Gone With the Wind

Rating:
Summary: Southern Mythology at its Most Memorable
Review: In the years since it debuted, GONE WITH THE WIND has taken a beating from film critics and historians alike. The characters are often described as cardboard-ish; portions of the film are described as excessively melodramatic; some of the special effects (most notably the film's occasional use of rear-view projections) have dated. There is some truth to all of these comments, but by far the most serious accusation hurled at the film is that it is racist.

One's perception of the film as racist rather depends on whether you look at the film within the context of its era or from a purely modern standpoint. At the time, GONE WITH THE WIND was a major advance in the portrayal of blacks on screen, for the two major black characters--Mammy and Prissy--are a far cry from the obnoxious "Stepin Fetchit" stereotypes so common in the 1930s. In later years, both Hattie McDaniel and Butterfly McQueen would be derrided for their participation in the film and accused of perpetuating stereotypes, but in fact their performances were anything but stereotypical at the time--indeed, their very power led Hollywood into a repetition of similar characters, and it was that repetition that later caused the originals to read as cliched.

The real problem with GONE WITH THE WIND is that it, like the novel on which it is based, buys into the myth of great plantations, lovely Southern belles, gallant gentlemen, and a paternalistic form of slavery. These concepts have some basis in fact, but the vast majority of southern whites did not own plantations, much less own slaves, and those who did rarely practiced "paternalistic" slavery by any stretch of the imagination. But GONE WITH THE WIND is the myth, not the fact--and once we accept it as a highly romanticized vision of the South as it never really was, the film becomes incredibly entertaining and can still cast its spell upon the modern viewer.

The most powerful thing about the film is that it moves. Over the course of its very long run, the episodic story of the beautiful and willful Scarlett O'Hara and her rapacious drive to insulate herself from the hardships of the war never significantly drags. And the cast, from the leads to the bit players, is superior.

Margaret Michell might have created Rhett Butler with Clark Gable in mind; Vivien Leigh, a remarkable beauty and a very fine actress, was scarcely known outside England--but amazingly, when one considers the tremendous anticipation surrounding the casting of the role, she plays Scarlett with incredible success. Granted that the characters of Melanie and Ashley are rather unbelievable, but both Olivia de Havilland and Leslie Howard carry them off with conviction. And although they have already been mentioned, Hattie McDaniel's formidable Mammy and Butterfly McQueen's passive-aggressive and frequently hysterical Prissy are brilliant creations and more than worthy of a second mention.

True, advances in cinema technique have made some of the special effects seem dated, but the production values and art design are brilliant from throughout, and the film offers a multitude of iconographic moments: Rhett standing at the bottom of the staircase at Twelve Oaks; Scarlett caught up in a the panic during the seige of Atlanta; the tattered flag waving above the fallen troops at the train yard; the kiss between Rhett and Scarlett after the fall of Atlanta--these, yes, and many, many more.

GONE WITH THE WIND will no doubt become increasingly controversial as attitudes continue to change re race, slavery, and the Civil War--but in terms of pure cinema it is a remarkable achievement for all involved and it remains a landmark to this day. The DVD currently available offers a pristine picture and high quality sound, but I must note that the DVD has no great advantage over the current VHS release; a trailer aside, there are no bonus materials of any kind, and both are of equal quality. Strongly recommended, but with a warning: do not mistake it for fact. As I noted earlier, this is a South that never was, built on a form of slavery far removed from the slavery that actually existed. Enjoy it as a beautifully made and epic romance with a host of powerful performances--but not as history.

Rating:
Summary: Ok
Review: Gone with the wind was a great movie if you like depressing movies where nothing goes right and no two characters are happy at the same moment it is one of my favorite movies but I thought it was extreemly depressing.

Rating:
Summary: A Sweeping Epic
Review: The Story: Scarlett O'Hara is the daughter of a rich plantation owner in Georgia and, to her, the world revolves around balls, garden parties, and convincing Ashley Wilkes, the rich neighbor's son, that she is the wife for him. Then, the Civil War intrudes, and Scarlett must find a way to survive numerous obstacles. Along the way, she becomes a deeper, better person (with a view side-trips into manipulation and deviousness and mischief).

Commentary: This is a very big story, set in an important part of American history, and involving good character development, a plot with many twists, good acting, bold colors, and an uncompromising sense of style. While somewhat condensed from the novel, it remains pretty faithful to Margaret Mitchell's only novel (but not her only published work; see "Lost Laysen").

Rating:
Summary: Perfection
Review: The first half of the movie shows Scarlett as the spoiled brat but the most important part of the movie is when Scarlett first see's her mother dead.From then on GWTW becomes a completely different movie.No more fun and no more glamour. I noticed alot of the reviewers found the second half boring. But the second half of the movie is more realistic to everyones lives.Scarlett has to face reality and not rely on Mommy and Daddy anymore.She becomes a shrewd business woman and has to make things happen for herself.I totally got that when I saw the movie.Maybe you just want entertainment.This movie is perfect.However I have read the book and in the book Ashley is a total stud. I totally understood how Scarlett could have been infatuated with him.But in the movie he is boring,boring,boring.But I have to give GWTW 5 stars anyway.

Rating:
Summary: A Disappointment
Review: We are studying the Civil War in my sophomore American History class, and everybody must read a book about the Civil War, so i took on the challenge of reading GWTW. Wow. What an amazing book. No other book can make you love and hate a character at the exact same time. It will be hard to enjoy other books when you compare them to GWTW. So, after reading it i just HAD to watch the movie. I couldn't even finish it. It left out a lot from the book, and you didn't get to know the characters as well. I do realize that it was made in the late thirties, and that it would take hours and a narrator to include everything in the book, but it was still a disappointment. But if you liked the movie, you MUST read the book. Don't be scared by the size! And the first four hundred pages worth of actionless descriptions are necessary in order to lay a good foundation for the greatest story ever told. <- and that is an understatement!!! Please read this book! You will never be the same!

Rating:
Summary: STILL THE BEST EVER!!!
Review: One of the VERY FEW movies ever made that truly does justice to the book it represents. Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable absolutely bring the characters of Rhett and Scarlett to life. To my mind the great tragedy of GWTW is the lost friendship between Scarlett and Melanie, how Scarlett never realizes what a treasure Melanie was until it was too late. Quick note about another review. I thought EastCoast's review was really funny. Is he completely unaware that this movie is more than sixty years old???? Hattie McDaniel could have been Spike Lee's GRANDMOTHER!!! What a yankee!!

Rating:
Summary: As Wonderful As Ever!
Review: My mother allowed me to read Gone With the Wind when I was 12. It has always been a favorite with me, and the movie is a very creditable rendition. I was so pleased to be able to purchase it in DVD, it is so much clearer than my older VHS copy. I am 100% satisfied and recommend anyone who wishes to enjoy this movie to buy it in DVD.

Rating:
Summary: All American Classic
Review: This is a wonderful movie - a true American classic!

Rating:
Summary: Was it really that great?
Review: There has probably never been a movie as eagerly awaited as GWTW and it was released in 1939 to enormous hype. It was billed as the greatest epic of all time, etc. etc. Well, was it? Threescore years and countless TV re-runs later has helped to put it into perspective, so let's see:

WHAT'S RIGHT WITH IT:
--Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable. Holy moly, what a pair! Vivien Leigh was the perfect Scarlett O'Hara, and as for Clark Gable... who else could have played Rhett Butler? And when these two are together, the sparks ignite the screen.

--A great romantic tale. We all know it already, so no rehash is needed.

--A great war story. The tension building up to the burning of Atlanta and the flight out of the city is almost unbearable. And the panoramic pullback scene of the railroad tracks covered with war wounded is like a punch in the stomach -- we feel it on a visceral level -- and it shows as nothing else does the whole insanity of war.

--Hattie McDaniel as Mammy. Some people felt that the role itself was demeaning, and it was, but McDaniel invested it with a dignity that transcended the stereotype. She won a well-deserved Oscar for best supporting actress.

Which brings us to...

WHAT'S WRONG WITH IT:
--This is probably one of the most overtly racist films ever made with the possible exception of "Birth of a Nation". It's not only racist, it's sexist as well. It certainly reflects southern society in the 1860's, but it's painful to sit through at times.

--Leslie Howard as Ashley Wilkes. Gloriosky, what were they thinking of? Ashley is supposed to be a stirring, romantic figure. It's almost laughable to imagine a fireball like Vivien Leigh falling for this wimp.

--A rambling, incoherent second half. After the story moves back to Atlanta, it doesn't seem to have a clear focus. It rambles and idles along at a snails pace and takes forever to get where it's going.

All things considered, GWTW is still one of the most ambitious movies ever made. Maybe that was its problem. It could never have realized all its expectations, but it came fairly close.

Rating:
Summary: not as good as everyone says
Review: I was expecting soooo much more. But, after 3 hours it wasnt worth the end.