CW: genocide, rape

Pocahontas was maybe around 12 when she met John Smith. She had already been married to Kocoum. She was captured and held for ransom by the English, and Kocoum was killed during that time. Pocahontas was raped by her captors, yet she somehow during that time converted to Christianity. She was used as a pawn by John Smith and others to try to get the crown to invest in Jamestown by exploiting her perceived exotic nature and using the story of how she saved John Smith's life (which apparently might be completely false) to pique interest. She married a tobacco farmer, went to England, and died there. Her grave is unmarked and forgotten. White people (my ancestors,…

I dont really know if it's controversial to like this film. I know there is a lot of controversy about the real story of this film

As for the controversy I dont really know what it is I've never researched this film due to my fear of my opinion changing on this film. Because it meant something to me as a kid. Growing up in a racist family. As a kid my parents never really showed me movies that had to do with dark skinned background people. Because well my family to this day is racist however I saw this at my friend's house.

And let me tell you. I was shocked. To see a mixed race couple. On TV.…

In terms of animation, Pocahontas is one of the best in Disney’s catalogue, there’s a sense of mystery in the purple palette and velvety shades. Aside from that, this movie is pretty flawed. Disney has always made fantasies and myths, especially movies that imagine a more harmonious past than reality. They do this with unparalleled artistic skill, and it’s what they do best. But putting that magical spin on real historical things gets… problematic.

This movie paints a rosy picture of harmony and acceptance between European colonists and Native Americans, ignoring and minimizing the genocide of Native Americans and how white people stole their land. And I know it’s not meant to be a real, factual record since willow trees…

Ignoring the giant liberties it takes with history and the casting of Mel Gibson as John Smith, I’ve always had a soft spot for Disney’s Pocahontas. Naturally it isn’t a patch on the studio’s true greats, the ending is rushed, it lacks a memorable villain and it is too brisk for its own good, but it also gets a lot of things right.

For one thing it looks amazing. The character design and backgrounds are stunning, particularly in high definition, and the animation is fluid and dynamic. The lack of talking animal sidekicks is also a welcome addition. The Disney films of the ‘90s are full to the brim with wisecracking comic relief, normally in non-human form, and whilst some…

Watching Pocahontas in 2021 is an interesting endeavor. First of all, it's somehow fitting that Mel Gibson gave voice to a racist invader who wholly believes in white supremacy (until he falls in love with the titular heroine).

I won't dive into the real history of Pocahontas here. It's a depressing story. Just take a peek at her Wikipedia page. Instead, this is a "Print the legend!" type of situation, where all the horrifying details are extinguished, and the grand American myth is preserved.

It's one of the lesser Disney movies of the renaissance era that started with "The Little Mermaid" in 1989. I found the facial animation at times pretty odd, especially when the camera swooped around the characters.…