This classic film has been out of circulation for years due to Disney wanting to hide the glaring qualities of racism that it carried. Times were different back then though when this feature was made and what was once deemed acceptable isn't that way now. Society and most of it's attitudes have changed, but there are lasting reminders of how things once were, such as in this movie.
I was fortunate to have found the DVD for it online and quickly got it. The first time I saw this film was when it was rereleased to theaters back in 1980. I totally enjoyed it back then, totally unaware of any "racial overtones" it might've carried. I was only a kid at the time though and didn't focus on such things like that, only the entertainment value that it carried.
After viewing it with adult eyes today, however, I can now see what all the fuss was about. The "Ol' South" in Georgia was depicted as an idyllic place where African Americans and whites got along in perfect harmony.
The blacks were made totally subservient to the whites though and it clearly showed. You could constantly see the blacks looking up to and holding white people in high regard and did anything they said without argument.
James Baskett is indeed outstanding as the legendary storyteller, Uncle Remus, and the special effects are at a really awe inspiring level for its time. The live action actors against the animated scenes is extremely well done.
What I enjoyed most of all were those animated sequences with Br'er Rabbit, Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear. The Disney masters really did an impressive job though the story involving the "tar baby" hasn't aged well with time. Something like that is totally unacceptable today due to the highly racist quality of it and the name itself. Major lawsuits would fall if something like that was released today in the 21st Century.
All in all, this is an extremely well made film despite the racial scar placed on it. It's also a good curiosity item to see and to check out what all the fuss is about regarding this classic feature.
It was evidently a product of the times way back then in 1946 and in an age when segregation was still in full swing in the Southern United States. It's totally taboo now and had been hard to find for decades, but still, it can eventually turn up somewhere on the market. It'll never go away no matter how much the Disney Corporation wants that.
I honestly admit I don't like the stereotypical depictions of African Americans that it carries or the racist situations that it displays. The white boy becomes good buddies with a black boy on the plantation, but can't even invite him to his birthday party when it's held. What can't be denied though is that this is indeed a Disney classic due to the excellent animation and special effects it contains, but the reputation for racism had caused it to be seldom seen nowadays.
I was fortunate to have found the DVD for it online and quickly got it. The first time I saw this film was when it was rereleased to theaters back in 1980. I totally enjoyed it back then, totally unaware of any "racial overtones" it might've carried. I was only a kid at the time though and didn't focus on such things like that, only the entertainment value that it carried.
After viewing it with adult eyes today, however, I can now see what all the fuss was about. The "Ol' South" in Georgia was depicted as an idyllic place where African Americans and whites got along in perfect harmony.
The blacks were made totally subservient to the whites though and it clearly showed. You could constantly see the blacks looking up to and holding white people in high regard and did anything they said without argument.
James Baskett is indeed outstanding as the legendary storyteller, Uncle Remus, and the special effects are at a really awe inspiring level for its time. The live action actors against the animated scenes is extremely well done.
What I enjoyed most of all were those animated sequences with Br'er Rabbit, Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear. The Disney masters really did an impressive job though the story involving the "tar baby" hasn't aged well with time. Something like that is totally unacceptable today due to the highly racist quality of it and the name itself. Major lawsuits would fall if something like that was released today in the 21st Century.
All in all, this is an extremely well made film despite the racial scar placed on it. It's also a good curiosity item to see and to check out what all the fuss is about regarding this classic feature.
It was evidently a product of the times way back then in 1946 and in an age when segregation was still in full swing in the Southern United States. It's totally taboo now and had been hard to find for decades, but still, it can eventually turn up somewhere on the market. It'll never go away no matter how much the Disney Corporation wants that.
I honestly admit I don't like the stereotypical depictions of African Americans that it carries or the racist situations that it displays. The white boy becomes good buddies with a black boy on the plantation, but can't even invite him to his birthday party when it's held. What can't be denied though is that this is indeed a Disney classic due to the excellent animation and special effects it contains, but the reputation for racism had caused it to be seldom seen nowadays.
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