Song of the South (1946) - 94 Minutes

Song of the South. How many folks out there have seen this delightful feature? Not many, I'd assume. This is a film that Disney refuses to release again for reasons of it being overtly racist and they are afraid it'll tarnish their kid-friendly, do-no-harm reputation. It's the story of Uncle Remus who spins tales of old Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox and Brer Bear. The little boy Johnny learns from these stories, and has adventures of his own.


Eli

Rating: 8/10

Reaction: Though I've only seen this once before, it is still highly entertaining. This movie was the basis for my favorite ride at the Disney parks: Splash Mountain! So I knew all the songs and it was fantastic to recognize images in the movie that I'm familiar with in the ride (Brer Bear tied up, scaring off the crows is one example.) Maybe I'm just naive (and maybe I love Splash Mountain so much) but I really don't see how terrible this film is. It's a piece of Disney history, and I'm sad future generations won't get to experience it. I love how Hattie McDaniel is in this film, and Uncle Remus is a treasure. They adventures that Brer Rabbit goes on are cute, though I would hate to encounter someone who wants to punch you in the face just because you won't say hello to them. (Hello, NYC homeless...) But who can not love the song Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah! It always puts a smile on my face, and yes, everything truly is satisfactual in this film!


Regan

Rating: 7/10

Reaction: So I can totally see where the people who say this movie is racist are coming from.  Despite that, I found myself enjoying it.  The animations and live action scenes balanced each other nicely.  My favorite parts were the Brer Rabbit parts--although it's hard to have much empathy for that feisty rabbit.  It's sweet to see Uncle Remus try to lift a young boy's spirits through his stories, and satisfying when Johnny takes Uncle Remus's stories as an example and uses Brer Rabbit's tricks on some bullies.  Also that puppy was adorable!  The ending was pretty cheesey, with Johnny's mother sending Uncle Remus away and Johnny getting trampled by a bull (distinctly not Ferdinand the Bull) when he cuts across the pasture to stop him.  Of course a few stories from Uncle Remus were all Johnny needed to get out of bed and on his feet again!  I was pretty delighted by the ending, with the three children, the dog, and an astonished Uncle Remus frolicking with Brer Rabbit and singing "Zipp-a-Dee-Doo-Dah".