Song of the South (1946)
Genre: Adventure / Family
Duration: 94 minuten
Alternative title: Melodie van het Zuiden
Country:
United States
Directed by: Harve Foster and Wilfred Jackson
Stars: Bobby Driscoll, James Baskett and Ruth Warrick
IMDb score:
6,9 (16.377)
Releasedate: 12 November 1946
This movie is not available on US streaming services.
Song of the South plot
"Here Comes the Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah Show!"
Shortly after the American Civil War, young Johnny is sent to his grandmother's plantation in the South. His parents are getting divorced and Johnny is quite sad about it. The black handyman Uncle Remus cheers him up with all kinds of fun stories about Brother Rabbit. Every story has a moral that applies to Johnny. Then it turns out that Johnny's mother doesn't like the fact that he hangs out with Uncle Remus.
Actors and actresses
Uncle Remus / Br'er Fox (Voice)
Sally
Johnny
Ginny
Grandmother
Aunt Tempy
John (as Eric Rolf)
Toby
Mrs. Favers
Maid
Reviews & comments
Onderhond
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- 87623 messages
- 12890 votes
Forbidden is always more fun.
Song of the South may not really be banned, but Disney is a company that takes care of its reputation, so it is perhaps not entirely surprising that this film has not been released for some time. Not that it is so objectionable in terms of content, but given the long toes these days, it is better to simply avoid discussions completely. Well, no objection in the age of the internet (and bootlegs), anyone who wants to can find ways to watch the film.
In terms of design, it is fairly simple. Three animated stories about the Br'er Rabbit character, interwoven with a live-action piece that should tie everything together. Animation and live-action are mixed in a few scenes, but that was actually not that unusual anymore in '46.
The problem with this film seems to me not so much direct racism, but the cheerfulness with which everything is portrayed. This is somewhat reminiscent of La Vita è Bella, where Benigni faced similar criticism. Anyone who is really looking for something negative can call it falsification of history, but then you have to really forget that you are watching a Disney film.
In any case, it is quite a shame for James Baskett, who was the very first black American to receive an Oscar statuette for a (leading?) role. And for people interested in the origins of the well-known Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah song, written for this film.
It's all fun historically and socially, but I found it difficult to get through the film itself. The live-action stuff is way too fun for me, the animation bits were a bit reminiscent of Road Runner (but even more boring) and the lack of any purpose makes a 90-minute film quite long.
1.0*
Translated from Dutch · View original
Woland
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- 4809 messages
- 3825 votes
Just set this up. Although not banned, Song of the South has been banned by Disney, and has been since the 60s or so. Of course, it remains Disney, which is not really known for their daring or controversial repertoire and mainly focuses on family friendliness and non-offensiveness. Song of the South is not all that racist and dubious, but I think Disney mainly has problems with the old-time-on-the-plantation-it-was-so-fun setting.
Song of the South is also very old-fashioned and corny. Uncle Remus tells some stories about Br'er Rabbit, Rein Fox and Brown Bear which are entertaining in themselves, but that might only be about twenty minutes of entertainment. In addition, you spend a good hour watching a boring live-action family film, of which Disney has made so many, but now one that is even more cringe-worthy and old-fashioned than you are used to from them. The film could have used a little more controversy.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Brendanh29
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- 146 messages
- 0 votes
I was curious about this film and watched it just in time, because besides Disney+, some other streaming sites are difficult to find. Old-fashioned, of course, but it also has an atmosphere, so you can see what it was like at the time, but seriously, I don't see it! I don't see free black people as slaves as you often see in films about that time, although this may have been done after the period of the dissolution of slavery.
The film goes up and down with laughter and sadness where the stories are the best, the rest around it is too thin to hold everything together... the man is sad because 1 child cannot tell anything who has only just arrived while there are plenty of others what nonsense. Everyone is rather superficial and rarely seen.
Are they ashamed of this? no, now with the woke shit that they are pushing through, they are only going to go the wrong way with it.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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