One could say that the essential thing about all ruling, all exploiting and all humiliation is to make most of those that you rule over, unaware of their slavery, even if, as in this film, they are called slaves. Right after the civil war, there was a general understanding amongst winners of that war to go easy on the conquered South. Even Lincoln is said to have the orchestra playing "Dixie" as he stood there on the balcony receiving the praise of the people for the victory.
Why, one might ask, was this so?
The South's kind of slavery was a very lazy one, in which the slaves knew that they were slaves and in which there were only black slaves. Less lazy rulers want all to be slaves, except themselves, of course. The South's kind of slavery was a provocation and to let it go on could easily have resulted in another, for the men in power much more dangerous war, the war of all slaves (not just those being called slaves) of all colors against the rich and powerful. That was not allowed to happen. This film glorifies ruling and cleverly even manages to glorify the kind of slavery in which people are called slaves and openly are bought and sold. By taking a stand for the South in the times of the civil war, Hollywood did with this film sanction "fatherly" leadership, which we are supposed to believe being "good", even if we are sold and bought. Using a lovely motherless child and any number of "Uncle Tom's" for this purpose, as in the story of this film, does, as it seems, give rise to no blushing whatsoever. The liar lies so much that, in the end, he believes his own lies. A gruesome "cute" little film selling slavery to the slaves!
Why, one might ask, was this so?
The South's kind of slavery was a very lazy one, in which the slaves knew that they were slaves and in which there were only black slaves. Less lazy rulers want all to be slaves, except themselves, of course. The South's kind of slavery was a provocation and to let it go on could easily have resulted in another, for the men in power much more dangerous war, the war of all slaves (not just those being called slaves) of all colors against the rich and powerful. That was not allowed to happen. This film glorifies ruling and cleverly even manages to glorify the kind of slavery in which people are called slaves and openly are bought and sold. By taking a stand for the South in the times of the civil war, Hollywood did with this film sanction "fatherly" leadership, which we are supposed to believe being "good", even if we are sold and bought. Using a lovely motherless child and any number of "Uncle Tom's" for this purpose, as in the story of this film, does, as it seems, give rise to no blushing whatsoever. The liar lies so much that, in the end, he believes his own lies. A gruesome "cute" little film selling slavery to the slaves!