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

Peter Pan (1953)

Some Disney films have grown so famous over the years that you occasionally forget why you like it so much. For me, such is the case with Peter Pan. What I remembered to be an innocent, playful romp through a fantasy land from my youth turned out to be a little darker than nostalgia would have me remember. This film may not fit into today’s political correctness-obsessed culture but, taken for what it is and when it was made, Peter Pan cannot be denied its rightful place among the top tier of Disney’s work.

John and Michael Darling love to hear the fanciful stories that their older sister Wendy tells them about a roguish, ageless boy named Peter Pan. Their father, not wanting the boys’ heads filled with ‘poppycock,’ decides it’s time for Wendy to have her own room, cutting the boys off from their beloved stories. That night, Peter Pan himself comes prowling around the Darling abode and whisks them away to Never Land.

Upon their arrival to Peter’s fantastic world, Wendy finds an unexpected foe in Peter’s pixie friend Tinker Bell, who is jealous that a girl should come between her and Peter. Tink’s jealousy leads her to assisting Peter’s nemesis, Captain Hook. The short-tempered pirate captain constantly has one eye on the lookout for Pan and the other on the lookout for the crocodile that claimed his hand and wants the rest of him too. The children explore their new surroundings, meeting the Lost Boys, an Indian tribe, and a fateful encounter with Hook.

Peter Pan gets back to what Disney does best- innovative animation, a delightful story, and memorable songs. That is the formula for Disney greatness. Cinderella nailed each component but Alice in Wonderland faltered in both story and music. Peter Pan already has a great story built in, so the songs and music are really where Disney should be most heavily evaluated.

“You Can Fly” is still among Disney’s most recognizable tunes but this is not a one-song film. Other memorable tunes include “Following the Leader” and “What Makes the Red Man Red?” are also quite enjoyable. Granted, the latter song, and the presentation of the Indian tribe as a whole, is a gross stereotype that would be met with all kinds of protest today. If you can keep in mind the time period when the original story was written (1911) and when this film was released (1953), you should be able to take these depictions with a grain of salt.

I had all but forgotten about the politically incorrect portions of Peter Pan since the last time I saw it (which is admittedly quite a long time ago). What I hadn’t forgotten was how great the film looks. Three significant accomplishments stand out for this production. First and most obvious is the animation of the children flying. I can’t even fathom how much time it took the animators to make those sequences look right. The children float, rise and dive almost without effort, creating a perfect illusion.

Second is the work involving Tinkerbell and her glow. Several times she hides behind pieces of foliage but her natural luminosity makes for a unique effect that I don’t recall ever seeing before now. Finally, during the climactic battle with Captain Hook, there is a sequence where the camera is ‘looking down’ on Hook as he climbs the rope ladder toward Peter. Instead of Hook just growing larger as he climbs closer to where the camera would be if it were live action, the effect is that of the camera panning backward at the same pace as Hook while the background deck of the ship grows smaller. It seems like a minor detail but it floored me because it is extremely intricate.

The beauty of the story of Peter Pan is that it works on two levels. Kids will love it because it is an adventure involving children that don’t grow up. The kids ultimately pick up a lesson that, at some point, growing up is inevitable and should not be resisted. For parents, the story of Peter Pan makes them confront some of the realities of adulthood. How much like Captain Hook and Mr. Darling are you? That’s the subtle question it asks while quietly assuring us that growing older doesn’t have to mean growing colder. The Disney team captures these messages perfectly.

While political correctness junkies may be loathe to show this film to impressionable children, I plan on showing Peter Pan to my kids someday. Chances are, kids won’t even remember the ‘red man’ stuff. The Disney team is on top of their game here, which means that children and adults will marvel at the colors, sounds and music coming their way. It’s a great story given a terrific treatment. This film is part of the reason that the story and spirit of Peter Pan still exists in our cultural lexicon.

RATING: 4 out of 5