MovieChat Forums > Song of the South (1946) Discussion > I don't see how this movie is racist.

I don't see how this movie is racist.

posted 9 years ago by Lunda2222
28 replies | jump to latest

True it makes a picturesque idyllic southern place and glosses over any racism that was rampant at the time.

But by that logic The Sound of Music (1965) must be racist because it does not mention the Nazism that ran rampant in Austria at the time. Oklahoma! (1955) must be racist because it does not mention the situation with the Native Americans in that state.

Basically any movie which portrays a place as idyllic without pointing out some flaw in the place must be bad. That includes any 60'ies show's like Leave It to Beaver (1957).

If it had portrayed black people in a stereotypical light or look down upon people because of the colour of their skin, it would be racist.

But the argument that this movie is racist boils down to "It's racist because it does not mention any racism". That's Like arguing that a recipe for lamb is really a recipe for fish because it does not mention fish.

It`s far easier to start a war than to end one.

[–] darkpast (8760) 2 years ago

you shouldn't be racist

[–] punkrockgirl (1270) a year ago

Er, about The Sound of Music, did you watch the whole movie? The ending is all about them running away from the Nazis taking over.

[–] strntz (12467) 5 months ago

The Nazis are simply misunderstood so that makes Sound of Music racist.

[–] punkrockgirl (1270) 5 months ago

What's misunderstood about the Nazis?

[–] Popcorngal (4818) a year ago

I saw the movie in my late teens in the 80's with my mom and we were not offended.

[–] ewd76 (1223) 8 months ago

It wasn't racist. This movie tells the truth and the truth is never biased.

[–] blue1981 (7831) 5 months ago

I've watched bits and pieces of it on Internet Archive. I think it has to do with Uncle Remus being a stereotype and black kids being referred to as "Tar Babies".

[–] Martoto (5049) 4 months ago

It's not seen as racist because it doesn't mention racism. That's just nonsense. Nobody has ever claimed that the lack of "mention" of racism makes it racist.

Making out that the relationships between black folks and whites in the south was some quaint pastoral dreamland as shown on SOTS, is obscene and a deliberate distortion of reality.

The Sound Of Music and Oklahoma don't distort reality in order to avoid depicting the issues of the day and of the wider society the story is set in.