Trama

An English soldier and the daughter of an Algonquin chief share a romance when English colonists invade seventeenth century Virginia.

This is the Disney animated tale of the romance between a young Native American woman named Pocahontas (Irene Bedard) and Captain John Smith (Mel Gibson), who journeyed to the New World with other settlers to begin fresh lives. Her powerful father, Chief Powhatan (Russell Means), disapproves of their relationship and wants her to marry a native warrior. Meanwhile, Smith's fellow Englishmen hope to rob the Native Americans of their gold. Can Pocahontas' love for Smith save the day?—Jwelch5742

Captain John Smith (Mel Gibson) leads a rag-tag band of English sailors and soldiers to the New World to plunder its riches for England (or, more precisely, for Governor Ratcliffe (David Ogden Stiers), who comes along for the ride). Meanwhile, in this "New World," Chief Powhatan (Russell Means) has pledged his daughter, Pocahontas (Irene Bedard), to be married to the village's greatest warrior. Pocahontas, however, has other ideas. She has seen a vision of a spinning arrow, a vision she believes tells her change is coming. Her life does indeed change when the English ship lands near her village. Between Ratcliffe, who believes the "savages" are hiding the gold he expected to be plentiful, and Powhatan, who believes these pale newcomers will destroy their land, Smith and Pocahontas have a difficult time preventing all-out war, and saving their love for each other.—Joe Sewell <jsewell@iu.net>

In 1607, the Susan Constant sails from London to the New World, carrying English settlers from the Virginia Company. Along the way, the Susan Constant is caught in a North Atlantic storm and Captain John Smith (Mel Gibson), who dreams about adventure, saves Thomas (Christian Bale), a young and inexperienced crew-mate, from drowning. The storm creates havoc on the ship by loosening the cannons and messing up the sails. It is only quick thinking by John which rescues the ship and saves all of the crew. As they approach the New World, the settlers, including John, talk of adventure, finding gold, fighting "Injuns" and potentially settling in the new land. Governor Ratcliffe is determined not to let anything get in their way to access the riches. Ratcliffe does not care for his crew and only views them as peasants to dig up the gold once they get to their destination.

Even the crew is Pre-conditioned to believe that they would have to kill the native savages to get their hands on their rightful gold and riches. The crew staunchly believes that as their captain John would lead them against the savages. John is more composed and says that he has seen hundreds of new worlds and does not expect anything new in this particular one.

In the Powhatan tribe in Tsenacommacah, Virginia, Pocahontas (Irene Bedard), the beautiful daughter of Chief Powhatan (Russell Means), fears being possibly wed to Kocoum (James Apaumut Fall), a brave warrior whom she sees as too serious for her own free-spirited personality. The Powhatan tribe lives in harmony with the nature, surviving on nature's bounty. The tribe is made of farmers and hunters (who hunt the fish from the river). Chief Powhatan has just returned after a campaign in which he defeated the rival Massawomecks tribe. Kocoum distinguished himself in battle with the Massawomecks. Powhatan tells Pocahontas that Kocoum has asked for her hand in marriage. Powhatan supports the proposal and believes that Kocoum would have a good husband. Nakoma is Pocahontas's best friend. Pocahontas admits to Nakoma about having a recurrent dream the meaning of which she does not understand. Pocahontas tells Powhatan that her dream is pointing her down a different path.

Powhatan gives Pocahontas her mother's necklace as a present. Powhatan wants Pocahontas to be steady like the river, but she believes that a river is not steady at all. She likes the twists and turns, the waterfalls, and the rapids, not ever knowing what lies around the river bend. Pocahontas, along with her friends, the raccoon Meeko and hummingbird Flit (Frank Welker), visit Grandmother Willow, a spiritual talking willow (Linda Hunt) tree, and speaks of a dream involving a spinning arrow and her confusion regarding what her path in life should be. Grandmother Willow then alerts Pocahontas to the arriving English. Willow asks Pocahontas to listen to the spirits that reside all around her for guidance. Willow says that she will understand when she listens with her heart. Pocahontas reaches the river as the ship pulls to shore. She sees John and his crew step on land on a rowboat. Meeko runs ahead to meet John and John shows that he is kind and open to meeting new and strange creatures. John feeds Meeko a biscuit and makes friends with him.

The voyage's greedy leader Governor Ratcliffe (David Ogden Stiers), who seeks gold as part of his plan to bring him wealth and status (Ratcliffe knows that this is last chance at success), has Jamestown built in a wooded clearing and immediately has the crewmen dig for gold. Wiggins (David Ogden Stiers) is Ratcliffe's manservant. Ratcliffe orders John not allow the savages to interfere with their mission. Ratcliffe expects that the King would appoint him as a Lord once he returns to London with the riches of the New World. Ratcliffe clears the forest with his cannons and uses gunpowder to blow up large holes in the ground for his crew to dig.

Chief Powhatan consults the Shaman Kekata (Gordon Tootoosis). Kekata says that the newcomers have powerful weapons and are like hungry wolves who consume every resource in their path. Powhatan instructs Kocoum to take some men to observe the newcomers. Meanwhile, Meeko (John Kassir) meets Percy (Danny Mann), Ratcliffe's pet pug, and becomes the bane of his existence. Meeko eats away all the cherries meant for Percy, who was a pampered pet throughout the journey.

John departs to explore the wilderness and encounters Pocahontas at the waterfall, in the middle of the fog, looking ravishing. John begs Pocahontas not to run off and she stays as she listens to her heart, which helps her understand what John says. As if by magic, Pocahontas can now speak perfect English.

Powhatan orders his tribe to stay away from the Englishmen after Kocoum and the other warriors engage them in a fight (and a fellow warrior was injured in the leg with a gunshot). Powhatan asks Kocoum to send messages to all tribes in their region and to ask for help in fighting the settlers.

John and Pocahontas quickly bond, fascinated by each other's worlds, and end up falling in love. John tells her that London is his village and tells her about the large city. John then outlines British plans to build a city on Powhatan lands. Pocahontas says that their houses are just fine, and they don't need outside technology. Pocahontas also objects to her people being referred to as "Savages". Pocahontas tells John a land is not just a resource to be claimed. She tells John that she knows the name and the spirit of every living being in her forest, which is beautiful. She shows John how to connect with nature and educates them that nature is an ecosystem with every living being connected to each other.

Ratcliffe cuts down a large number of trees to complete the fort of Jamestown. Governor Ratcliffe is getting impatient with the lack of any gold finds and thinks that the natives are hoarding it and hence they attacked the settlement. He decides that he will have to take the gold by force. When John tells Pocahontas that his men and he are here to find gold, she tells him that there is none.

Pocahontas asks John to stay back when his ship leaves for London. Pocahontas introduces John to Grandmother Willow and avoids other crewmen searching for him, but Pocahontas's best friend, Nakoma (Michelle St. John), discovers her relationship with John and warns Kocoum. Pocahontas and John decide to meet later that night at the Willow. Meeko steals John's compass and later drops it at the Willow swamp. Ratcliffe also learns of John's encounters with Pocahontas and angrily warns John against sparing any natives he comes across as treason. Ratcliffe is adamant that Pocahontas is lying to John about the Gold. Meanwhile other tribe warriors reach Powhatan and now Kocoum has enough men to take on the settlers.

Later, John and Pocahontas meet with Grandmother Willow and plan to bring peace between the colonists and the tribe. Willow says that John and Pocahontas have to start the process of getting the 2 sides to talk to each other, else John and Pocahontas cannot be together. John and Pocahontas share a kiss, while Kocoum and Thomas, sent by both parties to spy on each other, witness from afar. Furious, Kocoum attacks and attempts to kill John. Thomas intervenes shooting (he was sent by Governor Ratcliffe with the gun) and kills Kocoum, who pulls on Pocahontas's necklace as he collapses, destroying it. John orders Thomas to leave before the tribesmen arrive, capture John, and retrieve Kocoum's body. Enraged at Kocoum's death, Powhatan declares war on the English, beginning with John's execution at dawn. Powhatan refuses to listen to Pocahontas and blames her for Kocoum's death.

Thomas reaches Jamestown safely at night and warns the English settlers of John's capture. Ratcliffe then rallies his men to battle, using this as an excuse to annihilate the tribe and find their nonexistent gold. Ratcliffe says that the natives have proven that they are savages as they captured the only man who was friendly to their kind. Ratcliffe and his crew head to the tribe with their cannons in tow. That same night, Powhatan also orders his men to prepare for battle. A desperate Pocahontas visits Grandmother Willow, where Meeko hands her John's compass.

Pocahontas realizes the arrow from John's compass is the same spinning arrow from her dream, which leads to her destiny. Morning comes, and Powhatan and his tribe drag John to a cliff overlooking a clearing for execution. Meanwhile, Ratcliffe leads the armed colonists to the cliff to fight Powhatan's warriors. Just as Powhatan is about to execute John, Pocahontas intervenes and finally convinces him to end the fighting between the two groups and spare John's life. Both sides stand down, and John is released, but when the unmoved Ratcliffe orders his men to attack, they refuse. Enraged, Ratcliffe fires his musket at Powhatan, but John takes the shot himself and is injured. Livid, the settlers turn on Ratcliffe and detain him for hurting their comrade.

John is nursed back to health by the tribe but must return to England for his wounds to fully heal. Ratcliffe is also sent back to England to face punishment for his crimes against the settlement. The tribe provides food supplies to the settlers for their return journey. John asks Pocahontas to come with him, but she chooses to stay with her tribe to help keep the peace. Meeko and Percy, now friends, give Pocahontas her mother's necklace, completely fixed. John leaves without Pocahontas, but with Powhatan's blessing to return anytime he likes. Percy stays back with Meeko and Flit. Pocahontas stands atop a cliff, watching the ship carrying John depart.