Pocahontas [1995] [G] – 1.3.0 (2024)

FAQs

Why did they remove the song from Pocahontas? ›

During test screenings with child audiences, their attention "seemed to wander from the film". Alan Menken, the composer of the songs for Disney's Pocahontas, suggested it be cut because he also felt that it slowed the pace of the movie, with another song, Savages, about five minutes after.

While the real Pocahontas was eleven or twelve years old upon meeting John Smith, she is depicted as being around eighteen or nineteen years of age in the film, according to her supervising animator Glen Keane.

Mel Gibson as John Smith, the love interest of Pocahontas. He is the only settler in Jamestown willing to befriend the Natives due to his love for Pocahontas which made him change his point of view on other cultures.

Pocahontas is one story that has been manipulated throughout history. From the Disney film Pocahontas, released in 1995, to the 2005 film The New World, Pocahontas' story has been morphed into something that does not accurately portray or represent historical events.

During test screenings with child audiences their attention "seemed to wander from the film." Therefore, Alan Menken, the composer of the songs for Disney's Pocahontas, decided it had to be cut because he felt that it slowed the pace of the movie.

Pocahontas (1995) is the film that seems to have raised the most eyebrows. Despite its Indigenous stereotypes and numerous historical inaccuracies, Disney omitted the warning. The result? A mass of Disney+ subscribers took to Twitter to share their thoughts.

Pocahontas is currently the only Disney Princess to have a tattoo (the symbol on her right arm) and the only one to wear one outfit throughout her entire film.

In the first film, Moana is around 16 years old when she sets out on a journey from her island of Motunui to find Maui and force him to restore the heart of Te Fiti. That would make her about 19 or 20 in the new movie.

While not all was strange to Pocahontas, it was vastly different than the Powhatan world. During her religious instruction, Pocahontas met widower John Rolfe, who would become famous for introducing the cash crop tobacco to the settlers in Virginia. By all English accounts, the two fell in love and wanted to marry.

Only one portrait is known to have been made of Pocahontas during her lifetime, a print made by Simon de Passe in London in 1616.

Who is the villain in Pocahontas? ›

Governor John Ratcliffe is the main antagonist of Disney's 1995 animated feature film Pocahontas.

Judy Kuhn is an American singer and actress, known for her work in musical theater. For Disney, she provided the singing voice of Pocahontas in the 1995 Disney animated feature film of the same name, its 1998 sequel, and the short Once Upon a Studio.

Pocahontas was to return to Virginia the following year, in 1617, at the age of 22, but she never made it home. Gravesend historian Christoph Bull says she contracted a disease, possibly cholera, smallpox, tuberculosis or the flu, after setting sail from the town in north-west Kent.

No, Pocahontas and Sacagawea are not the same person. Pocahontas was the daughter of Chief Powhatan who lived from about 1596 until 1617. Sacagawea was the guide and interpreter for the Lewis and Clark expedition. She lived from 1788 until 1812.

Factual errors

Pocahontas follows a compass to the north, while the sun is rising. Her shadow is to her right, when it should be to her left. When John Smith first meets Pocahontas he is hiding behind a waterfall. He jumps through the water and levels his musket at her.

According to James Pentecost, the film's producer, the changes that were made for the film were decided upon because Pocahontas's real story was simply too long. He's said, “We decided to dramatize what we felt was the essence of Pocahontas (Kilpatrick 152).

Pocahontas is one of the most iconic historical figures to be associated with the Jamestown colony. She was also known for saving the life of John Smith and only lived until her early 20s. Many scholars and fans believe that a remake would be impossible because of the racial sensitivity and subject matter.

Disney all expressed their feelings of remorse that they loved the song but they had to make the professional decision to cut the song number. During the audience testing, the kids in the audience were losing interest during this sad scene. The adults were burdened by the weight of this song.