I’m watching Pocahontas with it’s commentary.
I was hoping the sequel would have a commentary, but alas, only the first. I think the sequel is deserving of a commentary. I’d love to know some more about the making of it.
Animation legend Eric Goldberg is there. I loved hearing him talk about old Looney Tunes in interviews.
Originally Pocahontas was intended to be more comedic, but they abandoned that when an early scene didn’t go over well. When Rattcliffe boards the ship, a far camera shot would show the whole ship tilt when he steps on.
A scene added for comic relief during Pocahontas’s discussion with her father is mentioned. Meeko tips over a bowl that falls on top of Flit, and one of the people says that the scene never worked the way they intended because the focus is on Meeko and the bowl going over Flit goes by too fast. I always noticed it as a kid, so I dunno.
The song Just Around the Riverbend was sung by Judy Kuhn, It was intended to be redone by another singer but they kept in Kuhn’s version.
David Ogden Stiers, Rattcliffe’s VA, can do a british accent so well the voice director thought he actually was British.
The animator for John Smith tried to sneak in a smiley face on the biscuit Smith offers Meeko.
The creators were actively aware that they were deviating from reality for the sake of a good story.
Not brought up in the commentary, but I notice the design of King James in Rattcliffe’s song is pretty close to his design in the sequel.
The original ending to the song Mine,Mine,Mine was a pan out showing the forest destruction the British are causing. Test audiences found it uncomfortable and it was changed,though some thought that would have been an appropriate response.
The native American language Pocahontas speaks in the movie is Algonquin, which is historically accurate.
Despite the serious tone and occasional violence, the crew wanted a G rating.
The song Colors of the Wind was the first song written for the movie and influenced the direction of the film.
The idea for the movie initially wasn’t specifically about Pocahontas and John Smith, but just a generic Native American princess who falls in love with a generic white settler. That explains alot. I cant imagine someone looking to history or even reading John Smith’s stories and thinking of making Pocahontas a love interest for Smith.
A gag rejected was Meeko having a stash of stuff, including Aladdin’s lamp.
A brief scene where Meeko braids Pocahontas’s hair was inspired by a doll set of Pocahontas and Meeko.
Executives asked why the natives didn’t live in teepees and wear feathers in their hair. The short answer from the consultants was that they didn’t actually have those in this particular culture.
The scene where Kokoum is shot had a unique choice in the score, where everything goes silent. This was Allen Menken’s choice.
The colors in the song Savages look amazing on bluray.
Exact ages and dates weren’t known to the crew, but it wasn’t a big deal, as they considered it clearly fictional.
Pocahontas was a unique entry in that The two main characters aren’t together at the end. There was some questioning behind the scenes whether or not it could work.