Pocahontas

Pocahontas 

In the movie Pocahontas it depicts two completely different cultures coming together and shows their many differences.  Although there are a variety of differences between the two cultures, they each view each other as "savages" and have negative feelings towards each other.  The music in Pocahontas very clearly states how each culture feels towards the other and also shows each culture's view on the world and on life in general.

The first major song in Pocahontas that I would like to discuss is "Just around the River Bend" sang by Pocahontas. "As she sings "Just Around the Riverbend," we hear of her restless search for something more than a steady husband. Her spiritual advisor -- Grandmother Willow-- a willow tree, encourages her to "listen to her heart"..(Ward 75)." Pocahontas tries to do as Grandmother Willow tells her, but while she is trying, she spots the English ship coming ashore and is completely intrigued. This song really introduces the theme and idea for the movie as a whole. I feel that the main idea of this movie is to follow your heart and not let what others think of your plans or your ideas sway the way you think. This song clearly sums that up by showing us Pocahontas' feelings about the future and how life is "always changing and always flowing." Also, "Just Around the Riverbend" shows that Pocahontas likes change and doesn't like staying in the same pattern of life and choices, she's always up for a challenge.

The second song I would like to discuss is "Color of the Wind." This song happens when Pocahontas is trying to explain her life and her people to John Smith.  John Smith is a "white man" and Pocahontas is beginning to have some love interest in him; therefore, she wants to explain to him the ways of her people and how she views the world. "Pocahontas and Smith are magically drawn to each other. Pocahontas teaches him about her people and the land through her powerful song, "Colors of the Wind" (Ward 75-76)."  She goes on to tell him, through the lyrics, that even though he has been many more places than she has, seen more things, and met more people, he still does not understand the importance of living in harmony with not only the land and animals, but also with people that are not like him. "Colors of the Wind" perhaps best sums up the entire spirit and essence of the film . . . this song was written before anything else. It set the tone of the movie and defined the character of Pocahontas (Edgerton)." Pocahontas shows John Smith that there is more to something than meets the eye through the influential song "Colors of the Wind."

The final song in Pocahontas that I would like to mention is "Savages." This song takes place towards the end of the movie and really paints a vivid picture of how each culture feels toward each other.  There is so much rage and passion that each people group is holding in about the other and in this number they finally release it and show all of their anger. This particular song takes place right before the climax of the movie and right before a major fight is about to break out. It shows that although both people groups think that something is wrong with the other, they are both savage and uncivilized in their own way. Because this song is sang the exact same by the Native Americans and the English Men it very clearly shows how both groups have problems of their own. "At dawn, with both groups preparing to fight, each sing their own cruel version of "Savages (Ward 76)." Fortunately, at the end of this song, Pocahontas breaks up the fight and mends the angry feelings between the two groups of people. 

By Maury Doerge

Edgerton, G., & Jackson, K. (1996). Redesigning Pocahontas. Journal Of Popular Film & Television, 24(2), 90.

Ward, A. R. (1997). Unearthing a disney world view: The rhetorical dimensions of disney morality in "the lion king", "pocahontas", and "disney's the hunchback of notre dame". Regent University). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, , 244-244 p. Retrieved from http://lib-ezproxy.tamu.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/304412884?accountid=7082. (304412884).