- The First Cut was originally intended as the version to be released theatrically, but after the premiere, New Line requested that director Terrence Malick cut 15 minutes for the film's wide release, which was only two weeks away. Malick and editor Mark Yoshikawa removed fourteen minutes, shortened shots, rearranged material (including voiceover), and added some additional footage. In the First Cut,
- As the ships arrive in Virginia, the shot of John Smith's (Colin Farrell) POV looking up through the bars from the Discovery's hold is longer, showing a sailor walking across the grating. (00:05).
- The final tracking shot showing the Powhatans watching the arrival of the ships is longer and ends with Pocahontas (Q'orianka Kilcher) and Parahunt (Kalani Queypo) on screen holding hands (00:09).
- There is an additional shot of Smith smiling in his cell as he drinks the water that's dripping down from the grating (00:05).
- The scene of Smith exploring during his first time on shore is longer, and features several additional shots; a shot of him moving through long wet grass, a tracking shot along the surface of the river, a shot of the gallows from which he has just been released, a shot of Smith moving through the forest and admiring a tree, a POV shot of the tree, and two shots of the crew unloading on the shore. There is also additional voiceover; "How many lands behind me? How many seas? What blows and dangers?" (this line is taken from a later scene in the Theatrical Cut that is absent in the First Cut) (00:27).
- Immediately after the above additions, there is a shot of Smith walking through long grass and tracing his hand along the top of it, plus an additional line of voiceover; "Fortune ever my friend" (00:09).
- Newport's (Christopher Plummer) speech in which he extols the benefits of the location and says they need to establish good relations with the Powhatans before seeking a route to "the other sea" is absent (-00:36).
- The shot from behind Newport when he first meets the Powhatans is longer; showing Tomocomo (Raoul Max Trujillo) instructing Tockwhogh (Myrton Running Wolf) to touch Newport's clothing (00:09).
- During this scene, there is an additional shot of Smith watching the introductions between Newport and Tomocomo (00:06).
- Also during this scene, the shot of Parahunt calling Pocahontas and the two running through the grass is longer (00:04).
- In the same scene, as the Powhatans meet Smith, a line of voiceover is absent; "The savages often visit us kindly...timid, like a herd of curious deer."
- Following the above scene, the scene where Newport lays out his plans for building a fort and planting crops, telling his men that "slackers will be whipped" is absent, as is the subsequent dialogue between Newport and Emery (Jamie Harris) where Emery inquires as to when they will be heading out to "poke about" and Newport tells him they are there to build a colony, not "pillage and rape." Smith's voiceover, "How many lands behind me? How many seas? What blows and dangers?" is also absent (found in an earlier scene in the First Cut) (-00:25).
- Following the above scene, a shot of a group of Powhatans slowly approaching the fort through the long grass is longer (00:01).
- Just before Smith sees Pocahontas for the first time, there is an additional shot of him looking up and watching a bird (00:09).
- The shot where Argall (Yorick van Wageningen) presents the two Powhatans who were caught spying to Newport has been moved to a slightly later position in the Final Cut; after the scene where Argall suggests Smith be selected to approach the Powhatan village for the purposes of trade. It is also longer than in the Theatrical Cut (00:05).
- The shot of the Powhatans inspecting the cross is longer and shows them examining its base (00:04).
- As Smith and his men are heading to find the Powhatan village, Smith's voiceover "What voice is this that speaks within me...guides me towards the best?" has been replaced with "Where? I will not die until I find it."
- The final shot on the boat, showing Emery and Robinson (Ben Chaplin) looking toward the shore, is longer (00:02).
- The scene where the crew set up camp in the forest is longer in the Theatrical Cut; the shot of Ackley (Joe Inscoe) looking around, the line "let's go back sir, gather a larger party. We're lost", and the shot of Tomocomo escaping and Smith telling the men to let him go are all absent (-00:14)
- After Smith and the Powhatans transfer to the canoe and head up river, there is a shot of the canoe from behind as Smith looks around at the forest (00:07).
- After the shot of Smith emerging from the long grass and walking along the river bank, but before the shot of him in the swamp, the film cuts to black (00:03).
- The first shot of Smith in the swamps is longer (00:04).
- The tracking shot of Smith moving through the swamp is longer, and ends with the reveal that several armed Powhatans are stalking him (00:11).
- The shot immediately before Smith is attacked in the swamp is longer (00:01).
- After he is taken prisoner and the Powhatan chief (August Schellenberg) decides to kill him, there is an additional shot of Pocahontas protecting Smith (00:01).
- The shot of Parahunt telling Opechancanough (Wes Studi) that they should let the English have the land is longer (00:02).
- The shot of the Powhatan women harvesting corn and the shot of the men practicing their aim are both longer (00:05).
- Immediately after the above, the first shot of Smith moving freely through the Powhatan village is longer (00:03).
- During the scene where Smith is teaching Pocahontas English, several shots are longer; the shot of Smith smiling after he teaches her the word "sun" (00:02), the shot of her repeating the word "water" (00:02), and the shot of her demonstrating the wind (00:01).
- After Smith and Pocahontas first kiss, there is an additional shot of Pocahontas running through the grass and smiling (00:08).
- After leaving the Powhatans, the shot of Smith looking around at the desolation in the fort is longer (00:08).
- After Wingfield's (David Thewlis) death, when Smith enters the cabin, there are two additional shots; one showing him sitting down and examining the feather Pocahontas gave him, the other showing him looking around the cabin. There is also additional voiceover; "Tell her. Tell her what? 'I love you.' But I cannot love you" (in the Theatrical Cut, only "Tell her. Tell her what?" is heard) (00:21).
- Immediately after these shots, there is an additional shot of Smith looking into the fire, followed by a shot of some of the men working in the fort (00:12).
- The scene of Fr. Harris (John Savage) walking around the fort maniacally preaching ends with an additional shot, in which he says, "Do horses run on the rocky crags?" Ben (Ben Mendelsohn) shouts, "Enough of your bedlam fool," to which Harris replies, "Do we plow with horses?" (00:05).
- Smith's reaction shot after Small (Bev Appleton) informs him of Ackley's death is longer (00:01).
- As the men gather around Ackley's body, there is an additional shot of an elderly man looking at the corpse. There is also some additional dialogue; one of the cabin boys asks "who ate his hands?", and Smith tells Small, "put this in the morning's report. Spare no detail" (00:05).
- As the Powhatans approach the fort with food, there is an additional shot of Pocahontas (00:08).
- The scene of Smith talking to Pocahontas in the fort after she has brought food is longer and features several additional shots of each of them, although the dialogue is unchanged (00:17).
- During the snowstorm, there is a shot of one of the settlers outside the fort (00:03).
- Immediately after the above scene, two shots of Smith and his men on a boat are absent (-00:10).
- When the Kiskiak chief (Billy Merasty) is speaking to Smith during their trade, Smith's mind wanders and he thinks of Pocahontas. In the Theatrical Cut, his reverie includes a shot of her walking along a tree trunk as he stands underneath. In the First Cut, this shot is absent and is replaced with a shot of the chief talking, plus a brief shot of Pocahontas standing in a field. The scene runs the same length in both versions.
- Immediately after the above scene, the scene of Smith and Pocahontas meeting in the clearing is longer and edited differently. In the Theatrical Cut, the scene begins with Smith on the ground as Pocahontas runs around him, followed by him hugging her and asking if she wants him to live with her. In the First Cut, the scene begins with a shot of Pocahontas approaching the clearing from the forest, followed by an additional shot of her touching Smith's chest. Then, the shot where he asks her if she wants him to live with her is followed by a longer version of the shot of him on the ground as she runs around him, then a shot of the two on the ground, then a longer version of the shot of her walking along the tree trunk. Pocahontas also has some additional voiceover; "True. Is this the man I loved? So long. A ghost. Come. Where are you, my love? Free. What do I fear?" This is followed by three additional shots; a tree blowing in the wind, Pocahontas looking at Smith, and Smith standing in a field. The next sequence is also longer. In the Theatrical Cut, there is a brief shot where Pocahontas approaches Smith in the field and takes his hand. In the First Cut, the scene continues, showing her leading him through the field, followed by several shots of the two lying together in the grass. These shots also include additional dialogue where Smith laments their situation; "We can't go into the forest. Could I show you England? No. It's too far", to which she replies, "You've come back." He asks her why he wouldn't have come back and kisses her. This is followed by an additional shot of the two hugging, and she says, "If I can be with you, yes, that is all." There is then a fade to black before the two are shown again lying in the grass. A shot of the sky is then followed by a shot of Pocahontas standing up, Smith taking her hand, and she rubbing his head. There is then a shot of the river (04:19).
- Immediately after the above scene, there are several tracking shots along a river at dusk. In the First Cut, these shots end the scene, but in the Theatrical Cut, these shots are followed by a continuation of the shot where Smith lies on the ground in the clearing and Pocahontas runs around him (-00:09).
- After Smith heads back to the fort, the shot where the Powhatans examine the crops is longer, and there is an additional shot of them making their way through the grass (00:05).
- Prior to the shot of Pocahontas being chased through the long grass by the Powhatans, there is a scene of her still in the Powhatan village, where she takes Parahunt's hand (00:17).
- Immediately after the above scene, the long shot of the fire that Pocahontas starts outside the fort is longer (00:11).
- The scene where Pocahontas warns Smith about the immanent attack is longer, and features several longer and additional reactions shots; the pauses between the lines of dialogue are also longer (00:26).
- After Smith tells Pocahontas she must come into the fort for protection, but she runs away, the subsequent shot of the moon is longer and there is additional voiceover; "Mother. Stay near me" (00:04).
- In the next scene, the shot of Pocahontas walking through the felled trees is shorter (-00:05).
- At the end of this scene, whereas the Theatrical Cut cuts directly from a low-angle shot of Pocahontas to a shot of a canoe on fire, the First Cut has multiple additional shots in between; a close-up of a candle, a shot of Pocahontas rubbing her foot along the ground, a shot of Smith in his cabin staring at a candle, the POV shot looking up through the grating from the opening scene, a shot of a river at dusk, and a shot where Smith wanders around the fort and tells Winthrop (Ford Flannagan), "wake the men up. Silently. Have them report here" (00:51).
- As the Powhatans approach the fort for their attack, there is an additional shot of them emerging from the long grass (00:04).
- The shot of Opechancanough approaching the fort is longer and shows more of his reaction to the first barrage of canon fire (00:16).
- The first shot of Smith watching the battle is longer (00:03).
- The shot of the clouds after Parahunt is wounded is longer (00:03).
- The shot of Pocahontas running through grass is longer (00:03).
- Immediately after Tomocomo is killed, there are two additional shots; one of Smith yelling at his men to "Retreat, fall back", and another of a Powhatan wearing a war mask (00:05).
- During the battle, Smith's voiceover has been changed from "Lord, turn not away thy face. You desire not the death of a sinner. I have gone away from You. I have not hearkened to Your voice. Let us not be brought to nothing" in the Theatrical Cut to "Lord, I have gone away from You. I have not hearkened to Your voice. Let us not be brought to nothing" in the First Cut.
- Before the scene where Pocahontas is returned to the Powhatan village, there are several additional shots; a shot of the Powhatan chief approaching Parahunt's body, a shot of a Powhatan priest, and a shot of the chief standing on the river's edge listening to the battle in the distance (00:27).
- As the Powhatans destroy the crops, in the Theatrical Cut, there is a shot of Smith walking on the battlements, inter-cut with a shot of the English flag. In the First Cut, the shot of Smith is longer and uninterrupted, with the shot of the flag moved to the end of the sequence. There is also additional voiceover; "Trapped. Like a wasp in a bottle" (00:10).
- After Smith and Argall argue about taking Pocahontas captive, Argall tells the men that Smith plans to marry her and make himself "King of Virginia". In the Theatrical Cut, Smith walks up to Argall and immediately shoves him. In the First Cut, he walks up to Argall and they stare at one another as Argall says, "Strike me and you break the laws of this colony. Those are the laws," to which Smith says "strike you?" before shoving him (00:06).
- The next scene, where Edward whips Smith has been edited differently in each version. In the Theatrical Cut, the scene opens with a split second shot of Smith hanging, followed by a shot of Edward speaking about chaos and people giving themselves "airs and graces". There are then two more split second shots of Edward striking the whip and Smith being hit. The next shot shows Edward saying, "I'll pray to the gods for your good health for the rest of my life", but the shot is inter-cut with a shot of one of the men listening to the whipping. In the First Cut, the scene opens on Edward speaking about chaos and people giving themselves "airs and graces." This shot then extends into Edward offering Smith a piece of charcoal to eat before a jump cut to the shot where he tells Smith he'll pray for him. In this version, the two subsequent split second cutaways are both absent, as is the shot of the man listening from outside, with the camera remaining on Edward the whole time (00:08).
- In the next scene, when Argall goes to trade Pocahontas with the Patawomeck chief (Thomas Clair), there is an additional shot of Pocahontas walking through the village, followed by a shot of the chief speaking to his wife (Alex Rice) (00:17).
- In the Theatrical Cut, immediately after the above scene, there is a shot of the chief's wife looking at the kettle, followed by a shot on the boat as the settlers head back to the fort with Pocahontas, the impression being that the trade went well. In the First Cut, however, rather than cutting to the chief's wife, the scene cuts to a conflict between the settlers and the Patawomecks; as the settlers clamor onto their boats, the Patawomecks are wading out into the water to try to stop them. After a shot of the Patawomecks standing on the river edge shouting, there is a longer version of the shot of the wife looking at the kettle. There is then a scene of the Powhatans launching flaming arrows at the fort as the settlers try to extinguish the flames (01:08).
- The scene of Pocahontas first coming on shore features a slightly different order of shots, but the run-time is identical.
- After Pocahontas has looked around the cabin, but before the shot of the ships returning from England, there is a cut to black (00:02).
- During the scene where the ships return from England, the last line of Smith's voiceover is absent; "The tide now swung to the English side".
- As the ships move toward the shore, there is an additional shot of the settlers celebrating (00:05).
- After the arrival of the ships, the shot of Smith and Pocahontas hugging is longer (00:11).
- Immediately after the above shot, during the scene of Smith and Pocahontas in the forest, her voiceover is absent, "What is right? Give. Wrong? Who is this man? Now...all is perfect. Let me be lost. True."
- In the same scene, before the shot of them lying on the ground, there is an additional shot of Smith hugging Pocahontas from behind (00:16).
- As Pocahontas heads back to the fort, there is an additional shot of Smith watching her leave (00:14).
- The shot of Argall walking through the new arrivals as they disembark is longer (00:08).
- As Pocahontas is learning how to walk in her new shoes, there is additional voiceover; "Come. My love. Give us one heart."
- After the shot of her trying to walk, there is an additional scene in which she asks Mary why the people are so obsessed with gold, asking "can't they make it. Do they eat it?" (00:17).
- After Newport's speech to the newly arrived settlers, there is an additional shot of Smith walking through the fort, plus some additional voiceover; "Why this sleep? Fever" (00:08).
- Immediately after the above shot, there is an additional shot of the sky followed by an additional shot of Smith walking toward the pier (00:08).
- Prior to Smith and Pocahontas speaking in the fort, there is an additional shot of her in her cabin (00:03).
- In the scene where Pocahontas and Smith walk through the field, the shot of Pocahontas is longer (00:03).
- After Smith leaves, the shot of Pocahontas crying on the riverside is longer (00:05).
- After Pocahontas learns that Smith is dead, there is a cut to black (00:03).
- Immediately before the shot of the Powhatans' crops being set on fire, there is an additional shot of Pocahontas thinking about her mother (Irene Bedard) stroking her hair (00:09).
- As John Rolfe (Christian Bale) watches the newly christened Rebecca moving through the fields, there is an additional line of voiceover; "How do you bear your solitude?"
- The shot of Rebecca stroking the bull is longer, and Rolfe has an additional line of voiceover; "All sings to her" (00:05).
- The scene where Rolfe proposes to Rebecca is longer and features additional dialogue. After they talk about where to live and Rolfe says they can move to England so she can forget her life in America, she says "There are things you don't know, things you couldn't guess." He replies, "I know what I have to know. I know I love you" (00:22).
- Immediately after Rolfe and Rebecca are wed, a long shot of the exterior of the house is absent (-00:05).
- During the sequence in which Thomas is born, Pocahontas's voiceover has been changed from "You give life to the trees and the hills, to the streams of water, to the sky, the sea, to all" to "You give life to the trees and the hills, to the streams of water, to all."
- The scene where Smith arrives on the coast of Greenland is longer; the shot of him walking across the rocky ground has been extended, and there is an additional shot of the Inuit woman (Nive Nielsen) talking to him and smiling (00:23).
- The shot of Rebecca wandering around outside the fort after finding out that Smith is still alive is longer (00:04).
- The last shot of the scene where Rebecca encounters Opechancanough on the ship to England is slightly longer (00:02).
- Immediately after this shot, the exterior shot of the boat is longer, replacing a tracking shot along the water in the Theatrical Cut. There is then a cut to black (00:02).
- As Rolfe and Rebecca await Smith's arrival, Rolfe has an additional line of off-camera dialogue; "I will not rob you of your self-respect."
- During Smith's final encounter with Rebecca, he has an additional line of off-camera dialogue; "I was a fool not to have bound my fate with yours. I might be a happy man now."
- The Extended Cut of the film was released on DVD and Blu-ray in 2010, and given a 4K digital restoration for the 2016 Criterion Collection release. This version is thirty-six minutes longer than the Theatrical Cut, and features additional footage, longer shots, and rearranged material (including voiceover);
- There is an opening legend showing a quote from John Smith (Colin Farrell); "How much they err, that think that everyone that has been at Virginia understands or knows what Virginia is" (00:13).
- In the first scene after the opening credits, there are multiple additional shots of Pocahontas (Q'orianka Kilcher) and the Powhatans swimming, and some additional voiceover; "Dear Mother. You fill the land with your beauty. You reach to the end of the world. How shall I seek you? Show me your face. You, the great river. That never runs dry" (00:38).
- As the ships arrive on Virginia's coast, there is an additional tracking shot at water level (00:04).
- Immediately before the scene of Smith in the gallows, a title card is shown; "A New Start" (00:04).
- After Newport (Christopher Plummer) grants Smith a reprieve, the Theatrical Cut cuts to black and then to a tracking shot along the river. In the Extended Cut, the cut to black is absent, and the tracking shot is shorter (-00:06)
- The scene of Smith exploring during his first time on shore is longer, and features several additional shots; a shot of him moving through long wet grass, a tracking shot along the surface of the river, a shot of the gallows from which he has just been released, a shot of Smith moving through the forest and admiring a tree, and a POV shot of the tree (00:21).
- Immediately after the above scene, there is a shot of Smith walking through long grass and tracing his hand along the top of it (00:04).
- During the scene where the settlers and Powhatans first encounter one another, the shot of Parahunt calling Pocahontas and the two running through the grass is longer (00:02).
- The scene where Pocahontas and Parahunt (Kalani Queypo) imitate various animals is longer, with several additional shots (00:10).
- Just before Smith sees Pocahontas for the first time, there is an additional shot of him looking up and watching a bird (00:10).
- The scene where Argall (Yorick van Wageningen) suggests Smith be selected to approach the Powhatan village for the purposes of trade is longer, showing Wingfield (David Thewlis) questioning Smith's suitability for the mission, speculating that he might reveal important information to the Powhatans, questioning Smith's claim to the rank of captaincy, and pointing out that Smith is the son of a farmer, not a thoroughbred gentleman. Argall then sarcastically asks Wingfield if he'd like to go on the mission instead (00:33).
- The shot of the Powhatans inspecting the cross is longer and shows them examining its base (00:04).
- After leaving the fort to find the Powhatan village, the scene of the boat moving upriver is longer, with several additional shots of the environment, an additional shot of Smith watching Tomocomo (Raoul Max Trujillo), and an additional shot in which Smith and Tomocomo communicate by using hand gestures. The voiceover during these shots ("what voice is this that speaks within me? Guides me towards the best?") is taken from later in the Theatrical Cut (00:43).
- Immediately after the above additions, there are some additional shots of the environment at dusk, and some additional voiceover; "Always the star was guiding me. Leading. Drawing me on. To the fabled land" (00:08).
- Following the above, there is a new scene as the boat nears shore. Tomocomo stands up and begins to communicate with the Powhatan on the riverbank, there are several additional shots of the environment, and there is a shot of Smith writing in his journal. There is also additional voiceover; "A world equal to our hopes. A land where one might wash one's soul pure. Rise to one's true stature" (01:08).
- Immediately after the above additions, a shot of Tomocomo sitting in the boat and looking towards shore is absent (-00:02).
- Just before the settlers make camp, there are some additional shots of the boat and the environment, plus some additional voiceover; "No man shall stand above any other. We'll all live under the same law" (00:17).
- After making camp, there is an additional shot of Smith walking through the camp (00:17).
- After Smith and the Powhatans transfer to the canoe and head up river, there are multiple additional shots inserted throughout the sequence; a shot of the canoe from behind as Smith looks around at the forest, a tracking shot along the surface of the water, a shot where they encounter the hanging skulls for the first time, and a close-up of Emery (Jamie Harris) looking around (00:29).
- The scene of Smith moving through the high grass after the Powhatan escapes is longer, and shows him navigating by using his compass (00:22).
- After the shot of Smith emerging from the long grass and walking along the river bank, but before the shot of him in the swamp, there is a title card; "The Stranger" (00:04).
- The swamp scene opens with an additional shot of Smith walking towards camera (00:04).
- After the Powhatans decide not to kill Smith, there is an additional scene of him walking around the village; a young woman gives him a corn, and he and Tomocomo interact, with Tomocomo showing him a butterfly, a plant, and a ritual, before examining Smith's tattoos and letting Smith examine the feathers in his hair (01:20).
- The scene of Smith playing with the Powhatans is longer and shows especially Smith and Tomocomo's growing bond (00:45).
- After the Powhatan chief (Wes Studi) reminds Pocahontas to be careful, as Smith is not one of them, there is an additional scene of Smith teaching her the words "smoke" and "heat", and some additional voiceover; "I am not guarded. It seems they are watching me but I wander where I will. They trust me as a brother. I, who was a pirate who lived to steal what I could. I am a free man now. All that they have is given me." This is immediately followed by a scene in which Smith saves a Powhatan child from drowning, and again there is additional voiceover; "Saved a child from drowning. Never had it struck me so forcefully before that I have the power to grant life and health to others" (02:17).
- Immediately after the above, the shot of Pocahontas painting Smith's body is longer (00:11).
- After Smith and Pocahontas first kiss, there is an additional sequence in which we see Pocahontas running through long grass and smiling, then her and Smith lying in the grass, then a scene of the Powhatans and Smith dancing around a fire. There is also some additional voiceover; "Lawless. I was a dead man. Now I live. You, my light. My America" (00:53).
- Immediately after the shot of Pocahontas pouring water on Smith's head, the Theatrical Cut features a brief shot from the scene where the Powhatans and Smith are dancing at the fire (-00:04).
- After Smith returns to the fort and Argall shoots Wingfield, a title card is shown; "The President, Fall 1608" (00:04).
- After this card, when Smith enters the cabin, there are two additional shots; one showing him sitting down and examining the feather Pocahontas gave him, the other showing him looking around the cabin. There is also additional voiceover; "Tell her. Tell her what? 'I love you.' But I cannot love you" (in the Theatrical Cut, only "Tell her. Tell her what?" is used) (00:21).
- Immediately after these shots, there is an additional shot of Smith looking into the fire, with additional voiceover; "It was a dream. Now I am awake" (00:03).
- The above additions are followed by a new scene in which Rupwew (Michael Greyeyes) wanders into the fort. The men ask Smith what to do with him, and he tells them to do nothing as Rupwew is mad but harmless. He wanders around the fort, tentatively touching the men's clothing and examining tools. They then demonstrate how a cannon works, and he laughs when he is left with a ringing in his ears. This is followed by a shot of the men working to clean up the fort (02:07).
- As the Powhatans approach the fort with food, there is an additional shot of Pocahontas (00:08).
- After the Powhatans visit the fort with food, there is an additional scene of Smith preparing to leave to see if he can trade with another tribe. Argall approaches him and asks if he doesn't think he should bring more men, to which Smith replies any man who wishes to come can come. There is also additional voiceover inter-cut with the dialogue during this scene; "She. Brass touched her hand. Crabs in a bucket. Scuttling all over each other. Is she waiting? There. What else is life but living there? Steal her love" (00:41).
- After Smith leaves the fort, in the Theatrical Cut there are two shots of the boat at dusk, and then the crew put to shore. In the Extended Cut, their journey is longer with multiple additional shots of the environment, a shot of the men navigating by torch light at night, multiple additional shots from various angles of the boat, and multiple additional shots of the men on the boat. This scene also features additional voiceover; "She lay in peace. Gazed at the sky. Motionless. Afraid of what I most desire. Fool I was. Stillness. Can't walk two paths at once. Leave her free. Can't deceive the good. Peace. Without craving or desire. Cling to the good. As long as you do, you have a claim in life. Sail" (00:44).
- The scene where Smith and the Kiskiak chief (Billy Merasty) discuss their trade is edited differently. Several of the early shots are shorter in the Extended Cut than the Theatrical Cut. Then, when the chief hands Smith the coin, there are a few additional shots where Smith holds up the coin and says, "The source of all evil. It excuses vulgarity. Makes wrong right. Base noble." There are also additional shots of the tribe examining the items Smith has brought. This is followed by several more shots which are longer in the Theatrical Cut, including a couple of shots of the tribe not in the Extended Cut (overall, the Theatrical Cut is 5 seconds longer).
- Immediately after the above changes, Smith's mind wanders and he thinks of Pocahontas. In the Theatrical Cut, his reverie includes a shot of her walking along a tree trunk as he stands underneath. In the Extended Cut, this shot is absent and is replaced with a shot of the chief talking, plus a brief shot of Pocahontas standing in a field. The scene runs the same length in both versions.
- Immediately after the above scene, the scene of Smith and Pocahontas meeting in the clearing is longer and edited differently. In the Theatrical Cut, the scene begins with Smith on the ground as Pocahontas runs around him, followed by him hugging her and asking if she wants him to live with her. In the Extended Cut, the scene begins with a shot of Pocahontas approaching the clearing from the forest, followed by an additional shot of her touching Smith's chest. Then, the shot where he asks her if she wants him to live with her is followed by a longer version of the shot of him on the ground as she runs around him, then a shot of the two on the ground, then a longer version of the shot of her walking along the tree trunk. Pocahontas also has some additional voiceover; "True. Is this the man I loved? So long. A ghost. Come. Where are you, my love? Free. What do I fear?" This is followed by three additional shots; a tree blowing in the wind, Pocahontas looking at Smith, and Smith standing in a field. The next sequence is also longer. In the Theatrical Cut, there is a brief shot where Pocahontas approaches Smith in the field and takes his hand. In the Extended Cut, the scene continues, showing her leading him through the field, followed by several shots of the two lying together in the grass. These shots also include additional dialogue where Smith laments their situation; "We can't go into the forest. Could I show you England? No. It's too far", to which she replies, "You've come back." He asks her why he wouldn't have come back and kisses her. This is followed by an additional shot of the two hugging, and she says, "If I can be with you, yes, that is all." There is then a fade to black before the two are shown again lying in the grass. A shot of the sky is then followed by a shot of Pocahontas standing up, Smith taking her hand, and she rubbing his head. There is then a shot of the river (04:19).
- Immediately after the above scene, there are several tracking shots along the river at dusk. In the Extended Cut, these shots end the scene, but in the Theatrical Cut, these shots are followed by a continuation of the shot where Smith lies on the ground in the clearing and Pocahontas runs around him (-00:10).
- After the above, there is an additional scene where Smith returns to his men on the riverside, including some additional voiceover; "No ties. Space enough at last. Break free. Can I lead them off some other way? Later" (00:43).
- After finishing the trade, but before the Powhatans come to examine the crops, there is an additional scene. First, Smith is approached by William (Will Wallace) and Lewes (Brían F. O'Byrne), who ask him if the soil is as good as they had hoped. Smith replies, "not really. In fact, I have rarely seen such a pest hole. Look about you, everything's swamp. Water standing in lakes and pools, so the ground gives way beneath your feet. I suspect there's more puddles than dry land. Each producing more mosquitoes in their slime than there are beads in a nunnery and each mosquito as hungry as a priest. None but a savage could inhabit the place. But west of here towards the mountains, or south, now that is something else. We can sail on. Seek a passage to the Indies." Additional lines of voiceover are inter-cut throughout this sequence; "Later/ Always alone. No. Let the dead bury the dead. The deep, dark pool." This scene is then followed by Smith thinking about Pocahontas; a shot in the clearing, a shot of her swimming, a shot of Smith lying on top of her, a shot of her stroking his hair and kissing him, three shots of her running through a field, a shot of a map, a shot of a river, a shot of Smith in the forest, a shot of Pocahontas in long grass, a shot of Smith and Pocahontas walking hand in hand, a shot of her on the river's edge, a shot of her mother (Irene Bedard), two more shots of them lying in the grass, a close-up of her lips, a shot of Smith in the village, a close-up of her hair, a shot of her washing her hair, then examining a mirror, then standing by the river. This is followed by multiple environmental shots and several shots of Pocahontas's mother. The sequence ends with a shot of a wooden ladder and a shot of Pocahontas again standing on the river's edge. Additional lines of voiceover are inter-cut throughout this sequence; "Come. My love. It flows. Where? Life. Me, in your soul. Life. Am I a deceiver? My mouth is dry. My body trembles. Shall I let myself go? My skin burns. Trust. How false I am. I have two minds. Wait, should I tell Father? There is nothing but this. Not yet. What was I? What am I now? Oh, Mother, what have I done? Love has unbound my limbs. This love is like pain. I am. I shall be. Yours" (01:22)
- Immediately after this, there is a title card; "A Secret Crop" (00:04).
- Prior to the shot of Pocahontas being chased through the long grass by the Powhatans, there is a scene of her still in the Powhatan village, where she takes Parahunt's hand (00:15).
- Immediately after Tomocomo is killed, there are two additional shots; one of Smith yelling at his men to "Retreat, fall back", and another of a Powhatan wearing a war mask (00:05).
- Before the scene where Pocahontas is returned to the Powhatan village, there is an additional shot of the chief standing on the river's edge listening to the battle in the distance (00:06).
- As the Powhatans destroy the crops, in the Theatrical Cut, there is a shot of Smith walking on the battlements, inter-cut with a shot of the English flag. In the Extended Cut, the shot of Smith is longer and uninterrupted (00:10).
- Immediately after the above, there is an additional scene. Firstly, there are two shots of the fort, one interior shot and one exterior. Then there is a scene where Edward (Eddie Marsan) tells Smith that the Powhatans have poisoned the water by putting a dead dog into the well and asking him how long they can last. This is followed by a scene between Smith and Selway (Noah Taylor) where Selway accuses Smith of keeping the truth from the men, saying "there's something you're not telling us and I got a right to know." This is followed by a shot of a man starving, then a shot of a sentry walking the wall, then a night shot of Smith walking through the fort, then several shots of Smith sitting outside his cabin. There is then a scene of Lewes scouting for enemies in the forest and seeing that Pocahontas is now a prisoner of the Patawomeck. The scene ends with the shot of the English flag from earlier in the Theatrical Cut. These scenes are accompanied by additional voiceover; "Starvation does fearful things to a man. I hate your hearts. You see my value as the carcasses of unburied men. Tired of your contempt. You don't know where you are. Like a wasp in a bottle. Trapped. To give light to them. Deliver us from evil. Not sit in darkness. Deal not with us after our sins. Of all thy people I have become, as it were, a monster unto many. Cast me not away. Make me a clean heart" (01:11).
- The scene where Smith and Argall argue about taking Pocahontas captive has been edited differently. In both cuts, Smith says, "she risked the beating out of her own brains to save mine." In the Theatrical Cut, Smith goes on to say, "had she not fed us, you would have starved. She's been the instrument to preserve this colony from disaster. We shall not return her kindness by making her a captive." He then asks Argall to threaten him, saying, "Then I'd know I was going to live for a thousand years." In the Extended Cut, the shot of Smith telling Argall to threaten him comes between the "she risked the beating" and "had she not fed us" lines. The shot of his comment about a thousand years comes between the "had she not fed us" and "she's been the instrument" lines (00:05).
- When Argall goes to trade Pocahontas with the Patawomeck chief (Thomas Clair), there is an additional shot of Pocahontas walking through the village (00:07).
- In the Theatrical Cut, immediately after the above scene, there is a shot of the chief's wife looking at the kettle, followed by a shot on the boat as the settlers head back to the fort with Pocahontas, the impression being that the trade went well. In the Extended Cut, however, rather than cutting to the chief's wife, the scene cuts to a conflict between the settlers and the Patawomecks; as the settlers clamor onto their boats, the Patawomecks are wading out into the water to try to stop them. After a shot of the Patawomecks standing on the river edge shouting, there is a longer version of the shot of the wife looking at the kettle. There is then a scene of the Powhatans launching flaming arrows at the fort as the settlers try to extinguish the flames (01:12).
- The shot of Pocahontas standing on the boat and waiting for it to dock is shorter (-00:13).
- During the scene when Pocahontas is looking around her cabin, there is a shot where she looks up the chimney. In the Extended Cut, there is an additional shot of her POV (00:01).
- At the end of this scene, whereas the Theatrical Cut cuts directly to a shot of the ships returning from England, the Extended Cut has several additional shots; a shot of Pocahontas rubbing her foot along the ground, a memory in which Smith rubs her shoulder, and a shot of her lying down on the bed and looking around the room (00:15).
- Immediately after the above additions, a title card is shown, "Return of the Floating Islands" (00:04).
- During the scene where the ships return from England, the last line of Smith's voiceover is absent; "The tide now swung to the English side".
- As Pocahontas is learning how to walk in her new shoes, there is additional voiceover; "Mother. Fast. So fast. I want my love. To go to him. The river. Living water. To meet him. Where does it come from? Where is it going?"
- After the shot of her trying to walk, there is an additional scene in which she asks Mary (Janine Duvitski) why the people are so obsessed with gold, asking "can't they make it. Do they eat it?" (00:17).
- After Smith tells Ben (Ben Mendelsohn) to wait two months and then tell Pocahontas that he has died, there is an additional shot of a ship departing from the dock at night (00:10).
- After learning of Smith's death, there is an additional scene of Pocahontas wandering around the fort. There is also some additional voiceover; "Unwed. Where is your love now? Where is our child?" (00:22).
- As the Powhatans abandon their village, Pocahontas has some additional voiceover; "The dogs come about us. Like wolves, they devour our soul. Does the sun see this? Save us. Despise us not. Men cannot spoil it. He vanishes like the dew. On the bed of fate, we lie. We can enter you. Question you. I mourn. I grieve. Take my hand, Father."
- After the above scene, a title card is shown; "A Proposal" (00:04).
- After the introductory shot of John Rolfe (Christian Bale), there is an additional scene in which Pocahontas is shown walking dejectedly around the fort and forest, including additional voiceover; "Scorned. Cast out, cut off. A dog. Come, death. Take me. Set me free. Let me be what I was." As she walks through the forest, she picks a mushroom and begins to examine it. Upon hearing the sound of a bird, she very carefully places the mushroom back where she found it. She then places her hands against a tree for a moment, before continuing through the forest. There is then a shot of her standing in the river and smiling as she raises her hand skywards. The scene then cuts back to the fort, where she is walking with Rupwew. The two playfully interact, and Rupwew pretends to pluck something from behind her ear. She then takes his hand and smiles. This is followed by another shot of her walking through the fort, now in heavy fog (03:55).
- After the scene where Rolfe is teaching Pocahontas about days, weeks, and months, there is an additional scene featuring several shots of Rolfe at night time, lit by candlelight. There is also additional voiceover; "Many passions have I endured. Daily. Hourly. Even in my sleep. Awaking me to astonishment. This love has become such a labyrinth that I no longer know how to wind myself out from it". This is followed by a shot of Smith standing in a doorway, and Pocahontas says, "were you sad, to lose your wife and daughter?" (00:36).
- After the newly christened Rebecca moves in with Rolfe, his voiceover line, "The loss of my wife and daughter has led me to understand her loss as well," is absent.
- The shot of Rebecca stroking the bull is longer, and Rolfe has an additional line of voiceover, "All sings to her" (00:05).
- After the scene where Rolfe proposes to Rebecca, there is an additional scene in which Rolfe is questioned by a governor (Roger Rees) regarding his proposal. The governor says, "You're not ignorant to the displeasure which God conceived against the sons of Levi and Israel for marrying strange wives." Rolfe answers that he is not, and the governor asks him would he do anything necessary to secure the marriage. Rolfe answers that he would, and the governor asks, "Would you write a petition explaining, as the wealthiest planter in Virginia, the benefit this would offer the colony? Could you state your hope that this might be the beginning the great work of converting the naturals? That this idea came to you in no way through any carnal affection but for the good of the plantation? For the honor of your country. And your own soul. In service of saving the non-believing creature. If this be not your true intent would you do that?" When Rolfe answers that he would, Newport says, "Then surely you do love her, Mr. Rolfe." This dialogue is inter-cut with additional voiceover; "The governor requires a letter stating acceptable reasons for our union. Humiliated. And yet it does not touch me" (01:31).
- The above scene is followed by a shot of Mary helping Rebecca with her wedding dress (00:05).
- Immediately after the wedding, a shot of the house has been replaced with a longer tracking shot of the lake (00:03).
- Shortly after the above, there are several additional shots; Rebecca running a leaf down Rolfe's cheek, a shot of her looking into a fire, a memory of her mother, and a shot of her lying on the bed (00:16).
- After the scene where Rolfe tells Rebecca, they've been invited to England, a title card is shown; "Far to the North, Spring 1616" (00:04).
- Immediately after the title card, the scene where Smith arrives on the coast of Greenland is longer; the shot of him walking across the rocky ground has been extended, and there is an additional shot of the Inuit woman (Nive Nielsen) talking to him and smiling (00:23).
- After Rebecca meets Opechancanough (Wes Studi) on the boat to England, a title card is shown; "London, Summer 1616"
- After arriving in London, the scene of Rebecca in the horse drawn carriage is longer (00:13).
- Immediately after the scene in the carriage, there is a shot of Rebecca stroking one of the horses faces (00:13).
- After King James (Jonathan Pryce) shows Rebecca the eagle, there is a tracking shot along the roof (00:05).
- Immediately after this scene, in the Theatrical Cut, there is short scene of Opechancanough walking around the royal gardens. He then leaves. In the Extended Cut, however, Rebecca approaches him, and an additional scene plays out. Speaking in Algonquin, she acknowledges that she's made many mistakes and she's not sure what to make of England. He comments on how large the population is and she expresses her desire that the Powhatans may one day forgive her, saying "my heart has died so many times with them." She asks Opechancanough to remind her father that she is still his daughter. He then leaves without saying anything. (01:48)
- Immediately after this scene, there is another additional scene showing Rebecca moving around in their house. There is also additional voiceover; "Sweet wife do you care for me still? I cannot be to you what I am not." This is followed by a scene between Rolfe and Newport, in which Rolfe says, "She would never have married me had she known that he were alive. She bound herself to me in ignorance, and I will not...I will not let her be encumbered by a tie which she despises and entered to her mischief. I will do nothing against her will" (00:49).
- Just before Smith arrives at Gravesend, a title card is shown; "And last" (00:04).
- As Rolfe and Rebecca await Smith's arrival, Rolfe has an additional line of off-camera dialogue; "I will not rob you of your self-respect."
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