APDG~Disney Character Series #10-Pocahontas-Nov.

Pocahontas is a 1995 American animated musical historical drama film based on the life of Powhatan woman Pocahontas and the arrival of English colonial settlers from the Virginia Company. The film romanticizes Pocahontas' encounter with John Smith and her legendary saving of his life. The film was produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is the 33rd Disney animated feature film and the sixth film produced and released during the Disney Renaissance.

The film was directed by Mike Gabriel and Eric Goldberg (his feature directorial debut). The voice cast stars Irene Bedard and Mel Gibson as Pocahontas and Smith, respectively, with David Ogden Stiers, Russell Means, Christian Bale, Billy Connolly, and Linda Hunt providing other voices. The score was written by Alan Menken, who also wrote the film's songs with Stephen Schwartz.

After making his directorial debut with The Rescuers Down Under (1990), Gabriel conceived the film during a Thanksgiving weekend. The project went into development concurrently with The Lion King (1994), and attracted most of Disney's top animators. Meanwhile, Disney studio chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg decided that the film should be a serious romantic epic in the vein of Beauty and the Beast (1991), in hope that like Beauty, it would also be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. Screenwriters Carl Binder, Susannah Grant, and Philip LaZebnik took creative liberties with history in an attempt to make the film palatable to audiences.

Pocahontas was released on June 16, 1995, to mixed reactions from reviewers, who praised its animation, voice performances, and music, but criticized its story with its lack of focus on tone. The film's historical inaccuracies and racial overtones received polarized responses. Pocahontas earned over $346 million at the box office. The film received two Academy Awards for Best Musical or Comedy Score for Menken and Best Original Song for "Colors of the Wind". According to critics, the depiction of Pocahontas as an empowered heroine influenced subsequent Disney films like Mulan (1998) and Frozen (2013).

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, who dreams about adventure, saves Thomas, a young and inexperienced crewmate, from drowning. As they approach the New World, the settlers, including John, talk of adventure, finding gold, fighting "Injuns" and potentially settling in the new land.

In the Powhatan tribe in Werowocomoco, Tsenacommacah, Virginia, Pocahontas, the beautiful daughter of Chief Powhatan, fears being possibly wed to Kocoum, a brave warrior whom she sees as too serious for her own free-spirited personality. Powhatan gives Pocahontas her mother's necklace as a present. Pocahontas, along with her friends, the raccoon Meeko and hummingbird Flit, visit Grandmother Willow, a spiritual talking willow 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.

The voyage's greedy leader Governor Ratcliffe, who seeks gold as part of his plan to bring him wealth and status, has Jamestown built in a wooded clearing and immediately has the crewmen dig for gold. John departs to explore the wilderness and encounters Pocahontas. At first, he cannot hear her speak English, but Grandmother Willow gives him the ability to do so. They quickly bond, fascinated by each other's worlds, and end up falling in love, despite Powhatan's orders to stay away from the Englishmen after Kocoum and the other warriors engage them in a fight. Meanwhile, Meeko meets Percy, Ratcliffe's spoilt pet pug, and becomes the bane of his existence. When John tells Pocahontas that his men and he are here to find gold, she tells him that there is no gold. Pocahontas introduces John to Grandmother Willow and avoids other crewmen, Ben and Lon, searching for him, but Pocahontas's best friend, Nakoma, discovers her relationship with John and warns Kocoum. Ratcliffe also learns of John's encounters with Pocahontas and angrily warns John against sparing any Natives he comes across as treason.

Later, John and Pocahontas meet with Grandmother Willow and plan to bring peace between the colonists and the tribe. 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, but Thomas intervenes shooting and killing Kocoum (incidentally at Ratcliffe's advice), who pulls on Pocahontas’ 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 angrily berates Pocahontas for leaving the village and declares war on the English, beginning with John's execution at dawn.

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. 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, but 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. John asks Pocahontas to come with him, but she chooses to stay with her tribe to help keep the peace. John leaves without Pocahontas, but with Powhatan's blessing to return anytime he likes. The film ends with Pocahontas standing atop a cliff, watching the ship carrying John depart.

Next onto our swap:

Post THREE (3) pictures and/or gifs to each of your THREE (3) partner’s profiles with the theme “Pocahontas”. The pictures that you choose may be the SAME OR DIFFERENT between all of your partners. Please choose pictures that you think THEY will enjoy!

If you get 3 pictures from your partner on “Pocahontas” you have to rate them a 5. The heart on the rating is for if you like what they sent.

To leave a photo on someone's profile use this code ! [ ] ( Put image address here ) With NO spaces & paste the picture's link between the curved parentheses.

Practice on your own profile first to be sure it looks good because you can easily delete it there.

Pick images that are size 300 wide or smaller to be sure they fit. I go to Google images to get my pictures.

Hover over images to see their size because there will be some larger sizes there too. If you really like something click on it and go to the words SEARCH BY IMAGE and click on that. THEN go to the word SMALL and see if there is one 300 size. There are other tricks in the group thread; AN EASY way to get a small PIC from a BIG one;-)

You can find moving pictures at http://giphy.com/

Please write the TITLE OF THE SWAP ON YOUR PROFILE DECO MESSAGE too! This makes it easier for partners that are in a lot of these swaps to rate it.

Requirements:

1. A well filled out profile. I will check the night before partners get assigned.
2. You need to login at least two days prior to sign-in date.
3. Your dashboard must be up to date.

Be sure to rate your partner.

Any problems, feel free to contact me.

I want to thank @anrtist for allowing me to borrow SOME of her wording.