Gone With The Wind [1940]

On the DVD: No extra features on this DVD, which is a pity given the amount of material that must be available, but it has to be admitted this disc is worth the asking price simply to drink in the astonishing quality of the picture, sumptuously presented in its original 1.33:1 "Academy" ratio. The mono sound is vivid, too, showcasing Max Steiner's headily romantic score. --Mark Walker

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 Hollywood's 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 American Southern myth of great plantations, lovely vixens, gallant gentlemen, and a paternalistic form of slavery. These concepts have some basis in fact, but the vast majority of American 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 American Civil War--but in terms of pure cinema it is a remarkable achievement for all involved and it remains a landmark to this day. This DVD 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.


Masterpiece!!   October 27, 2004
Samantha (United Kingdom)
16 out of 17 found this review helpful

My mum first told me of this film when i was about to buy some dvds from amazon. she told me all the characters and how i would like it if i brought it. so i ordered it and when i got it, i watched it and i've never seen a well-made film of 1939 in my life. i loved vivian leigh and her famous 'fiddle-dee-dee' quote. i also loved olivia de hallivand as the caring, loving melanie hamilton. If you ever are thinking of buying this film heres two words of advice, BUY IT!!. You won't be disappointed.


Frankly my dear, this is fantastic!!   September 10, 2003
Jo (haverhill, suffolk United Kingdom)
14 out of 17 found this review helpful

This if my favourite movie of all time and it deserves much, much more than 5 stars.
It's the perfect cold, rainy sunday afternoon movie, just switch it on and you're transpoted back to a world where women have afternoon naps and the most impotant part of the day is being shoe-horned into a corset to acheive an 18 inch waist!

The performances from Clark Gable (Rhett Butler) Vivien Leigh (Scarlett O'Hara) and Hattie Mcdaniel (Mamie) are superb. My only criticism, if it is one, is how is the audience supposed to believe that the vivacious Scarlett would fall for a drip like Ashley Wilkes?! As if!

This film started an my obsession with Clarke Gable, Rhett Butler; what a guy! He is overbearing, arrogant and drinks to much but it's all part of his charm and thats one thing he has plenty of.

Even though theres no happy ending the viewer is left confident that once Scarlett reaches her beloved Tara everything will be allright again, she'll get her man back and it will all be Happy-ever-after.

If you have never seen this film you don't know what you're missing! and for all those other GWTW fans out there, I salute you!

I know what I'll be watching this sunday, with a big bar of chocolate and some tissues.


Total enjoyment   December 10, 2001
12 out of 16 found this review helpful

It doesn't matter how many times you watch this film, you still won't be able to take your eyes off it. It's a story of survival, pride, love and jealousy. All the ingredients for a brilliant film. You only have to sit back and enjoy.


Epically inaccurate   May 10, 2004
Ms. TE Wnek (UK)
11 out of 23 found this review helpful

This film can only really be described in one word: epic. Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh) is in love with Ashley Wilkes (Leslie Howard), however he is going to marry his cousin Melanie Hamilton (Olivia de Havilland). As the civil war approaches and Ashley leaves to fight, Scarlett encounters Rhett Butler (Clark Gable). She initially dislikes him but he adores her. They exchange witty banter for most of the film and finally marry. However Scarlett must loose everything, including him, before understanding the meaning of life and above all, love.

In essence this is Scarlett's journey from naive, rich southern girl to hardened woman. She trudges through the war and looses everything but is determined not to starve, determined not to loose. Scarlett’s struggle was something that American audience’s of the time could relate to, which is one of the reasons the film was so successful when it was released. In 1929 the Stock Market Crash occurred. This meant banks closed and savings evaporated. However cinema still remained the primary leisure activity. Studios would therefore make escapist fantasies, ignoring the reality of the time. Gone with the Wind, a film that shows Scarlett O’Hara overcome the trials and tribulations of the Civil War gave people hope, and on some level it still does today.

However what is interesting about this film is that it reflects on a time in history in the most inaccurate manner. Whether this hinders the film I am not sure, but historians have condemned it for this reason. The Civil War was a battle fought between the North and the South. The North wanted change; they wanted America to be united as a whole instead of keeping the independent states. They also wanted slavery to be abolished. The South on the other hand wanted the to keep everything as it was. So what is interesting is that instead of taking the side of the noble North, Gone with the Wind takes the side of repressed South and attempts to make THEM seem dignified.

Another interesting inaccuracy is the film’s portrayal of slavery as some sort of benevolent institution. The film attempts to say that ‘the help’ were in some control, however the reality was far different.

The writer of Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell, was unfortunately misinformed when writing her book. This was partly due to the fact all her sources were Southern, including her grandparents. This is apparent when reading her book as within it the KKK is portrayed as heroic. Luckily though this is not represented in the film. The Producer O’Selznick was Jewish and as the KKK hated Jews he played down their involvement and got rid of the racial slurs found in the book.

I’m not sure if the film’s historical inaccuracies are important, but I do think they’re worthy of note. For anyone who does not know they’re American history this film could be terribly misleading.

However the film is brilliant. It has all the elements of an epic journey and is thoroughly entertaining to boot. It also has some of the most memorable and repeated lines ever written, including ‘frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn.’ It’s certainly worthy of the praise and must be seen. It’s not accurate, but maybe that doesn’t matter.