More on SONG OF THE SOUTH!

Hey folks, Harry here. As many of you know, I am a very vocal supporter for a video and DVD release of SONG OF THE SOUTH in the United States aka REGION 1 for the video/dvd crowds. In the past couple of days I have had quite a bit of feedback as to what is going on at Disney, why the film hasn't been rereleased and what it all means. First up was this very nice letter I received explaining the flipside to my case.

First of all, I'm a big fan and check the page every day. I posted this in talkback, I just wanted to send it to you. I think it is important for you to consider this in your campaign attempts for this film.

The idea of Uncle Remus isn't necessarily racist, but the idea of a slave liking his white masters so much that he wants to stay on the farm has been the crux of critical arguments stating that Uncle Remus was supposed to be the perfect former slave - Very Uncle Tom - in a sense that he still performed slavelike duties for the family.

You can talk about the love he has for the children, but there's still a slave relationship. Uncle Remus is indeed the smartest, coolest guy . . . but he's still on the plantation. The problem critics have with the work is that it, at times, presents an African American who accepts his past wrongs on the condition that it sets him up with a comfortable situation.

Everyone talks about "The Tar Baby" but no one ever really talks about the story that Harris wrote where Uncle Remus has a flashback where he kills a Northern soldier, who could free him, to protect his master, therefore enduring his slavery. What Harris was (probably) trying to do, even perhaps moreso than play up the subversive tactics of the slaves, is present an idyllic setting where the slave remains on the plantation.

A much better collection of short stories, where the "Uncle Remus" character is subversive even when free, is Charles Chesnutt's THE CONJURE WOMAN AN OTHER STORIES (and anything by Chestnutt, for that matter). Unfortunately, the movie does present elements of the afforementioned "idyllic" setting. Harris' intentions are questionable.

I feel that SONG OF THE SOUTH, as well as Chandler's collection of Brer Rabbit stories, is at times terrific entertainment, butit is also dangerous in presenting a picture of the Reconstruction that is not necessarily accurate or flattering, yet tries to depict it that way. I think Disney should have been more socially responsible at the time, and is making an intelligent move by at least thinking about this decision.

Samthelion

Hey folks, Harry here again. Samthelion lays out quite a few points about the background from whence the Uncle Remus character was drawn. But you know what... in the film. The movie in question. THE ACTUAL DOCUMENT THAT I'M ADVOCATING FOR... There is no mention of slavery. The actual timing and setting of the film is quite vague, but clearly after the Civil War. There is quite a bit of unspoken history between the Grandmother character and Uncle Remus. AND IF YOU KNOW THE WRITTEN SOURCE MATERIAL, then wholeheartedly I understand why you would be offended. BUT THAT ISN'T IN THE MOVIE! ANYWHERE!

This is the same sort of problems a lot of people had with Spielberg's AMISTAD and the character of Cinqué being made out to be a hero, when after he returned to Africa he apparently set up a slaving business capturing Africans and selling them to slavers. Now... I'm aware... That's history, and when you are provoked to READ MORE ON THE SUBJECT you learn the truth behind the myth.

Now my many sources sitting at the table of Eisner have filled me in on what goes on in this realm. A few years back, a research team was put together to gauge the reaction to rereleasing SONG OF THE SOUTH. You see, Disney knows that the release would garner quite a bit of money for the studio on Video and DVD, but at the same time they realize there is a political backside to the film in these days of political correctness and sensitivity... and as a sensitive company feeling the sting of the Baptist and other groups... the last thing they want is more troubles. So they sent copies of a SONG OF THE SOUTH tape out to folks like BILL COSBY and MAYA ANGELOU, as well as Henry Hampton and Julius Wilson. They asked for comments and recommendations for how to handle the rerelease of the film.

Maya Angelou reacted quite strongly. She said the movie was dehumanizing and that she would certainly be involved with any boycott or protest. And there were others that reacted in a similar fashion.

Like I said, this was coming down when the Baptist were punching Disney, and Ovitz was being beat up seemingly daily by the L.A. TImes and VANITY FAIR. And the company was terrified of being labeled rascist on top of being a godless company trying to bring violence to America's youth.

There was a split decision with the board at the time, that went against THE SONG OF THE SOUTH, and the official position upon the film became that they would not release the film for the foreseeable future. Basically, they decided to wait till the end of political correctness and folks stopped being so damn sensitive about everything.

So the film continued to be made available in other countries. So the Japanese Laserdisc was struck. Prints were made available in Europe, Australia and in Asia. And in this country you can find blackmarket copies made from the Japanese LaserDisc at conventions and in trading circles.

However, there is an easy answer for DISNEY. Take the Disney name off the film. Don't market it AT children. Let Miramax or Buena Vista label release the film. Return to the original marketing of the film on posters. Which fixated on the "Gone with the Wind"-ish aspects. Retain the song rights in their catalogue. Have CRITERION handle the DVD and include the debate as part of it. The disc would become a $40 DVD, with comments from all sides. Comments from folks like Leonard Maltin and Roger Ebert and Maya Angelou.

However, the film warrants release. Going through the CRITERION label, stripped of the WALT DISNEY name would ensure that parents wouldn't just buy the film and let their kids watch the film unsupervised. Treat the film carefully. Warn people about the content. But release the movie.

Not releasing SONG OF THE SOUTH is very much akin to... oh... taking I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS out of every school in the country because.... IT IS INAPPROPRIATE MATERIAL! And folks... this happened at my sisters' high school the year after she graduated. There is.... NO DIFFERENCE... between hiding and destroying prints of SONG OF THE SOUTH and pulling I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS from schools and public libraries. Or Huck Finn or Tom Sawyer or Gone With The Wind or Catcher in the Rye and so on.... Should GONE WITH THE WIND never be released on video? Should all PORN be illegal? Should movies like DEAD ALIVE be banned for inappropriate material? NO... they should be released.... they must be released. If we are to evolve as a culture we can not simply hide our heads in the sand. DISNEY, it is your DUTY as a responsible company to release the film with the PROPER CONTEXT! To set up the story, give a history, both sides.... AND LET THE PUBLIC MAKE UP THEIR OWN MINDS! It would be profitable. Ultimately the problems of the book (which... should this also be banned) are not the problems of the film.... and even if they are... In our culture, we learn from History.... we don't destroy it.