Disney Studio is one of the most popular and famous in the world, and its films are watched annually by millions of children and adults. Displaying real events and cultural elements is often a more difficult task since the studio is focused on children and family audiences; therefore, romanticizing and smoothing corners is a necessity for obtaining ratings.
However, the Pocahontas story demonstrates that studios need to be more sensitive to historically important topics as the desire to uncover the history of colonization and combine it with a typical princess fairytale was not the best idea. For this reason, the movie received a lot of criticism, although a broad audience was satisfied with the romantic story in general. At the same time, the film industry, like any business, focuses on the demand of the audience. Consequently, perhaps the features of the culture of the late twentieth century also influenced the plot of the cartoon and display of Pocahontas’ story.
However, even if one puts all the blame for the neocolonial image of Pocahontas on Disney, it should also be noted that since 1996 the image of the race in the cinema has undergone significant evolution. An example of this fact is the movie Moana, which accurately reflected the culture of the Pacific Islanders by using the help of representatives of these peoples. It is still difficult to create the uniquely correct way to show the image of the race in the cinema since this process requires simultaneous attention to the details of ethnicity and a film genre. Nevertheless, on the examples of Pocahontas and Moana, it can be noted that there was a significant shift in the sensitivity of Disney to racial issues, which reflects in the quality of the films.
The movie Pocahontas was created by Disney Studios to show the history of the first years of colonization in a new light and explain why the colonialists did so much harm to the locals. However, as noted by Buescher and Ono (1996), although this cartoon shows the main reason for the cruelties of Europeans, precisely the desire to get gold and land, it does it in a neocolonial style. In other words, cartoon directors use political and socially important themes of our time to justify the characters to some extent.
The central mistake, according to the author, is the image of Pocahontas as a woman who wants to escape from a patriarchal society where she is oppressed and forced to marry an unloved man (Buescher & Ono, 1996).
This image turns Smith into a savior from a colonialist and land invader. At the same time, Pocahontas’ love of freedom and feminism makes the viewer sympathize with the woman and Smith and desire their union, which, according to Buescher and Ono (1996), would be unlikely. In addition, the cartoon depicts Governor Ratcliff, who is the embodiment of the villain in this story, although it reflects the majority of the conquistadors who enslaved the local population of America. Consequently, the viewer has the impression that Ratcliff is more likely to be an exception or a rare concentration of evil that will be defeated, although the history of colonization tells other things.
However, such a demonstration of history is logical for the genre of children’s animated film, since Disney could not show the whole real story of colonization because of its cruelty. At the same time, the image of the race or local people in the cartoon is, although not realistic, but closer to the truth than decades ago. Earlier, the locals of America were characterized by Europeans as savages far from a civilized society. However, Pocahontas and members of her tribe are depicted in the movie as an organized society with its traditions and rules. Locals wanted to interact with conquistadors and learn from them when they did not feel a threat to their safety.
Much attention is also paid to the depiction of nature and the interaction of Pocahontas with it through various images and the revitalization of the forces of nature. According to Buescher and Ono (1996), such a picture of Pocahontas united with nature is a way to justify colonization as she is part of the background, which must be conquered and educated. However, unity with nature is a traditional part of Native American culture.
Consequently, perhaps Disney only sought to convey the characteristics of indigenous people through such hyperbolic images. However, in general, although the local tribes were not depicted as savages, yet Buescher and Ono (1996) make a fair observation that their ethnicity was represented in a neocolonial way that justifies violence. This aspect causes frustration in me since such a characteristic of local people unilaterally illuminates reality.
At the same time, Moana‘s movie is an example of a successful Disney collaboration in portraying the culture of the Pacific Islanders. In this cartoon, there are also images of people’s interaction with nature, male and female characters, and even the patriarchal system of society; however, they are displayed appropriately and sensitively. Firstly, the main character is the girl Moana, who goes on a dangerous journey for the sake of her people and does not rely on men (Clements, Hall, Musker, & Williams, 2016). Although the male character, Maui, also plays a vital role in the story, Disney does not romanticize the relationship of the heroes but makes them equally emotionally strong (Clements et al., 2016). In other words, Moana is not a princess whom a male character has to save since she is a hero.
The culture of Moana’s people is also displayed quite accurately, and the film reflects the traditional beliefs of the people without emphasis on the patriarchal system. For example, unlike Pocahontas, Moana should take the post of her father as the head of the people but not marry a powerful man. In addition, the very elements of life, traditions, and legends of the islanders are specific, so they found positive feedback from representatives of the peoples living in the Pacific Ocean (Tamaira & Fonoti, 2018).
At the same time, these reviews relate to both the appearance of characters, their stories, and their habits. Tamaira and Fonoti (2018) note, “And this is where I felt particularly validated as a woman of Polynesian ancestry — Moana’s strapping calves and wide feet!” (p.319). Such a positive change in picturing is particularly fascinating as female images in early Disney works are usually too idealized and unrealistic not only in terms of race but also of women in general.
It is also worth noting that the accuracy of the image of ethnicities in the Moana movie is explained by the collective work of the creators of the project and representatives of the people. Tamaira and Fonoti (2018) talk about their interaction, in which all details that were inappropriate and unrealistic to reflect ethnic characteristics were adjusted and changed. For example, the tattoos that cover the body of Maui have been modified to fit the traditional designs used in Samoa (Tamaira & Fonoti, 2018).
The same thing applied to the details of clothing, customs, and the legend of Te Kā. Of course, the story is based on fiction, and some characters have hyperbolic features since the moral of the story should be obvious to children, who are the primary audience. However, in general, the film shows noticeable progress in portraying both the race and the female “non-princess” character by Disney.
In conclusion, two different articles and two different films depicting a race have many similar features, which, however, create distinct images. It is likely that for a quarter of a century, the very concept of Disney films has changed, which has helped to portray both female and ethnic images in a new way. On the other hand, the approach to creating films also has changed, since today, Disney attracts representatives of races to more accurately reflect their features.
However, in both movies and articles, positive elements of displaying aces are mentioned, so it is difficult to the only correct approach or features. Besides, the topics of the movies are very different, and colonization is too difficult to reflect on children’s films. However, these works show me a noticeable improvement in Disney’s work and its increased sensitivity to historically and socially significant issues.
References
Buescher, D., & Ono, K. (1996). Civilized colonialism: Pocahontas as neocolonial rhetoric. Women’s Studies in Communication, 19(2), 127-153.
Clements, R., Hall, D. Musker, J., & Williams, C. (Directors). (2016). Moana [Motion Picture]. United States: Walt Disney Pictures.
Tamaira, A. M. K., & Fonoti, D. (2018). Beyond paradise? Retelling Pacific stories in Disney’s Moana. The Contemporary Pacific, 30(2), 297-327.