Song Of The South Analysis

One’s friends and family may have polarizing views on what is portrayed in the newly released film entitled “Song of the South.” Still, the film is bound to move everyone, particularly children, to a whole array of emotions. The story unfolds as the protagonist of the story, a seven year-old boy named Johnny (Bobby Driscoll) is brought by his parents, John (Eric Rolf) and Miss Sally (Ruth Warrick) to a vacation at their Georgian plantation with his grandmother (Lucile Watson), also known as Miss Doshy. Taking place in the era of Reconstruction, they are accompanied on the plantation by African-American workers and figures, such as Aunt Tempy (Hattie McDaniel) and their maid (Anita Brown). Johnny is dismayed to find out that his father would

This could pose some problems for children, including the fact that some may only focus on the animation sections and that the plot involving the real world seems like fluff to them. The brevity of the animations can also be disrupted by the live-action. However, this combination of live-action and animation, such as when Uncle Remus appears side by side with Brer Rabbit, was very innovative and thought-out by the director of the movie, and the animations were very hand-in-hand with the actual plot

Through these characters, African Americans are brought down to mere stereotypes, being entertaining and performance-oriented, as well as several stereotypical characters like those of a minstrel, Uncle Tom, and Mammy, which all stem from slavery. These stereotypes, in conjunction with the ambiguity of the time period, seems very racially insensitive and demeaning to African Americans who would potentially watch this movie. However, this movie still transcends both its racial undertones and other movies that have followed this treatment of race such as “Gone With the Wind,” which had also featured Hattie McDaniel as a servant literally named Mammy. Although the sentiment the workers have for Miss Sally’s family is genuine happiness, care and concern, this movie features one of the most amicable relationships between whites and African Americans, which is very positive in this age of heavy racial discrimination. In addition, the racial issues are not the main focus of the film. The film is more impactful based on more humane elements such as the great and everlasting bond between Johnny and Uncle Remus.

There is no doubt that the racial undertones are there and have to potential to be misconstrued and offensive, but it is more important in this case to view the gestalt of “Song of the South” and, instead of focusing on a seemingly