Black and White (1932 film)

Black and White is a 1932 Soviet animated short film directed by Ivan Ivanov-Vano and Leonid Amalrik.

Themes[]

The film addresses issues of racism in the Southern United States sugar industry. Themes of racial injustice, racial violence, working-class solidarity dominate the film. It depicts black men working in a field, walking in chains, sitting behind bars, and being executed in an electric chair. In most scenes, a white authority figure is seen whipping or guarding the men. The last image of the film is Vladimir Lenin's last name. The soundtrack of the film is the traditional Negro spiritual entitled "Sometimes I Feel like a Motherless Child".^[1]

Aesthetic approach[]

Stylistically the animated short, like many other European animated films, places emphasis the communication of ideas and messages; a direct contrast to the style favored by Disney, which sought to "create relatable characters with expressive personalities and attitudes."^[2]