Review of Song of the South (1946) by I Don't Know W — 12 Aug 2011
Disney's banned movie. Yep, even the Magic Kingdom has a movie they'd raaather you forget about. They've claimed that this nugget will never see the light of day outside the Disney vault. But bootlegged copies of it always spring up.
I watched this when I was......i don't know....4 maybe? I remembered the animated parts (this was Disney's FIRST movie using live actors and animated characters intermingling) with Br'er Rabbit and Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear and "Zippity Doo Da" (yep, it comes from this movie).
But I had no concept of anything except "Aaaahh...Color and Noise!" at the time. I just watched this a couple days ago and........yeeeeah......might want to just let this one go, Disney dudes.
It's a charming story of a rich-as-shit white family going to the grandmother's plantation. And she has quite a few slaves. But these are the happiest slaves you will ever see, singing and just being miiiiiighty happy, ma'am! The boy hears of Uncle Remus and the tall tales he always.
...tells(here comes the animated bits). Now, the movie does convey a message of love and harmony, but its just told by a guy who.........is a slave. The dialect is straight up Southern "Mmmm mm! CawnBred!" and it doesn't help the case AT ALL.
I know the movie is a product of it's time, but it's hard to sit through it and not cringe. Would I watch it with a black friend of mine? I'd be pretty damn uncomfortable, to tell you the truth.
It's a nice idea wrapped in a huuuuuuuge stereotype. If you can find it, watch it again and see for yourself. It's quite an experience.
This review of Song of the South (1946) was written by I Don't Know W on 12 Aug 2011.
Song of the South has generally received positive reviews.
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