I will be the first to agree that Disney is slowly loosing its grasp on the pulse of children's cinema with their recent flops and horrid strands of marketing, but after watching Song of the South I don't think they need to worry about any backlash with this film. I agree that the vision of slavery is extremely skewed, with the truths hidden and the darkness completely removed, but this Disney animation/live-action film is no different, no more racist, than Gone with the Wind. There I have said it. I recently had the opportunity to watch Gone with the Wind and completely disliked it because it is such an American favorite, yet it is utterly racist. Those that argue that it depicts honesty for the time, I will agree with, but it doesn't have to be such a staple to our film community. With this film constantly getting new DVD face-lifts and awards, I cannot help but wonder why Song of the South continues to be the poster child of evil. When I watched Song of the South I saw nothing different than what I saw when I watched Gone with the Wind (sans the animated characters). So is it "alright" to like Gone with the Wind and not Song of the South?
While I do admire films that challenge me, I do find myself a bit more indulgent in children's films because they are a step away from the overbearing nature of adult cinema. As I watched Song of the South, I was impressed with the steps that it took in the direction and imagination in creating live-action with animation. It wasn't until really Cool World and Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (and maybe Puff the Magic Dragon) that we saw this combination again. So, on the side of creativity I have to give this film credit. I also liked the stories that Remus today and enjoyed how it seemed that Johnny connected with these stories to use in his own life. In future Disney films, I don't think that this would be such a big point because they tend to focus a bit more on the animation than the supposed story, but it was a breath of fresh air in this one. I also enjoyed the stories that Remus told. They were uplifting, honest, and simple. No convoluted tale to frighten or upset just simple stories that could relate to anyone's lifestyle. I believe the stories that Remus told in this film could be relevant in today's society, the idea of using your mind instead of your brawn is again, a lesson not taught often enough in cinema. Song of the South was creative, but it also felt a bit bland. It is due to the film's inability to stand fully up during its songs or core characters, that I couldn't fully admit that this was Disney's best.
What upset me the most about this film, again, wasn't the racism, but the sporadic scenes, flat acting by everyone outside of Remus, and the choice of actors to put behind the words of the animated critters. Don't get me wrong, I liked the animated bits, but I just didn't like the actors chosen to voice Br'er Rabbit, Fox, or Bear. I believe this is the core of the racism discussion. For me, they just didn't seem to fit the personalities of the animated characters. There wasn't enough separation between Remus' real life at the plantation to that of the animated segments. I wanted to be taken away from the plantation and away from the debacle of slavery, but I just didn't get it with this film. The animated characters sounded too much like Remus, and that bothered me a bit. The next issue surrounds the actors like Bobby Driscoll, Ruth Warrick, Lucile Watson, and Erik Rolf who never quite congealed into a family dynamic at all. Bobby Driscoll felt like he had taken ten years a Julliard by the age of four, and I continually felt that when the director yelled "CUT", Driscoll would curse, bring out a huge cigar, and have a deep raspy voice. He was good, but overly good. At times Driscoll's Johnny made me sick to my stomach. Then there were the scenes between Hattie and Remus which hinted towards something, but never quite developed. The conflicts between Ginny, Johnny, and the Favers boys just seemed too cliché and completely overdrawn, especially for a children's film. There wasn't enough reason for the two boys to constantly harass Johnny again more development would have been nice. It was just these smaller segments of this film that transformed this Disney cult classic into a mediocre film.
While I utterly agree that slavery is the darkest cloud in this nation, this film is not going to suddenly bring people up in arms. I will also agree that it paints a false picture of slavery for those watching it, but I don't think it is going to confuse children. What I believe needs to happen is that groups need to look past the fake-slavery/plantation owner moments and see this film for what it truly is one that could have the potential to educate children to use their minds instead of their brawn. I believe there are even deeper meanings in this film that children would enjoy more than the big car chases, explosions, and bathroom humor allowed in so many other films deemed "quality" children's cinema. Song of the South fails at painting an accurate portrait of the south, but honestly people, can we not agree that Disney has never painted an accurate picture of anything in their films. This is just another glossed image of reality that Disney has maintained throughout the course of its film career.
Overall, I thought it was a fun film to watch, but don't know if I could watch it again.
Grade: *** out of *****
While I do admire films that challenge me, I do find myself a bit more indulgent in children's films because they are a step away from the overbearing nature of adult cinema. As I watched Song of the South, I was impressed with the steps that it took in the direction and imagination in creating live-action with animation. It wasn't until really Cool World and Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (and maybe Puff the Magic Dragon) that we saw this combination again. So, on the side of creativity I have to give this film credit. I also liked the stories that Remus today and enjoyed how it seemed that Johnny connected with these stories to use in his own life. In future Disney films, I don't think that this would be such a big point because they tend to focus a bit more on the animation than the supposed story, but it was a breath of fresh air in this one. I also enjoyed the stories that Remus told. They were uplifting, honest, and simple. No convoluted tale to frighten or upset just simple stories that could relate to anyone's lifestyle. I believe the stories that Remus told in this film could be relevant in today's society, the idea of using your mind instead of your brawn is again, a lesson not taught often enough in cinema. Song of the South was creative, but it also felt a bit bland. It is due to the film's inability to stand fully up during its songs or core characters, that I couldn't fully admit that this was Disney's best.
What upset me the most about this film, again, wasn't the racism, but the sporadic scenes, flat acting by everyone outside of Remus, and the choice of actors to put behind the words of the animated critters. Don't get me wrong, I liked the animated bits, but I just didn't like the actors chosen to voice Br'er Rabbit, Fox, or Bear. I believe this is the core of the racism discussion. For me, they just didn't seem to fit the personalities of the animated characters. There wasn't enough separation between Remus' real life at the plantation to that of the animated segments. I wanted to be taken away from the plantation and away from the debacle of slavery, but I just didn't get it with this film. The animated characters sounded too much like Remus, and that bothered me a bit. The next issue surrounds the actors like Bobby Driscoll, Ruth Warrick, Lucile Watson, and Erik Rolf who never quite congealed into a family dynamic at all. Bobby Driscoll felt like he had taken ten years a Julliard by the age of four, and I continually felt that when the director yelled "CUT", Driscoll would curse, bring out a huge cigar, and have a deep raspy voice. He was good, but overly good. At times Driscoll's Johnny made me sick to my stomach. Then there were the scenes between Hattie and Remus which hinted towards something, but never quite developed. The conflicts between Ginny, Johnny, and the Favers boys just seemed too cliché and completely overdrawn, especially for a children's film. There wasn't enough reason for the two boys to constantly harass Johnny again more development would have been nice. It was just these smaller segments of this film that transformed this Disney cult classic into a mediocre film.
While I utterly agree that slavery is the darkest cloud in this nation, this film is not going to suddenly bring people up in arms. I will also agree that it paints a false picture of slavery for those watching it, but I don't think it is going to confuse children. What I believe needs to happen is that groups need to look past the fake-slavery/plantation owner moments and see this film for what it truly is one that could have the potential to educate children to use their minds instead of their brawn. I believe there are even deeper meanings in this film that children would enjoy more than the big car chases, explosions, and bathroom humor allowed in so many other films deemed "quality" children's cinema. Song of the South fails at painting an accurate portrait of the south, but honestly people, can we not agree that Disney has never painted an accurate picture of anything in their films. This is just another glossed image of reality that Disney has maintained throughout the course of its film career.
Overall, I thought it was a fun film to watch, but don't know if I could watch it again.
Grade: *** out of *****