Song Of The South Analysis

With chipper songs and a saccharine plotline, Disney’s first ever live action film “Song of the South” doesn’t bring many new elements to the table besides the presence of actors. Mediocre actors to boot. One may be able to overlook these flaws for the film’s more redeeming qualities, such as its impressive animation and catchy tunes. I find myself humming the film’s “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah” jingle as I write this. However, it is undeniable that “Song of the South” and its cheesy execution leaves a somewhat unpleasant aftertaste. Loosely based off of Joel Chandler Harris's Uncle Remus tales, the movie takes place in the Reconstruction era and revolves around the adventures of little Johnny (Bobby Driscoll) who comes to visit his grandmother (Lucile Watson) at her Georgia plantation. He is accompanied by his mother (Ruth Warrick) who grew up on the plantation listening to the stories of Uncle Remus (James Baskett), a jolly and greying black plantation hand. Johnny and Uncle Remus are acquainted and Johnny soon becomes familiar with the stories of Br’er Rabbit and Br’er Fox, which seem to be the predecessors of the Tom and Jerry cartoons with some moral lessons thrown into the mix. However, …show more content…
As Uncle Remus narrates his stories, the audience enjoys a short accompanying animation of Br’er Rabbit and Br’er Fox with the typical Disneyesque singing birds and talking animals, and sometimes with Uncle Remus directly interacting with the story characters. The animators managed to seamlessly incorporate Uncle Remus into the animal world. The scenes looked completely natural and in sync, which is very impressive for the time. The animations were often accompanied by lively and catchy music that will make the audience tap their feet and bob their heads. Disney has established itself as supreme in these two departments since its beginnings and these qualities shine through, even in this less-than-stellar