A beautiful movie giving form to the story of Pocahontas, John Smith and John Rolfe

Rating: 7/10 (13 June 2006)

First of all, this is not a movie based entirely on fact and truth. There are many inventions and many events that are not entirely chronological correct. I grew up adoring Pocahontas, and when I was almost six years old I watched the Disney version of the movie. Three years later, I watched the movie "Pocahontas: The Legend" which was disappointing but yet didn't stop my fascination for the story of Pocahontas. In 2000, when I was going to be eleven years old, I saw the famous painting of the engagement between Pocahontas and John Rolfe in the Capitol Hill, Washington D.C.
This movie shouldn't be seen solely for historical truth; but rather solely for entertainment and its beauty. It's a fascinating and great story, yes, but the legend of Pocahontas varies depending on where the source came from. Also, most of the stories of Pocahontas has been invented, or romanticized to make it more interesting. Yet, the only facts that I can determine are true is that Pocahontas was a real person as well as John Smith and John Rolfe. But whether they actually were in love with her, and if she actually loved them we never can know. But what's true is that Pocahontas eventually married John Rolfe.
Other than that, this movie can almost be called an art. The photography is so beautiful, and tends to stay at a point of scene a bit longer than most movies usually do, which give the movie a real, calm and thoughtful feeling. Unfortunately, it also leaves a lot of empty gaps in the movie, which makes the 2 hours and 15 minutes story feel a bit too long. Anyways, you feel as if you could identify with what the characters of the movie felt. This movie is so totally different the earlier versions, including the Disney movie.
Like all the legends of Pocahontas, this movie starts with the Englishmen shipping ashore to the Virginia coast in 1607, and meets the naturals who first act very friendly and curiously. But what happens thereafter is too uncertain, and too loose based on too many theories and speculations. So, let's say the rest of movie is based on a lot of theories, a lot of mythological stories we've learned about Pocahontas and a lot of fiction, too, to make it more interesting.