcliffe, from sailing. Arriving at the last moment, the three manage to throw the sailors overboard and then crash the ships together. Ratcliffe fights a duel against Smith and loses, but then draws a pistol. Rolfe and Pocahontas capture Ratcliffe, who then is arrested by King James on shore.

Pocahontas DVD

With her mission at an end, Pocahontas decides to leave for home. Rolfe and Pocahontas come close to admitting they like each other, but Smith butts in and says that he wants to be with Pocahontas instead. Rolfe leaves, and Pocahontas breaks up with Smith. Then Smith leaves, and the ship sails, with Rolfe nowhere to be seen. As the ship sails off, Rolfe appears on deck as a stowaway, and he and Pocahontas kiss as the ship sails into the sunset.

Pocahontas in her ballroom attire

The plot of "Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World" is so far from real events that anyone familiar with the real events may have difficulty watching it. Ratcliffe was not involved with Pocahontas at all, and, in fact, was long dead by the time that Pocahontas ever sailed for England. There was no invasion fleet, no motivation of invading to find gold, and Rolfe's entire relationship with Pocahontas (they were married) occurred prior to and during the stay in England. That Pocahontas died suddenly and mysteriously right at the point that "Pocahontas II" ends is perhaps the oddest relationship between film and real life of all.

Pocahontas and Ratcliffe dancing

The almost universal reaction to "Pocahontas II" is one of disappointment. The animation is inferior to the original, with faces that are far less expressive. In fact, if Rolfe and Smith did not have different-colored hair, it would be difficult to tell them apart. The (fictional) story is weak and melodramatic, and the songs by Marty Panzer and Larry Grossman would have been better off left out (though "Things are Not what they Appear" is fairly tuneful).

Governor... former Governor Ratcliffe

All that is minor, though, compared to the travesty of the story line. If Disney wished to completely fabricate events in a real person's life, why not at least complete the set-up from the original "Pocahontas" and have her wind up with Smith? Of course, she married Rolfe in real life, but only because Smith left and (yes, the film is correct on this) everyone thought him dead. One may argue that there was nothing between Smith and Pocahontas in the first place, but if you spend an entire film establishing a deep and abiding live, carelessly brushing that off in the final five minutes of a sequel makes absolutely no sense. This is the rare Disney movie with a supposedly happy ending that, in fact, is quite unhappy for many viewers. One can make the argument that "Pocahontas II" ruins all the good feelings engendered in "Pocahontas," which, for all its faults, lay a lot closer to historical truth than "Pocahontas II."

The romantic triangle

"Pocahontas II" was a tragic mistake on Disney's part. It is no wonder that Disney stopped making direct-to-video sequels to its feature animated films a few years later. Having directors Tom Ellery and Bradley Raymond end the sequel with Pocahontas breaking up with her big lover from "Pocahontas" just leaves you gaping at the screen in frustration, especially since Rolfe is so unimpressive. Even little kids who see "Pocahontas" likely will be disappointed.

A fantasy moment

Underlying the other problems is that there is very little chemistry between Pocahontas and Rolfe. In an odd way, Rolfe is almost made to appear unlikeable throughout "Pocahontas II." It is as if the screenwriters Allen Estrin, Cindy Marcus and Flip Kobler were unclear until the end themselves how they wished to end "Pocahontas II," then flipped a coin and decided to have Pocahontas wind up with her real-life husband rather than her "boyfriend" from the first film. There also was little humor, as the sidekicks Meeko, Percy and Flit seem "just along for the ride" in more ways than one. Pocahontas turns from being a sweet lover of the forest into an insistent peace activist who never seems happy, which never was the case in real life and robs her in "Pocahontas II" of having any meaningful relationship with anyone.

The Blu ray package has nice extra features

It is amusing how Disney could completely change the ending of "The Little Mermaid" to make it happy, but with "Pocahontas II," it changes everything but the man who she really ended up marrying - making the ending sad for any fan of the first film. On the positive side, there is more action in "Pocahontas II" and Ratcliffe is more central to the story as a creepy villain. It also is fun seeing Pocahontas doing different things, as long as you don't dwell too long on what those things are. "Pocahontas II" may be useful for showing kids that life doesn't always turn out the way that you expect or want. The two-disc, two-movie blu-ray set does have an interesting documentary on the Disney project "Hiawatha" and how that directly influenced the genesis of "Pocahontas" and "Pocahontas II." "Pocahontas II" really isn't any worse than your average animated television series show, but it is only recommended for die-hard fans of the first film who just want to see more of the real American princess and aren't too demanding about things like plot and character development.

Below is the ball-room scene from "Pocahontas II: Journey to the New World."




2013

Cinderella, the Girl with the Glass Slipper

Cinderella Has a Long History

Cinderella

The fairy tale of Cinderella, the put-upon girl who becomes a princess, is best known because of the classic Disney movies, but its origins actually go all the way back to ancient Greece. Strabo, who wrote a great deal about history and geography, told the tale of Rhodopsis, a plucky girl who lived in Egypt. One day, an eagle grabbed one of her sandals and flew it to the royal palace, dropping it on the lap of the king. He was so fascinated by the pretty sandal and how he obtained it that he had his men find Rhodopsis and, when he did, he made the her Queen.

Though little-known, the Egyptian Cinderella did exist

The fairy tale grew over the centuries, appearing as far away as China and the Philippines, but it gained the most popularity in Europe. It was adapted by medieval writers such as Geoffrey of Monmouth, who called her Cordelia and wrote that she was disinherited by her father the British king because she wouldn't flatter him. Instead, the king divided up the kingdom between her elder sisters, who then abused their father. Cordelia had the last laugh, though, when she married a neighboring king, helped him raise an army, and then came back and deposed her wicked sisters.

The story kept getting retold and elaborated upon over the years before books and newspapers were common until there were different details in practically every town in Europe. Giambattista Basile wrote "Pentamerone," in which Cinderella is called Zezolla. She helps her governess become engaged to the prince, but then lets her six daughters treat Zezolla as a kitchen maid. The prince gives a ball which derived from the influence of a fairy, and Zezolla showed up dressed like a lady due to the help of her own fairy. He falls in love with her, but she runs away, leaving behind a slipper. The king rounds up all the maidens in the land, and when they are all in the palace, the slipper jumps out of his hand and onto the foot of Zezolla.

Rhodopis trying on her slipper

The best know version of the story, and the one which became "official" because it was published, was the one by the Brothers Grimm.

The Brothers Grimm: Aschenputtel, or the Tale of Cinder-Fool

A wealthy man's wife, a kindly soul, dies and leaves an only daughter, tasking her to be good and pure. The man later marries again, a woman who has two beautiful daughters who are pretty on the outside and evil within. The woman's daughters abused the man's daughter, stealing her fine things and turning her into a kitchen maid who they derisively called "Aschenputtel" ("Cinder-fool"). The girl continued to honor her mother, though, by remaining kind-hearted, though she would go to her mother's grave and drown her sorrow in tears.

Cinderella sewing while her sisters leave

The man goes to a fair and asks his three daughters what they would like him to bring back. The woman's two daughters ask for beautiful gowns and pearls and diamonds. The man's own daughter, though, only asks for him to bring back a twig which she can plant on her mother's grave. She continues to go to the spot and cry, and her tears make the twig grow into a mighty hazel tree. Eventually, the girl would sit under the tree and be comforted by a white bird.

Cinderella with her only friends, the white birds

The king ordained a festival of three days and nights, with all the beautiful young maidens to attend so that his eligible son the prince may choose one as his bride. The woman's daughters are eager to attend, but when the man's daughter begs to go with them, the step-mother said that she could only come if she cleaned the fireplace, into which the step-mother promptly threw a plate of food, thinking it impossible to achieve in time. The girl, though, cleans the fireplace with the help of two white doves sent from her mother in heaven, but this only angered the step-mother, who threw more food into the fireplace. The girl cleaned that, too, but the step-mother left with her own daughters for the ball without her.

Cinderella admiring her dress

Devastated, the girl retreats to her mother's grave, crying and asking for help. The white bird drops a gown and silk shoes, and the girl gets dressed  and goes to the ball. She knows she must be home before midnight, though, so her step-mother does not find out. She dances with the prince, but leaves on time. The next night, she again attends, this time in an even fancier outfit with silver shoes, and the prince falls in love with her, dancing only with her. The girl manages to leave again before midnight, and returns again for the third and final night, this time in a dress of spun gold and golden slippers. The prince knows her tricks by now and has the entire stairway greased so that the girl cannot escape again. The girl does run away, but loses one of her golden slippers in the grease.

Cinderella leaving a slipper behind

The prince finds his way to the girl's house the next morning with the slipper. He tries it on the eldest daughter, but her feet are too big. The step-mother has her daughter cut off her toes so the slipper will fit, but the prince finds out when the doves from heaven show him the blood dripping from the girl's feet. Realizing that she is not his love, the prince next tries the slipper on the other step-sister. This one cuts off her heel so that the slipper will fit, but the doves turn her in just like the first sister. Frustrated, the prince goes back again and asks if there is another girl in the house, and the man replies that there is only a kitchen maid - not revealing that it is his own daughter. The girl washes herself and tries on the slipper, which fits perfectly, and the prince has found his bride.

Cinderella happy

During the wedding ceremony, the doves fly down from heaven and, in a delicious ending that doesn't make it into the Disney movies, peck out an eye of each of the step-sisters. When the wedding is over, the doves return one last time and peck out the two girls' remaining eyes for being so greedy and selfish.

A typical local production of Cinderella in Chicago

Theatrical Versions

Having worked on this story for at least two millenia, storytellers weren't going to stop with the Brothers Grimm version just because it got published.  London's Drury Lane Theater got in on the act in 1904, and other theaters followed. The first filmed theatrical version was in 1926, also in London. In this stage version, Cinderella meets Prince Charming and a friend in the forest during a hunt and mistakes the prince for the friend and vice versa. Cinderella's father, Baron Hardup, has two step-daughters who rule him, and he is somewhat light on cash. Cinderella's Fairy Godmother appears and creates a coach from a pumpkin and a driver and footmen from mice and frogs, along with a dress from rags, so that Cinderella can go to the ball. The spell ends at midnight, so she has to be out of the palace by then or be exposed.

Cinderella's coach, from a North Carolina production

There were a dozen film versions before Walt Disney's classic 1950 animated version "Cinderella," and a couple of those previous versions were shorts by Disney as well.

Mary Pickford as "Cinderella" (1914)

Mary Pickford starred in a 1914 version of the Cinderella for the Famous Players Film Company. It featured an introspective look at Cinderella, focusing at one point on a nightmare she has about getting home by her midnight deadline. Another early version was "A Kiss for Cinderella" (1925), based on a play by J.M. Barrie. Barrie, of course, is better known for his original play "Peter Pan."

Betty Bronson as Cinderella, Esther Ralston as the fairy godmother in "A Kiss for Cinderella" (1925)

Walt Disney no doubt was familiar with these early versions and may well have gone to see them when they were playing. Perhaps they even stirred Walt's love for fairytales. Much of Disney's own fame came by adapting stories told by J.M. Barrie in his plays of "Peter Pan" and "Cinderella," as Walt Disney Production's 1950s revival was built around the success of its animated films of those two stories.

Anne Hathaway in "Ella Enchanted"

Since then, the versions have continued endlessly in countless permutations, including 2004's "Ella Enchanted" with Anne Hathaway. Disney, however, superseded all of these films with the defining treatment in 1950. Disney Disney Studios also later came out with two sequels that further extended the story and cemented Disney as the dominant storyteller of Cinderella.

Walt Disney's Cinderella (1950): or, the Tale of a Wrongfully Abused Girl Who Triumphs

Everybody knows the basics of Cinderella the story, and there are no surprises in this film. In essence, this film "Cinderella" has become the story, so it can't deviate from the story - it is the story. Fairy tale Cinderella is a lovely girl whose wicked stepmother unfairly and cruelly favors her own very ordinary daughters over her. While they play, Cinderella slaves away in the house, cooking and cleaning without complaining. When an invitation to the King's (Luis Van Rooten) Ball arrives, at which the eligible young prince (un-named, but Prince Charming in the fairy tale and voiced by Mike Douglas, who later became the famous talk show host) will be present. Cinderalla works and works to earn an invitation, but her wicked step-mother reneges on a promise to allow her to go with the other girls. Not only that, she destroys the dress Cinderella would have worn.

Dancing the night away....

Cinderella is distraught, but her Fairy Godmother (Verna Felton) appears and creates an elegant carriage out of the mice and some other items. The prince sees Cinderella and falls in love with her, to the dismay of her step-sisters and Lady Tremaine, but she has to hurry home before midnight when the spell that allowed her to attend the Ball expires. All she leaves behind is a glass slipper. The prince then embarks on a search with the slipper to find his true love.

The prince is enchanted with Cinderella

Cinderella is one of the most endearing characters in the Disney catalog. She is pleasant with a touch of humor, and is well-drawn. She looks even better in the restored version which you are likely to see now.

Cinderella makes a break for it!

Cinderella is not overly romantic, so we don't feel excessively sorry for her as a victim, but instead as a fighter determined to work through her troubles and achieve her destiny. Ilene Woods, who voiced her, quickly had three children and didn't try to cash in on her fleeting fame, leaving this as a unique voice of the fairy tale Cinderella.

Hurrying down the step, watch out for that slipper!

If there is anything bad to say about this Disney movie, it is that it is not very original, but that was always the case with the classic Disney movies. Changing things, though, would have ruined the entire story and required someone else to do a lesser job of just telling Cinderella the story the way it is known by everyone. Walt Disney just got the pure version that had to be made out of the way with this Disney movie, which was a huge hit and continues to sell in the restored DVD version.

Cinderella II: Dreams Come True (2002)

As is well known, the fairy tale Cinderella (Jennifer Hale) lived "happily ever after," but that doesn't mean her subsequent life was uneventful. Cinderella's Fairy Godmother (Russi Taylor) loves to tell the tale of Cinderella's discovery, and when the Fairy Godmother is reading it aloud one day, Cinderella's mice friends Gus (Corey Burton) and Jaq (Rob Paulsen) arrive to late. The mice resolve to tell what happened to Cinderella after she married the handsome prince, and three stories in particular come to mind.

Cinderella and the Prince leaving the palace after the wedding

In first fairy tale Disney movie segment "Aim to Please," Cinderella is in charge of planning the palace banquets and parties. She finds that the woman previously in charge, Prudence (Holland Taylor), is mean-spirited and rude. Cinderella decides that the kingdom's parties are too elitist, so she opens up the next one to ordinary folks who can act as they see fit.

Cinderella wearing a dress she hates

In the second fairy tale Disney movie segment "Tall Tail," Jaq the mouse has developed a complex about his size. He thinks that he is useless because of his small stature. The Fairy Godmother turns him into a human so that size is no longer an issue. Pom Pom the Cat (Frank Welker), though, doesn't like the mice, and he still chases them around. Jaq turns out to be in love with a fellow mouse named Mary (Taylor), and after an incident with an elephant at a fair, he accepts and welcomes being a mouse.

The Fairy Godmother loves reading about Cinderella

In final fairy tale Disney movie segment "Uncommon Romance," Cinderella's evil step-sister Anastasia (Tress MacNeille) finds love with a common baker. Lady Tremaine (Susanne Blakeslee) and older sister Drizella (Taylor) do not approve and say unkind things about the nice young man and his bakery. Lucifer, meanwhile, chases Cinderella's mice around and runs into Pom Pom, falling in love. Anastasia has all sorts of problems when she goes to see her boyfriend, getting kicked by a horse and crashing into his shop. Cinderella tries to help the two get together, while the mice decide to help Lucifer win Pom Pom over as long as he agrees to stop chasing them. He strikes the bargain and romances Pom Pom, but she tells him she wants him to bring her the mice for dinner. Lucifer tries to catch them, but they drop a bucket of water on her and she is so upset that she leaves Lucifer. The baker asks Anastasia to the upcoming ball, and she agrees despite her family's disapproval. He is so sweet that she falls in love with him.

A nice shot of the royal couple

The fairy tale mice have various funny adventures unrelated to the Disney movie segments themselves while telling their stories. After the last one, they sing "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo" and go to find fairy tale Cinderella to tell her about their stories. Cinderella loves the idea of her mice friends writing a fairy tale Cinderella book about their adventures, and they all go by the fire as she starts to read it. The Disney movie's songs appear on "Disney's Princess Favorites," sung by Brooke Allison.

A magical castle

Viewers tend to have strong feelings about any attempts by fairy tale Disney movies such as this Cinderella movie to tarnish the magical legacy of the classic fairy tale Cinderella story. While a top seller, nobody seemed to like this Cinderella movie, except, perhaps, for the children for whom it was intended. Indeed, the entire product appears aimed squarely at the youngest viewers, with notes on the DVD packaging explaining what a composer does and simple things like that. The new Cinderella characters also are not that interesting. The fatal flaw of this Cinderalla movie is that this entire fairy tale Disney movie is more about others than it is about fairy tale Cinderella herself. This may be one of the reasons why this title was removed form the list of available Disney movies back in 2008, perhaps never to return - but, considering that Disney movie sequel "Cinderella III: A Twist in Time" was withdrawn at the same time, it may just have been Disney doing its usual job of guarding the legacy and keeping the Disney movie currency strong.

Cinderella III: A Twist in Time (2007)

It is ten years since Prince Charming (Christopher Daniel Barnes) married Cinderella (Jennifer Hale), and the happy couple celebrates with a picnic in the woods hosted by Cinderella's Fairy Godmother (Russi Taylor) and attended by Cinderella's mice friends Jaq (Tress MacNeille) and Gus (Corey Burton). Anastasia (Lesli Margherita), Cinderella's evil step-sister, stumbles upon the Fairy Godmother's wand, and after a struggle, Lady Tremaine (Susanne Blakeslee) has the wand and the Fairy Godmother has been turned to stone.

Anastasia is a fully fleshed out character in "Cinderella III"

Lady Tremaine uses the wand to turn time back to the day before the Grand Duke (Rob Paulsen) slipped the glass slipper onto Cinderella's foot. Cinderella is locked in the attic with Gus and Jaq, and Lucifer (Frank Welker) is guarding the key. Using the wand again, Lady Tremaine makes Cinderella's glass slipper fit Anastasia's foot, so she is assumed to be the one who danced with Prince Charming at the ball. Stay away from the palace, Lady Tremaine warns as she breaks Cinderella's other glass slipper, but Cinderella sneaks over there with Gus and Jaq anyway.

Disney animators are never subtle when it comes to things like this....

Prince Charming can tell that Anastasia is not the true Cinderella with whom he danced, but Lady Tremaine once again uses the wand to make him believe that she is the right girl for him. Cinderella figures out that Lady Tremaine has the wand, and Cinderella disguises herself as a maid in order to steal back the wand. Lady Tremaine catches her, but the mice get away with the magic wand.

Prince Charming dancing with Anastasia

Prince Charming is on the verge of recognizing Cinderella, but Lady Tremaine orders her shipped out of the kingdom at once. The mice then intervene and tell Prince Charming what has happened, and he stops the ship from leaving, finds Cinderella, and asks her to marry him.

I love how they make the evil step-mother look like the bride of Frankenstein

The King (Andre Stojka) tries to arrest Lady Tremaine, but she escapes using the wand. She transforms Anastasia into a carbon copy of Cinderella, then transports Cinderella and the mice into a twisted pumpkin carriage driven by Lucifer in human form. The mice and Cinderella manage to escape, leaving Lucifer in the woods.

Lucifer has a great grin

Cinderella is too late to stop the wedding, but Anastasia has second thoughts and she turns Prince Charming down. Once again the King tries to arrest Lady Tremaine and Anastasia, but Lady Tremaine waves the guards off with her magic wand. Sending a beam toward Cinderella that will destroy her, Lady Tremaine and evil step-sister Drizella (Taylor) are instead turned into toads and transported to the castle cellar when Prince Charming's sword deflects the beam.

Cinderella's eyes, no computer could draw those like that

Cinderella recovers the magic wand and restores the Fairy Godmother. Anastasia is remorseful, but the relieved King understands that she has a good heart, so he does not punish her. Rather than return to their own time, Prince Charming and Cinderella decide to stay in this version of reality and live out their lives in peace.

Don't these two just look like they belong together?

A great deal more care was taken with this Disney movie sequel than with "Cinderella II." Live action sequences were filmed for aid in creating the animation, and the Disney movie animators put in a lot of time and effort, so much so that this almost has the quality of classic Disney movies like the original "Cinderella."

Below is a the mouse sing-along (think "Chipmunks") from "Cinderella."



2014