Gone With the Wind

"... A Civilization, gone with the wind" -Intro Credits

Gone With the Wind first debuted in 1939, and was a turbulant film for a turbulant time. The films genre's are Romance and Drama, and observe a central theme of the hellish experience that is war, and the aftershocks of experiencing such an event. The Director, Victor Flemming, casted his leading characters with well known actors and actresses of the time, such as Vivien Leigh as the impetuous Scarlett O'Hara, or Clark Gable as the Illustrious Rhett Butler. Mr. Flemmings fictitious account of a war-scarred south was impressive, if not exceptional in execution, but I hardly believe it lives up to it's critically acclaimed title of 'Greatest Movie'. In my personal opinion, it gets 4/5 stars. Now first, the plot.

"... Land is worth Fighting for." -Mr. O'Hara

And so thought the rest of the gentlemen of the South. The movie begins with the maddeningly narcissistic Scarlett O'Hara having a conversation with her positively captivated suitors. This conversation notes the betrothal of Melanie Hamilton and her cousing, Ashley Wilkes, which distresses Scarlet, who has secretly been carrying a torch for Ashley. Now, from a personal viewpoint, I couldn't have been happier with this, because literally the first drama shown in the movie is also the most long lasting one. The entire film, Scarlet was chasing the one thing she couldn't have.


"I swear, I'll never go hungry again!" --Scarlett

Something I liked quite a bit about the movie involves what I mentioned earlier. The movie had several themes that continued through the film. Firstly, a horse on the screen basically meant death to a character, the only question was who. Just as well, Rhett Butler stated that he always was a fan of lost causes, and during the film, he often supports the side that would be considered the underdog, the one least likely to make survive. i personally enjoyed that about his character, because I think it was supposed to relate back to himself. Rhett never had a high opinion of himself, and I think that he was looking for someone else getting redemption, perhaps for hope, that he could perhaps overcome himself and his past.

"...Tomorrow is another day." Scarlett, end of movie.

One thing I had trouble with was Scarlett's inability to get past the first/second level of what would be considered Maslow's Hierarchy. She never allowed herself past safety and physical belongings, which leads us to the message of the movie: war changes people. After seeing how everything she owned could be taken in an instant, she realized how vulnerable she was, and someone with the psychological makeup like Scarlett's would be more affected than any other group, as she is incredibly materialistic. Thus, she never got out of her need for things, even though she had more than enough to get by, and was often given chances at healthy relationships. The one thing I disliked was the repeated representation of the south as a land wronged by the North. No hands were clean by the end of that conflict.

In conclusion, this film performed amiably, and in my book, was definitely worth watching. This movie strikes me as a story everyone should see, but I doubt I would ever see it again. Just not my cup of tea, you know? I must say, though I will not spoil the ending, I enjoyed its premise, how the story isn't really over, we've just watched what was worth watching, and her story will resolve itself in time. It's really different than most endings you see nowadays, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I highly recommend this classic to any aspiring cinema-goer.

Stay savvy my friends,

Erudito


Sources:
http://parentpreviews.com/movie-reviews/gone-with-the-wind/

http://www.gonemovies.com/www/Drama/Drama/GoneMammy1.asp