Jim On Film
Page 5 of 5

(c) Disney

Another popular artistic criticism of the film is of the character development for Ratcliffe. Some say that he is thinly developed and too broad, which may be the case; however, historically, there had to have been people like Ratcliffe. How else can some of the shocking displays of barbarian acts be explained, such as explorers who arrived and befriended the Native Americans, only to enslave them or kill them. The lack of dimension in Ratcliffe’s character is probably not all that far removed from historical reality.

Apart from visual merit, literary merit, and defending it from rash critics, the film is also filled with charming comic relief which is balanced extremely well with the rest of the film. Because Meeko, Flit, and Percy cannot speak, the humor relies heavily on the visual, supplying the audience with genuine laughter and original humor. Furthermore, this humor grows out of the characters. For example, Meeko has a host of funny looks and gestures, such as the mugged smile he gives Powhatan after falling from the shelf and into Pocahontas’ arms. In addition to these, there are some hilarious visual gags, such as Meeko taking Flit as his sword or the sight of him playing coonskin cap on a deadpan moose. There is also much humor centered around the speaking characters, namely John Smith’s witty quips and Grandmother Willow’s affection for John Smith. These character seem less created to make laughs as they appear to have the laughs sprout from their rich character development. As a result, while the film may not be as funny as other films, its humor is perfectly balanced with the rest of the film, never seeming out of place or forced, and because the humor is not forced, it provides richer opportunities to laugh.

The structure of the story, characters, and situations are also expertly accomplished. The characters are richly depicted and likable; one cares very much for the plight of the forbidden lovers. The story is centered around the archetypal plight of forbidden love, and naturally, the rebel spirit inside us responds to that. This is evidenced in the strong emotional conclusion where Pocahontas and John Smith must forever+36 part ways, complimented powerfully by Menken’s underscore and perfect character animation from Glen Keane and John Pomeroy, all of which cumulates into one of the most moving scenes in the Disney canon.

Besides being entertaining and moving, Pocahontas has many qualities with which it pushes the envelope of aesthetic quality and thematic completeness. If you’ve written Pocahontas off your slate, I encourage you to take another look at this magnificent and moving masterpiece of Disney animation. There are 101 reasons (or thereabouts) to do so, and in the end, you just might like painting with the colors of the wind (or at least like the film that teaches it).

Discuss It!

• Discuss this article on the LaughingPlace discussion board

Related Links

• Purchase Pocahontas from The LaughingPlace Store: DVD • VHS
• List of all Jim On Film columns

-- Jim Miles

-- Posted August 22, 2002

Copyright Jim Miles. Licensed to LaughingPlace.com.