Song of the South (1946)

Anyone from my generation and earlier is familiar with the classic Disney song “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah” (and I certainly hope that the younger folk are too). Most people, however, aren’t familiar with the film that it comes from. The reason why? Song of the South has never been released on home video in the United States. You can find VHS and DVD copies in other countries but unless you order it from abroad, you’re out of luck. Is the racial content of this Reconstruction Era film really bad enough to warrant this self-imposed cinema embargo?

Little Johnny is excited to make a trip to his grandmother’s plantation but this joy turns to sadness when he learns the trip is due to his parents spending some time apart. When his father departs for Atlanta, Johnny decides to run away from the plantation and make his way to Atlanta. While passing the dwelling place of black farmhands, Johnny is mesmerized by the storytelling of Uncle Remus (James Baskett). The former slave ultimately talks the boy out of running away and a friendship is born.

Over the next few weeks Johnny continues to visit Uncle Remus, hearing more and more tales about Br’er Rabbit and his foes Br’er Fox and Br’er Bear. He also befriends a girl who lives nearby. For every conflict and issue that arises, it seems Uncle Remus has a story with a lesson that will come in handy.

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room first, shall we? This film is harshly criticized for white washing the treatment of slaves in the Civil War era South. Disney has long claimed that this film takes place after the war. Does that make its representation of Southern blacks as chipper field workers any better? Certainly not. Does this tarnish the film? Yes, a bit. Is Disney’s refusal to release the film on home video in America justified? It depends.

Do we want young African American children emulating the vernacular and mannerisms on display here? Absolutely not. Then again, shouldn’t our society be filled with enough positive African American role models that these characterizations seem dated, hollow, and false? If we’re not yet at the point, culturally, where Uncle Remus is nothing more than a silly fictional character then we’re doing something wrong. I understand not wanting to risk filling impressionable young minds with the wrong ideas, and it is Disney’s choice. No one is suing them to keep it off shelves, so this line of discussion is really a moot point.

As a piece of art, Song of the South is pretty decent. It builds on Disney’s previous experiments between live-action and animation. James Baskett does a phenomenal job in these fusion scenes. Sometimes it’s hard to remember that he is interacting with nothing at all. His enthusiasm and devotion to the character of Uncle Remus provides the foundation needed for the film to work. Sure, Johnny is the main human character, but Uncle Remus is the star.

The animation is bright, colorful, and full of detail. It doesn’t do anything above and beyond what was being included in the Disney animated ‘package films’ of the 40s but it definitely helps break up the somewhat boring live-action elements. Nothing against little Johnny, but his daddy issues don’t make for a compelling story. Is it any wonder that this film is remembered more for Br’er Rabbit’s high jinks than for the maturation of little Johnny?

The other clear highlight is the music. Disney cranks out a couple of gems with this film, not just “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah.” These tunes are every bit as fun and airy as Uncle Remus himself. And, stereotyped as his demeanor may be, it’s exactly that laid back attitude that makes this film enjoyable. Forget little Johnny. He serves as little more than a vehicle to carry us between Uncle Remus’s wonderful stories.

As art, Song of the South is pretty good. The live-action scenes are nothing to write home about but the hybrid scenes and the Br’er Rabbit tales are splendid. Culturally speaking, this film is probably better left on the shelves until America moves further into a post-racial society.

RATING: 3.5 out of 5