Gone with the Wind

Rating

Director

Victor Fleming

Screenplay

Sidney Howard (Novel: Margaret Mitchell)

Length

238 min.

Starring

Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Leslie Howard, Olivia de Havilland, Thomas Mitchell, Barbara O’Neil, Evelyn Keyes, Ann Rutherford, George Reeves, Fred Crane, Hattie McDaniels, Oscar Polk, Butterfly McQueen

MPAA Rating

Approved (PCA #5729)

Review

In a time of great tribulation where brother fought brother and a war from within threatened to destroy the country, one woman fights to retain her dignity in the film adaptation of Margaret Mitchell’s Civil War classic Gone With the Wind.

Scarlett O’Hara (Vivien Leigh), the daughter of a wealthy southern plantation owner has fallen in love. However, her intended has other plans. Ashley Wilkes (Leslie Howard) has decided to marry the demure Melanie Hamilton(Olivia de Havilland) much to Scarlett’s chagrin. She does everything she canto make him jealous but nothing will change his mind.

Scarlett will let nothing stop her from possessing anything she desires, including men; however, the one man she wants more than any others is the noble Ashley Wilkes. For nearly four hours, Gone With the Wind explores the tragedy-laden life of one of the screen’s most impressive female characters.

As we watch Scarlett’s slow metamorphosis, we’re given a glimpse at one of history’s greatest losses, the Civil War. Gone With the Wind presents an intensely positive view of the south, showing Yankees as little more than money-hungry brutes. Symbolic of these ideas is the shyster Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) whoat times supports and at others vilifies the citizens of the Confederacy. Rhett romances Scarlett for the same reason as many other men but he sees something a little more intense in the beauty. He sees strength that many other southern women don’t possess.

When Rhett becomes a war profiteer, his motives are his own. Much like the love of his life, he does everything he can to make something of himself forsaking all others. To an extent, Butler’s perfect for Scarlett. Unlike Ashley, Rhett wouldn’t put up with Scarlett’s machinations unless he saw some profit in it for himself. Ashley, on the other hand, would have bowed to pressure and given in incessantly to Scarlett, which would utterly destroy him as a person.

Gone With the Wind isn’t really a vehicle for strong male performances. Gable is strong as the billed co-lead but his hard edge seems more fitting to attracting an audience than conveying strong emotions. Howard has a different capability with Ashley. There is a desperation to Howard’s performance that creates an indelible impression in the audience albeit a limited one.

The women, however, are far stronger. Leigh is charismatic and self-possessed when on the screen. Even when doing the most detestable things, Scarlett never stops being the heroine and that capability is all Leigh. Easily holding her own against the powerful lead, de Havilland’s Melanie is considerate, friendly and lovable. The moral center of the picture is always at odds and a good counterpoint to the selfish Scarlett. They have their differences, mainly their love of Ashley, but Melanie tempers Scarlett and is the only reason she doesn’t become uncontrollable.

Gone With the Wind is an all-around successful film. The effects are top-notch for the day (the burning of Atlanta in particular), the sets and costumes are stunning and the film score is one of history’s most memorable. Steiner’s work here remains a pinnacle of musical scoring that many strive to achieve. John Williams has done a remarkable job trying to live up to Steiner’s inimitable style but few will ever be able to achieve what he did in this picture.

The film remains the all-time top box office earner (after inflation is calculated). Perhaps this is why cinema’s classic lines like “as God is my witness, I shall never go hungry again” and “frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn” remain an enduring part of America’s lexicon.

Gone With the Wind,even after 60 years, remains an unquestionable masterpiece. Few modern films can adeptly tackle the breadth of story that director Victor Fleming does. It is part of a bygone era of filmmaking that resonates well as the basis for some of the industry’s most ambitious projects. Few epic romances can compare to the style, grandeur and passion embodied herein.

Review Written

October 13, 2006