Fine aesthetics and artistry, slow story

Rating: 7/10 (3 June 2007)

This movie is a faithful retelling of the Pocahontas biography, boasting some beautiful scenery, sincere acting, well executed point of view camera shots, and sympathetic characterizations. Its only notable weakness is a story that moves slowly in places.
Q'Oriana Kilcher is a genuine and appealing Pocahontas, personifying a sense of wonder with life and appreciation of nature that is immediately endearing. Colin Farell, as Captain Smith also does well, and they enact a gently understated yet passionate "first love" romance which is believable and sweet. The story poignantly outlines how the legendary couple were caught in the middle of racial tension and victimized by events beyond their control. Most photography is done with at eye level, from a character's point of view. This is done in most of the movie, and works particularly well in a battle scene; you see a combatant's view from the middle of the bloody skirmish. I also like the narration by characters telling their own feelings of the events transpiring, sounding much like the recollections of a person reliving the experience as they make a diary entry.
However, the movie endeavors too hard to tell the whole story, sometimes burdening itself with an abundance of superfluous details. Even minor characters are developed well, sometimes more than necessary to plot development. The result is that the action tends to lag occasionally.
Overall, however, a visually pleasing movie, which makes a well intentioned effort to portray Pocahontas and Smith as very real and human.