Gone with the Wind (1939)

Gone with the Wind(1939)

Behold one of the greatest if not the greatest movie of all time! Gone with the Wind is the 1939 masterpiece that producer David Selznik and director Victor Fleming brought to life. Selznick was the genius who wanted to combine melodrama with advanced production techniques and that line of thinking gave birth to this film. Everything about this movie is perfect from the lush cinematography to the portrayal of women and people of color to the cultural power this movie has given to the world of cinema. For a movie that was released in December 1939, it by far exceeds the quality of film expected of that time and certainly almost beats every film made today. Without further ado, lets delve right into this masterpiece!

This movie is broken into two sections; pre-Civil War and post-Civil War. Scarlett (Vivien Leigh) is a strong-willed woman dealing with the pressures of war. With Atlanta burning and the Union Army advancing, she is put through a lot. However, she has feelings for Ashley (Leslie Howard). But Ashley is set to marry her cousin, Melanie (Olivia de Havilland). Mammy (Hattie McDaniel) warns Scarlett to put her feelings aside as the family celebrates the marriage. There is a new, mysterious man at the party, Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) who might be the one to change Scarlett’s life.

The movie has a lot of interesting themes. One theme is how women is portrayed. Scarlett acts more like a headstrong woman of the 1930’s. The appeal of her character is how she individually goes after her own destiny; both economically (planting cotton and owning a lumber business) and sexually (going after the men she chooses). Audiences at the time were fascinated by her character standing up to the male characters, but she had to be punished in the end because they don’t simply allow that sort of woman to stay unleashed for so long. That is where the famous phrase spoken by Rhett Butler, “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn,” comes from.

     

Another interesting theme is the portrayal of African Americans. There may be points of racism, but keep in mind that this film was made when there were still Jim Crow segregation laws in the South. The movie does sidestep that plantations came from the era of slavery. More sympathy is given to the calluses on Scarlett’s hands as she works. Unlike any film of this time, at least African American characters were given a sense of humanity. Hattie McDaniel as Mammy comes away as the most sensible character in the movie. She has many good lines, and she completely deserved her Oscar win. Hattie happened to be the first African American ever to win an Academy Award.

       

It’s no secret that the roles of Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler were two of the most coveted roles of the century. Fortunately, both Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh were able to meet or even exceed the sky-high expectations already set for them. This film seemed perfect for the two actors with incredibly big egos. Gable with his party-boy attitude delivered maybe his best performance as an actor and Leigh, the beautiful actress known for her drug abuse really shined as the likable, mesmerizing Scarlett.

      

One of the amazing things about Gone with the Wind is the breathtaking visuals. Many films of the era had a bland look about them, but this is not one of those films. Ernest Haller’s cinematography is the best I have ever seen. The film makes great use of showing off its gorgeous landscape. The burning of Atlanta scenes really brought the movie to life as well. The use of color and lighting is phenomenal. Also, the film produced one of the greatest scores of all time. Before the likes of John Williams or James Horner, we had Max Steiner. Listening to the score really brings out the goosebumps. This score is definitely one of my favorite scores.

      

Nominated for 10 Academy Awards, Gone with the Wind is a majestic, sweeping epic that details a romance within the backdrop of the Civil War. This movie will make tears fall down your face, will make you laugh, will make you shudder up with tension, and so on. Even though the movie is some four hours long, this movie is the definition of why we go to the movies. It tells a great story, and it tells it well. Along with the Wizard of Oz, 1939 turned out to be a banner year for film.

My Grade: A+