Along the way he meets a teacher at a black school who opens his eyes to black authors, and, in turn, the need to break out of the cycle of oppression he experiences back home. Martin Ritt, the director, has fashioned a movie that contains many interesting and wonderful moments. Some contain subtle truth, others are sentimental, heartwarming and moralizing, but rarely does the film succumb to outright preachiness. One of the wise things this film does is show the racism of the era without rubbing our faces in it, yet, nevertheless, quietly revealing the subtle undercurrents of prejudice. There is also a tricky scene later on, when the white woman, an upper-class lady whose laundry is done by the wife Rebecca, attempts to find out for them where Nathan is, and the sheriff almost successfully frightens her into threatening to reveal to the town what she is doing and who she is doing it for.
Hope exists because of the family's valiant attempts to remain positive, even when the worst occurs.
And in larger terms, the parents, especially Nathan, see their children as people who could better themselves rather than remain as mere subordinates meant to endure the drudgery of working for the white man. The final scenes validate the hope that everyone takes for granted throughout the film. I found Sounder in the family section of the local video store, but, while it is certainly suitable for families, and was rated G back in 1972, it may be a bit misleading to say that this is a children's film, even if the title refers to the name of the family dog. Clearly, you could get away with a bit more in a G-rated film back then, as there are a couple of very mild profanities, as well as very mild violence. In any case, I do recommend this film, as an historical landmark, as a sentimental yet not cloying family movie, and as a showcase for the soulful performance of Paul Winfield and the intelligent yet natural performance of the kid who plays David Lee.