Gone with the Wind...Overrated?

[free]

I just watched Gone with the Wind for about the 5th time a few days ago. I absolutely loathe the movie, but it's my wife's favorite.

I honeslty don't see how it's considered one of the greatest movies ever made. To me, it's basically a 3 hour soap opera, and if it wasn't for the second half after the burning of Atlanta, I would seriously consider it one of the worst movies in history. Some of the characters were so over the top, it made me sick. Were we actually supposed to feel sorry for Scarlett? By the end, I wish Rhett would've pushed her down the stairs after dissing her. I was the one thinking, "Frankly, my dear, I really don't give a rat's ass."

If you like civil war period pieces, try Glory, or even Gods and Generals.

3/10

[Fisting Ackbar]

SPOILERS










Maybe a little overrated, it does get tiresome at times due to it's long length, but for a 1939 film I have to acknowledge how well made it is, and I loved the acting from both leads. I admit that Scarlett was pretty unlikeable at times, but the fact that she finally gets what she deserves redeems the film in my book.

I'd give it a 9/10.

[thedudeman69]

it is as overrated as the LOTR movies but just as good.


9.5/10

[Professor Paste]

Never seen it.

[Buck Turgidson]

Really beautifully mounted production that is ultimately, when looked at closely, alternately empty and disgusting. Kind of like a Louis Vuitton bag full of turds.

[Briare Rabbit]

Tsk tsk. Another person that doesnt understand the movie.

First off, why doesnt anyone try watching it NOT trying to identify with either Rhett or Scarlett. I know this is a stretch, since in every movie from Sherlock Holmes to Fight Club you have yourself a hero, but Gone With the Wind has no "heroes". It is a sad tale of the South, and when that classic era left us. Rhett is a terrible person, first of all. He is as controlling and mean as Scarlett is, he's just subtle. He makes fun of people constantly, he smokes and drinks heavily, and what's that about marital rape? Yeah, he rapes Scarlett. Why? To put her in her place. Does it work? Nope. Does it make him a coward and a fool, and Scarlett even strong? Sure does. Scarlett too. She's a creepy person. Melanie is the kindest, sweetest person on celluloid, and yet Scarlett wants to ruin her life. She talks trash about her, even tries to steal Ashley. And Ashley? Well, Ashley isnt the knight in shining armor either. He's a slimy, sniveling loser, who thinks too highly of himself.

Gone With the Wind is a movie with no heroes; much like the time where it takes place. Not lighthearted like many claim, but a dark film about some of the darkest parts of American history.

-------------------------------------------------------------

On a lesser note: the characters, over the top? Yep. Think thoughl there are over the top characters in everything. Peter Lorre in Casablanca, Tyler Durden in Fight Club, Tommy in Goodfellas, Bickle in Taxi Driver, Beale in Network, McMurphy in Cuckoo's Nest, Blance Barrow in Bonnie and Clyde. Some examples of famous films. They all have their over the top characters. Im assuming you're referring to Prissy; an annoying child, sure, but she really didnt know nothing about birthin' babies. And if Miz Scarlett gave me a smack, Id be screamin' too.

[Ender]

The thing that forever cements Gone With the Wind in cinematic history is the fact that at the time it was one of the most ambitious film project ever put to celluloid. You just didn't get production values like that in those days, the sets, the costuming, the cinematography, and of course, the burning of Atlanta, it was very sweeping and very epic and was quite a feat for it's day and age.

In terms of story I have to agree with you, crap, but I guess you have to have an appreciation of the period. I will say that telling the tale of the Civil War from the homefront, and the Confederate homefront at that, is quite novel. Too bad I just couldn't get into it.

[bluesbrother965]

I think Gone with the Wind is very, very overrated, but still a good movie (8/10). Should it have won all those oscars in 1939? No(at least not Best Picture), Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is way better. Should it be ranked among the best movies of all time? No, at least not in the top 5 as it is for many lists. But it's still a good movie, in my opinion.

[Briare Rabbit]

Mr Smith, as good as it is wasnt even new in it's day. It was trite, sweet, loser-wins-in-the-end, typical Capra.

[Trinity]

Overrated? Never. It's imo the greatest movie Hollywood ever produced.

free, what gives you the impression you're "supposed to feel sorry for Scarlett"? Sure, a lot of shit happened to her, but she always came out alright. I don't see what's there to be sorry for.

The thing that forever cements Gone With the Wind in cinematic history is the fact that at the time it was one of the most ambitious film project ever put to celluloid. You just didn't get production values like that in those days, the sets, the costuming, the cinematography, and of course, the burning of Atlanta, it was very sweeping and very epic and was quite a feat for it's day and age.
That's only a part of it, and only partly true at that. Look at the production values of many MGM movies made before GWTW - no shortage of great sets and costuming there. What makes GWTW a little more remarkable in that respect is that it was mostly an independant production, and that the scale, not the quality of it all was greater.

But what imo makes GWTW an endurable classic (and it is, despite of what the majority here might say - popular audiences still love it) is that it has a really great story that continues to capture people's imaginaition - iconic characters and a sweeping, romantic, nostalgic, flawlessly told story. It's the pinnacle of "classical" storytelling.

[Hannibal21]

Originally posted by Trinity
free, what gives you the impression you're "supposed to feel sorry for Scarlett"? Sure, a lot of shit happened to her, but she always came out alright. I don't see what's there to be sorry for.

But what imo makes GWTW an endurable classic (and it is, despite of what the majority here might say - popular audiences still love it) is that it has a really great story that continues to capture people's imaginaition - iconic characters and a sweeping, romantic, nostalgic, flawlessly told story. It's the pinnacle of "classical" storytelling.

Agreed on both accounts.

I've never looked at Scarlett as someone "you're supposed to feel sorry for" or an unlikeable, miserable woman that some schmoes on this board seem to dislike. I mean, she's done a few things that might turn people off and did act somewhat bratty and selfish at times, but in the end I thought she turned out to be more likeable and courageous than not, especially after surviving all the shit and battles she's gone through. GWTW was one of the first classic movies I've ever seen when I was still young, and it wasn't until more than a few years later when I revisited it and found in it the nostalgia, which brings back all the memories. For reasons, I agree with what I quoted, the movie is masterful, a totally grand entertainment so epic in it's storytelling, so iconic and memorable in it's characters, and so captive all the same with it's immortalized love story, with one of the most satisfying conclusions to boot. I simply can't wait for the Special Edition DVD!

[free]

Originally posted by Trinity
free, what gives you the impression you're "supposed to feel sorry for Scarlett"?

Well, I think that has more to do with the last of the first half and the beginning of the second half. Here is a person who loses her mother, her father has lost his mind, obviously feels guilty over what she has done to Melanie, and is forced to work harder than she has ever worked before. I can understand why I would feel sorry for a person like that, but she is a loathsome, manipulative person.

You just didn't get production values like that in those days, the sets, the costuming, the cinematography, and of course, the burning of Atlanta, it was very sweeping and very epic and was quite a feat for it's day and age.

I agree that it is a beautiful film, and the costumes were outstanding, but I tend to look less at the beauty of a film, and more toward it's story.

An example would be 12 Angry Men. That is one of my all time favorite movies, and the whole time we are in a juror's room. The characters made that film, and I just couldn't identify with GWTW.

Gone With the Wind is a movie with no heroes; much like the time where it takes place. Not lighthearted like many claim, but a dark film about some of the darkest parts of American history.

I guess one could appreciate the film for that, I agree that it does comment on the times of the Civil War, but I still feel like it wants me to identify with Scarlett, and somehow feel bad for what has happened to her. Even though she does go through things I would never wish on my enemies, something about me says she will never learn from what has happened, and will continue to be the same person she is. (I will re-watch it again and try looking at it from your viewpoint to see if I have a better appreciation for it, but it doesn't look good, ;))

Im assuming you're referring to Prissy; an annoying child, sure, but she really didnt know nothing about birthin' babies.

I actually found her amusing. Especially when Rhett tells her to come on up to the whorehouse. "My momma where me out, she would."

[Buck Turgidson]

Originally posted by Ender
I will say that telling the tale of the Civil War from the homefront, and the Confederate homefront at that, is quite novel.

Actually, that's not true. In the popular opinion of the day, the poor Confederacy was very put upon in films and books.

And the inaccurate portrayal of Reconstruction (let's not forget that Margaret Mitchell was a hack Georgia novelist who had imbibed all of the moonshine about The Lost Cause that that implies), is second in rank, racist awfulness only to Birth of a Nation.

It's filth. Pretty, handsomely done filth, but nonetheless...

[Briare Rabbit]

To compare Gone With the Wind and the Birth of a Nation in any racial context is sheer lunacy.

[Moviefan02000]

I own the film on DVD, but have yet to watch all of it. I have watched it to about the part where her and whats her name shoot they guy and have to move him. I do like the movie, but feel it is overrated too. 7/10 (B)

[Trinity]

Buck, just what is it that is so horribly racist in GWTW? I know you're not the only one who thinks it is, but I'd like to know what was it that you found so offensive.

[Trinity]

Now, I believe I am not a racist, so for me to able to love GWTW without reservations, it would need to be, in my opinion, not racist. I could not love it if I thought it was racist. I believe this movie has its heart in the right place, in more ways than one. I believe that, despite being the biggest moneymaker of its day, it was essentially a "labor of love" for its maker, David Selznick. This man spared no expense and no psychical or psychological strain to himself in making it. Of all the big producers of that time, Selznick was the biggest romantic and idealist - someone who truly loved moviemaking as a craft and an art. This shows in his movies - and nowhere more so than in GWTW, which you could say was the cinematic love of his life. I’m not saying he wasn’t interested in making money, because that would be crazy, but GWTW was a GIANT risk for him and in the end with all the money it made almost sunk his studio. By all this, I just mean to say that in my eyes GWTW is different than the majority of today's blockbuster type movies made with the sole purpose of making money.

Now as for the whole racist issue - .are there any overtly racist comments or actions in GWTW? I can’t think of any. The problem is then probably in the implied sentiment - many people claim the romantic portrayal of the South as shown here is in itself racist. If you watch any of Selznick’s other movies you’ll see this is hardly an exception - he had a tendency towards romanticizing everything, from Mexican revolutionaries (Viva Villa!), to giant apes (King Kong) to Hollywood itself (A Star is Born). Secondly, the movie never deals explicitly with the position of the slaves in the South - it doesn’t “shun” the issue, but the story quite simply isn’t about that! It is not the history of the Old South or the history of the Civil War, nor does it ever claim to be - it is a story of the trials and tribulations of one spoiled, sometimes unlikable Southern belle, her personal journey. And as her story it is told mostly from her perspective - if the movie laments the fact that the South lost the war, or the abolition of slavery and Reconstruction, it is only because Scarlett as our “heroine” feels these things. To her the South really was “the land of Cavaliers and Cotton fields…“ (to quote the text at the beginning of the movie). Scarlett, as well as most other characters in the movie, are by today’s standards racist (I say “by today’s standards” because Scarlett was not racist by choice or by belief - it was just something she inherited, a part of the times). Does that mean a movie that tells her story sympathetically is also racist? No, because in this story her being or not being racist is not an important part of her character. The movie doesn’t condone it, it just doesn’t explore it - because, to repeat myself, this story is just not about that. If you do not like the character and are just not prone to feeling sympathetic to what this “poor little rich” girl has to go through, then that’s another story and this movie is just not for you.

Originally posted by free
Well, I think that has more to do with the last of the first half and the beginning of the second half. Here is a person who loses her mother, her father has lost his mind, obviously feels guilty over what she has done to Melanie, and is forced to work harder than she has ever worked before. I can understand why I would feel sorry for a person like that, but she is a loathsome, manipulative person.
The thing is this girl is obviosly more than capable of taking care of herself under any circumstances. That's why I could never feel sorry for her, nor do I feel invited to feel sorry for her.

What has she done to Melanie though that she would feel guilty about? Scarlett stayed in Atlanta at great risk to her own life when she could easily have escaped - in order to help Melanie deliver the baby (she would obviously have died without her). That was a very unselish act and certainly nothing to feel guilty about. And no, she did not help Melanie just because she “promised Ashley” - this is just something Scarlett needs to tell herself because, like many viewers apparently, she is not willing to see herself as selfless and self-sacrificing. Most of Scarlett’s manipulating was done for the benefit of others - like when she marries her sister’s beaux - she’s not stealing him for her own pleasure, but sacrificing herself to save Tara, so that her family would still have a place to live. One reviewer described the character as (paraphrasing) "equal to acts of true heroism, but incapable of acts of petty kindness” (I wish I remembered who it was so I could find the exact quote). She is someone who comes through when it matters - for herself and for others.

I do not think she got her “comeuppance” from Rhett in the final scene (nor that he, such as he was, had any right to give it to) - what that final scene says to me is that she doesn’t need him afterall. Yeah, she keeps saying she’ll “think of some way to get him back”, but it’s not about getting him back at all. It’s about her surviving one more ordeal and the viewer realizing that no matter what, Scarlett will always manage to come out on top. After so many events told over almost four hours, this may seem like a pretty random point at which to stop the story, but it is the perfect payoff - an optimistic ending that brings though the point of those four hours of storytelling and the essence of the heroine - survival. At that point, anything further would be superfluous.

[Ted Pikul]

Very interesting discussion but as an aside am I correct in saying that Clark Gable fought tooth & nail not to appear in GWTW?

Which is ironic if true seeing as it's the film he's most famous for.

[Trinity]

Originally posted by Ted Pikul
Very interesting discussion but as an aside am I correct in saying that Clark Gable fought tooth & nail not to appear in GWTW?

Which is ironic if true seeing as it's the film he's most famous for.
That's correct. It was mostly due to the movie "Parnell", a period piece he made two years earlier which was a monumental flop financially and critically. He vowed never to do a period movie again. But due to a combination of reasons he ended up doing GWTW and as you say is most remembered for it today. When MGM got involved in the production (Selznick originally wanted to go it alone, but as the costs grew he had to look outside for help), they offered 1 million $ and Clark Gable in exchange for 50% of the profits, if I remember correctly. So, being under contract to MGM Clark couldn’t very well say no. But since he was their biggest star they wanted to keep him happy, so in addition to his own fee, MGM gave him 50.000$ he needed to divorce his wife and marry Carole Lombard (which he did during the filming of GWTW).

Gable was also the one responsible for firing the original director George Cukor - because he was a homophobe and because he thought Cukor was paying too much attention to the actresses in the film, and not enough to him. A shame really, because Cukor’s sequences are the best in the movie.

[Ted Pikul]

What sequences was Cukor responsible for?

[zeppelin]

Originally posted by free
To me, it's basically a 3 hour soap opera

It isn't overrated because it's exactly what it's made out to be: an epic 3-hour story of love and war, or soap opera if you want to call it. And judging by that statement, that's why you don't like it. I don't think it's that you dislike the movie specifically, but rather the entire genre. So it's just your personal taste. It isn't overrated. I don't even think a movie can be overrated. "Overrated" is an overrated word.

[Trinity]

Originally posted by Ted Pikul
What sequences was Cukor responsible for?
According to IMDB: "Cukor filmed about 33 minutes of footage, 17 of which appear in the first half of the film, they are: Ellen O'Hara returns home (except for Victor Jory and closeup of Thomas Mitchell); evening prayer services at Tara; Mammy and Scarlett prepare for the Twelve Oaks barbecue; the widow Hamilton tries on a bonnet in her bedroom (single shot); various non-dialogue shots at the Atlanta Bazaar, including far shots of Scarlett and Rhett waltzing; Scarlett gives Ashley a sash and begs his love; all scenes in and around Aunt Pittypat's house on the day of evacuation (except for Scarlett stops a dispatch rider); the burning of the Atlanta Depot (except for actors' close-ups)."

Though that list doesn't include the Twelve Oaks barbecue sequence, in particular the "announcement of war", which I know was directed by Cukor (I think it's mentioned in the "Making of a Legend" documentary) and which I condider the very best scene in the movie.

[Ted Pikul]

A considerable sum then.

Didn't Sam Wood also direct some of the film?

[Buck Turgidson]

Okay, I've obviously hit a couple of nerves. This almost always happens when I discuss this movie, because I always feel compelled to point out how much I loathe it. I should really just sit these threads out.

Trinity, in no way, shape or form do I think you're a racist or sympathetic to racism. There's a lot to concentrate on in this film, and you look at the many aspects that don't touch upon it's historically inaccurate and biased presentation of the events of the war and Reconstruction, which were the orthodox version of the story at the time.

That's cool and I understand how you could love it on that basis, but I can't, and won't, make that distinction.

[Briare Rabbit]

Originally posted by Ted Pikul
A considerable sum then.

Didn't Sam Wood also direct some of the film?

Correct. There was three (imdb says so, anywho). The mentioned Cukor, Sam Wood and the credited director, Fleming.

[ComeNightfall]

YES, YES, and YES!!!

GWTW is one of the most boring, overrated movies in all of cinema history. I fell asleep during this movie. You can tell me I didn't understand it and all that good stuff, but it's only my opinion and I'm sticking with it.

[Ender]

Off-topic, but I keep thinking about that line in Sunset Boulevard:

"Oh, well I suppose you'd have turned down Gone With the Wind!"

"No, that was me, actually. I said 'Who wants to see a civil war picture?'"

[criddic2]

Falling asleep during a movie tells us nothing about what you thought of the movie. If I fall asleep during a movie, I figure I was tired. Many films I have hated failed to put me to sleep, so I do not in any way rate a movie based on how long I can stay up to watch it. If a film bores me, I turn it off or hope something amusing happens at some point.

This film is a great triumph of film making. It contains wonderful characters and a mesmerizing quality is part of the reason I praise the film. If it's on TCM and I happen to flip to that channel, it is hard not to get wrapped up in it.

I don't see how anyone can hate it. "Birth of a Nation" has haters because it was incredibily, blatently racist, but "Gone with the Wind" has a very outspoken maid played by Hattie McDaniel (who won an Oscar, over co-star Olivia de Havilland, the only major star of the film still alive).

[DRbeauty]

The movie is not racist at all. It was however, told in the perspective of the South so of course you're not going to be hearing about equality for all.

[Damned Martian]

Originally posted by DRbeauty
The movie is not racist at all. It was however, told in the perspective of the South so of course you're not going to be hearing about equality for all. Pretty sums up what I think. The movie is not overrated, it's an excellent film and one of the most important ones in movie history, and as that it is treated.

[Cyclonus]

If it's helpful, here's James Berardinelli's review. I pretty much agree with what he said, though personally I'd drop the rating by a half star.

http://movie-reviews.colossus.net/movies/g/gone_wind.html

Last week, the American Film Institute released its list of the 100 best American films of all time. Not surprisingly, Gone with the Wind placed in the Top 10 (#4, in fact). However, although this epic romantic melodrama is undoubtedly one of the most popular and beloved motion pictures ever to grace the silver screen, it is also arguably the most overrated. Gone with the Wind is a very good movie, perhaps bordering on being great, but its subject matter and running time (which is easily 60 minutes too long) argue against its status as a masterpiece. As for its high placing on the AFI's list... it isn't the only travesty on that roster, but it is one of the most obvious.

Gone with the Wind is, simply put, a tale of two halves. The movie is divided by an intermission into a pair of roughly-equal segments. The first, which is brilliant and consistently captivating, covers the time period of the Civil War, beginning shortly after the election of Abraham Lincoln, and ending during Sherman's march through Atlanta. The post-intermission half, which dishes out the suds, picks up at the end of the Civil War and concludes about eight years later. This portion of Gone with the Wind, while still retaining a degree of appeal and narrative interest, spins its wheels frequently.

Nevertheless, viewing Gone with the Wind on television pales in comparison to seeing it projected on a motion picture screen. New Line Cinema has chosen to re-release the film (which is now in its sixth major revival) for its 59th anniversary. (Why not wait a year for the 60th?) Anyone who loves movies but has only seen this one on TV or video is heartily encouraged to visit the nearest participating venue. Theatrically, Gone with the Wind is an entirely different experience from its small-screen counterpart; some of the second-half narrative tedium is effaced by the glorious visuals. With a restored three-strip Technicolor print that preserves all of the original's deep, vibrant colors and digitally-enhanced sound, this picture has never looked or sounded better.

Gone with the Wind has one of the best-known storylines of any film, due in large part to the popularity of the source material, Margaret Mitchell's best-selling 1936 book. It's essentially a sumptuous soap opera set around Civil War times in the deep South. The main character is Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh), the spoiled, manipulative daughter of an Irish immigrant plantation owner (Thomas Mitchell, who would later play Uncle Billy in Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life). Scarlett has two sisters, but she is by far the most spirited of the three O'Hara girls, and her father, seeing her as his successor, teaches her lessons about the importance of the land. "It's the only thing that lasts... the only thing worth fighting for," he comments in the face of war.

Scarlett is secretly in love with Ashley Wilkes (Leslie Howard), who is about to marry the gentle, demure Melanie Hamilton (Olivia De Havilland). When Scarlett confesses her love to Ashley, he admits his feelings for her, but notes that Melanie will make a much better wife. Immediately after this meeting, Scarlett has her first encounter with the irrepressible Rhett Butler (Clark Gable), the cynical, smart hero who eventually falls in love with her. They are two headstrong likes who simultaneously repel and attract one another. When Scarlett remarks, "You, Sir, are no gentleman," Rhett's smiling, easy response is, "And you're no lady."

The bulk of the film follows a romantic quadrangle as it unfolds against the backdrop of war and reconstruction in and around Atlanta and the O'Hara plantation, Tara. Scarlett is in love with Ashley, or thinks she is, but he won't leave his wife. Melanie loves both her husband and Scarlett, who improbably becomes her best friend. Rhett is smitten with Scarlett, and she is clearly interested in him, but the real question is how long it will take for her to recognize the depth of her feelings. Ultimately, when Rhett has finally had enough, he walks out of her life after answering "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn" to her plaintive query about what she's supposed to do without him.

The pre-intermission portion of Gone with the Wind, which runs about 115 minutes, is glorious from both a visual and an emotional standpoint. It's a grand tale of love and loss in the midst of this country's most bitter war. Most importantly, it shows Scarlett's development from a vain, spoiled brat into a hardened, determined young woman. Her relationship with Rhett is there, but kept carefully in the background. There is sadness, humor, and a number of breathtaking shots of Scarlett silhouetted against a reddish sunset or the backdrop of Atlanta in flames. The film's most lingering image -- that of thousands of Confederate wounded paving an Atlanta street -- occurs during this part of the movie.

The second half, with its repetitive concentration on Scarlett's back-and-forth, do-I-love-him-or-not relationship with Rhett, is less successful. This stuff is real soap opera material, and, even as well- acted and well-presented as the narrative is, there's no mistaking it for anything else. If it didn't run on for so long, it would be a lot more bearable, but Gone with the Wind threatens to wear out its welcome long before the end title appears. The problem is that the bulk of the story is really told in the first half, so there's a lot of filler in the post-intermission material.

Gone with the Wind stands as a romantic monument to the Old South -- an homage to an era and a lifestyle long gone. The opening title states: "There was a land of Cavaliers and Cotton Fields called the Old South. Here in this pretty world, Gallantry took its last bow. Here was the last ever to be seen of Knights and their Ladies Fair, of Master and of Slave. Look for it only in books, for it is no more than a dream remembered, a Civilization gone with the wind." This clearly illustrates where the film's sympathies lies, and it isn't with the often-grim plight of the slaves (in fact, slavery is largely treated as a neutral, or even benevolent, institution).

One of the tests of the lasting impact of any film is determining whether it's still effective decades after its initial release. Gone with the Wind looks so good that it is surprising to consider its actual age. It's hard to believe that many of the people involved with this film have long since died. Of course, period pieces should not be constrained by the era in which they're made, only by the one in which they're set. The storyline, while "progressive" and "modern" for the 1930s, is a little tame for the 1990s (hence the MPAA's "G" rating), but, in its three-dimensional depiction of Scarlett and Rhett, it's rarely naive. The dialogue is often brilliant, and some of the Rhett/Scarlett exchanges are particularly clever. Gone with the Wind avoids becoming hopelessly maudlin by peppering the lengthy storyline with a variety of lively and humorous sequences.

Probably as much has been written about Scarlett and Rhett as about Casablanca's Rick and Ilsa. Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable were perfectly cast in the leading roles -- she was a relative unknown who was "discovered" almost by accident after an exhaustive casting period; he was an established idol. They fit together perfectly, and, while their chemistry isn't as overwhelming as that of Bogart and Bergman, it's pretty close. As with all couples, their glances and body language say as much or more than their words, and, especially in Scarlett's case, are always more truthful. The characters are fascinating, both on their own and in their interaction with each other. Scarlett is a devious manipulator with a dangerous charm (beware her when she bats her eyelashes); Rhett sees through her at every turn, but, even as smart as he is, he can't help falling for her.

There are a number of noteworthy supporting players. The two with the most screen time (aside from Gable and Leigh) are Leslie Howard and Olivia De Havilland. Both portray low-key characters, but do it so well that we develop a deep sympathy for them and their plight. When it comes to the games of the heart engaged in by Scarlett and Rhett, Ashley and Melanie are out of their league. Another standout is Hattie McDaniel, whose brilliant Mammy (the housekeeper at Tara) steals scenes from the more prominent characters. McDaniel brings Mammy to life, and, while she's not three-dimensional, she's real. Mammy is also evidence that Gone with the Wind was capable of transcending (at least in part) the too-easy black stereotypes that were in evidence during the 1930s.

When discussing the creative forces behind Gone with the Wind, one rarely hears the name of Victor Fleming (The Wizard of Oz), the credited director. (He was actually one of four men to helm the project.) Instead, Gone with the Wind is referred to as "a David O. Selznick Production," because Selznick was the driving force behind the movie's development. As Producer or Executive Producer, Selznick was instrumental in making over 50 films, including titles like King Kong, A Tale of Two Cities, A Star Is Born, Rebecca, Spellbound, and The Third Man. With four directors, over a dozen uncredited screenwriters, and several cinematographers, Selznick proved to be the creative glue that held Gone with the Wind together. This was his child -- an obsession that consumed him for years.

To date, no film has sold more box-office tickets than Gone with the Wind. Domestically, the tally almost doubles that for the phenomenally-popular Titanic. Of course, when the movie was first released, it wasn't just another motion picture -- it was a spectacle, an event. Even though the habits of movie- goers have changed over the years, it's easy to see why this film provoked such an outpouring of praise and adulation during its initial release, and why its stature has grown with the passage of decades. Gone with the Wind has flaws, but it's still undeniably a classic and a legend.

[rating: 3.5 stars]

[Briare Rabbit]

Berardinelli doesn't know what hes talking about when it comes to the last half of the movie.

[free]

I just saw the 4 disc special edition of GWTW at Wal-Mart today, so I guess that'll be another surprise for her on Christmas.

She has strange tastes, too. She wants that and SpongeBob season 2. :p

[bob]

I find the movie dull. I can sit through Godfather Part 2, Seven Samurai, and many other 3.5 hour behemoths no problem, but this film is just tiresome.